It has become a tradition. I go to a Tyrone match at any age grade, come home delighted after a win, log on here, and then discover that we cheated and bullied our way to a victory. It's the same every time. Anyway, a few thoughts on:

- Monaghan fans didn't realise it, but this was coming. Tyrone looked very sharp and fast against Tipp & Sligo, and I thought that we'd have too much speed and skill for a good-but-not-great Monaghan side. The margin was 4 points in the end, but the game looked over very early into the second half.

- Tiernan McCann let himself down with his antics, but that was not why Darren Hughes was red-carded. Hughes was sent off for a rugby tackle on Sean Cavanagh. To finish on McCann, I hope he doesn't let the abuse he's going to receive over the next fortnight get to him. He was outstanding yesterday, as he has been in all games since coming on as a sub against Meath.

- Tyrone had a lot of very good performances. Sean Cavanagh had his best game of the year, while Mattie Donnelly showed again that he would improve any side. McCurry and McAliskey were both very sharp and precise in everything they did. Colm Cavanagh and McNabb were excellent in defence.

- I'm surprised to see some Monaghan fans blaming Marty Duffy, when he gave them every chance to salvage something from the game. In a half with no major injuries, there were 9 minutes of additional time. Has anyone ever seen that before? And the black card for Meyler was a disgrace.

- As for the roughhouse tactics, it's laughable to portray Tyrone, the smaller and lighter side, as instigators. Certainly, we held our own, but to claim that we bullied Monaghan out of it is laughable. The first thing Colin Walshe did when greeting McAliskey before the game was to thump him, while Kieran Hughes could have gone at any time. Paul Finlay, never the bravest of players, only seemed interested in hitting Sean Cavanagh from behind. I've singled those 3 out, but it could have been several others.

- Kerry will be a big step up for us, but we'll also be better than anyone that they've met up until now. We'll be the first side they've come across that will match them for pace, organisation and self-belief. However, Joe McMahon would be a huge blow if injured. Justin is excellent, but Joey organises our entire defensive set-up. I'd also worry about how we'll cope with the Kerry midfield.

- Whoever wrote Hoganstand's timeline tracker should be ashamed of themselves. Glancing through it, it seems like every Tyrone free was 'soft', and that we basically cheated our way to a win. Grow up lads, and stop pandering to your audience.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 09/08/2015 10:46:05    1766346

The almost unprecedented amount of added time imo did add to the messing at the end, Monaghan were getting petulant towards end of normal time, Tyrone were running down the clock then just ran on for another 8 or 9 minutes, Murphy nearly had Donegal on the field by the time Duffy finally blew it up.
On another note why doesn't Ciaran Hughes concentrate on playing ball, can be superb when he does, he cost Monaghan big time two years ago getting a silly red when Tyrone were on the rack, expected a big game from him yesterday to atone but all we got was more messing, lucky to stay on the field compared to his brother.

benched (Tyrone) - Posts: 534 - 09/08/2015 11:06:28    1766369

Hard luck to the lads they didn't show up yesterday and let themselves down in a number of ways especially football wise, Playing lateral across the field made them look clueless and very one dimensional, surely mixing it up with hard hard direct running and the long high ball would have served them better. The first half refereeing was a factor in the game where Tyrone drew three scoreable frees by going to ground on contact (a tactic which must be practiced at length, such is their mastery at it, Kerry beware), any premiership team would be proud of the "assimilation" going on. Anyway as one old fella said to me after the game "there was a ref there ya know".
The hardest thing to take is that we knew exactly what was coming and seemed so unprepared for it, instead allowed ourselves to get frustrated and petulant thus ruining our chances. Best team won on the day
Any way it was another good year for us maintaining Div 1 status and deservedly winning another Ulster title. Heads up lads and here's to 2016

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 09/08/2015 11:18:55    1766380

Seems a bit rich for a Monaghan man to complaining about Tyrone players "going to ground" to win easy frees. ....when it's an open secret that this has been Malachy o Rourkes tactic with Conor McManus for the last 3 years!!!!! Touch him, and then blows over in the wind. Also I have no sympathy for Darren Hughes, he did the same himself in the league final to get Rory Kavanagh sent off when he went down like he was shot only to get up and laugh at the player as he made his way to the sideline. ...what goes around comes around, should have done a .lot better with your 3 week break, as you were never going up against a team who were going to shoot 15 wides again! !!

donegalcelt (Donegal) - Posts: 141 - 09/08/2015 11:38:50    1766396

As ever T Clarke's analysis is spot on PityMcCann let himself down will draw more fire on Throne against a very cute Kerry outfit Whilst people of the competency of Mr Duffy are put in charge of