A big well done to Roscommon and of course to Down, hope we're playing the Rossies over there next spring, it's been too long since I was there :D

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 05/04/2015 18:47:27    1710884

Congratulations to Roscommon and Down on promotion - no reason why they can't stay up next year .

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 05/04/2015 18:55:51    1710891

I'm a proud Down man tonight. Well done to the players and especially to Jim McCorry. An excellent achievement in his first season in charge. Congratulations to Roscommon too. Really looking forward to taking them on in the final, we owe them one after our recent league encounter at Newry.

UP THE MOURNE MEN

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 05/04/2015 19:03:17    1710898

Division 2 is not the end of the world, Donegal got to an All Ireland final from there last year.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 05/04/2015 19:21:05    1710914

We have come a long way since April 2010 when Wexford relegated us to div 4. Underage success has obviously played a big part in our rise to div one but it still takes a good manager to lead such talent on the right road and in John Evans we have that now.

To the sides that remain in div 2 and Westmeath,Kildare who have fallen through the trap you have all played a part in what was one of the most highly competitive and exciting groups of 8 ever. Congrats to Down see you in Croke park in 3 weeks.

ispeakwisdom (Roscommon) - Posts: 2487 - 05/04/2015 20:30:47    1710980

Was in Newry today. Good performance from laois to score one fifteen without our best player donie Kingston. Some of down s forward play was brilliant. They always seemed to have a man on the shoulder and took their goals brilliantly. good achievement for laois to maintain our division 2 status again as we probably more of a hurling county at present. Highlight was the win v roscommon.

Malonemagic (Laois) - Posts: 766 - 05/04/2015 20:49:40    1710996

Was in Newry today. Good performance from laois to score one fifteen without our best player donie Kingston. Some of down s forward play was brilliant. They always seemed to have a man on the shoulder and took their goals brilliantly. good achievement for laois to maintain our division 2 status again as we probably more of a hurling county at present. Highlight was the win v roscommon.

Malonemagic (Laois) - Posts: 766 - 05/04/2015 20:58:50    1711013

Fair play to laois staying up again after been written off . Disappointed for our neighbours kildare was at all of laois games and they were not the worst team in the divison . Have to say down best team in the divison by a mile

tawrificlaois (Laois) - Posts: 43 - 05/04/2015 21:05:04    1711018

Well done to Down & Roscommon on emerging from a tough division. Well done to galway too on beating us convincingly today, They will be a dangerous team in the summer. Very Disappointing league for ourselves, We are in a bit of a mess and our performances have been all over the place and not good enough to stay in the Division. A lot of soul searching needed, and we need to find a midfield, we practically conceded midfield in every game before a ball was thrown in, by kicking every kickout short or to the sideline and invited far too much pressure on in every game.

NorthKildare (Kildare) - Posts: 197 - 05/04/2015 21:14:41    1711023

Congratulations to Down and Roscommon. Hard luck to Meath, like ourselves probably not quite good enough to go up .

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 05/04/2015 21:39:11    1711052

Well done to the Ros. Got there in the end.
Great to be looking forward to mixing it with the big boys next year. Very little between us down Galway Meath or even laois.Small margins in the end.

salvador (Roscommon) - Posts: 439 - 05/04/2015 21:55:15    1711065

I have been to all of Roscommons national league games and here is what I have seen from the seven teams they have played, I know I have only seen each team once and on a few occasions if a review was written on Roscommon it would not be great, I would be interested to hear feedback from each county on my remarks and I am not setting out to insult anyone, so in the order we played them,
1. Cavan, our first game against Cavan who were promoted with us last year was a div 3 standard from start to finish, there was no pace in the game but Cavan were very organised and industrious and should have won on the day, McKernan kicked 4 points from distance something he did not repeat in the league and Cavan should have won on the back of that, were unlucky, well organised but lack a couple of marque forwards and are restricted by their system. Should throw the shackles off and have a cut. Will be hard to beat by anyone except the top teams.
2 Down, started like they were going to blow us away but faded fast, Ros ran straight at them and holes opened up down the middle, as always have lovely movement but showed a lack of commitment, were very undisciplined and Roscommon won by 4 but should have won by a lot more, good footballers who should collectively should have been a lot better on the night.
3 Laois, well we were hammered by Laois who beat us in every line of the field, were sharper and faster on the day and beat by 7 even though we scored 16 points, really looked good on a day that they could nothing wrond, had only 2 wides on the day, played good football and got better the longer the game went on, we had no answer, playing that way can compete with most teams.
4. Kildare are a team of individuals without a structure or game plan, the game started at 100 miles an hour and it was 5 points each after 9 minutes, then Kildare got 2 goals and were in a seven point lead which Ros cut to 3 by ht, second half kildare played like a u8 team and only scored 3 second half points, just dont know how good they could be but know how bad they can be.
5 Meath a young team with a lot of work to do to get back to the top table, big strong players but seemed to lack a game plan, went 3 points up early in the second half and had a strong breeze with them but were not able to put the game away, gifted a goal to Ros but their kickout was always an accident waiting to happen, need new eyes on the sideline if they are to improve, lost by 2 but should have lost by a few more, wont improve without change.
6 Galway, very simple, have a division 3 defence and from no 8 up are as good as any team in the country, beat us well on the day and will give any team in the country a game if they can sort out the defence.
7 Westmeath, the worst team we played by a fair bit, will need to regroup in div 3 and may have a bit of a stay down there, need to restructure and come up with some sort of game plan, will take time to regroup.
Well thats it but then what the ....would I know. Best of luck to all div 2 teams in the championship, lets hope some of us can turn over one or 2 of the big boys and shut up a few of the so called pundits

giveballaghback (Roscommon) - Posts: 296 - 07/04/2015 21:56:40    1711856

giveballaghback: From a Meath perspective, that's a pretty good summary. Best of luck to Rossies in championship and life next year in Div 1.

moylagh (Meath) - Posts: 484 - 08/04/2015 10:09:47    1711894

giveballaghback

Ye that's a pretty fair analysis, particularly of the Leinster teams which I'd obviously know more about so fairplay giveballaghback.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 08/04/2015 10:22:07    1711902

So laois and galway could beat nearly anyone in the country yet Westmeath, who beat laois and gave Galway a great game, are the worst team in the division by a distance in your opinion. Oh right.

square_ball_69 (Westmeath) - Posts: 826 - 08/04/2015 16:56:45    1712180

How could anyone argue that Westmeath weren't the worst team in the division?
Didnt they finish bottom?

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 08/04/2015 17:05:00    1712183

I didn't see it coming but credit where credit is due to Roscommon on gaining promotion. TBH when you look at their team/panel lads that have won club All Ireland with Brigids 2012,Minor All Ireland winners 2006,numerous Sigerson cup winners with Sligo IT,DCU,UCC and loads of players that have played in recent U21 All Ireland finals 2012,2014 i and many others have underrated Roscommon.

Down less of surprise i predicted them for promotion early on. Kildare,Westmeath whom both played div one football last year should have done much better but clearly all is not well within those counties however both can now regroup in div 3.

Derry
Tyrone
Cavan
Meath
Laois
Galway
Fermanagh
Armagh

Make for another very competitive Div 2 next year anyone could get promoted or relegated.

Mr_Pundit (UK) - Posts: 677 - 08/04/2015 17:18:08    1712191

BIG SACKS
County: Tyrone
Posts: 1507

1712183
How could anyone argue that Westmeath weren't the worst team in the division?
Didnt they finish bottom?

Actually no, westmeath are above kildare on head to head. But anyway it was such a tight Division that how could anyone say one team is definitely the worst in the division. If Roscommon, who were promoted, beat Laois then westmeath would have stayed up. Tiny margins. And this guys logic is so flawed anyway

square_ball_69 (Westmeath) - Posts: 826 - 08/04/2015 17:25:28    1712197

I only saw each team playing once as I said at the start so what I wrote was based on one game, I said about my own roscommon that they had a couple of dismal performances and if anyone was writing an assessment of them on any of those poor performances it would not be good, as I said no insult intended to any county and lets hope for a championship run from div 2 teams.

giveballaghback (Roscommon) - Posts: 296 - 08/04/2015 18:37:28    1712211

I am genuinely shocked that the worst Down team in 20 years has made it into Div 1. A sad indictment of modern football.

artisan (Down) - Posts: 1794 - 08/04/2015 19:52:47    1712234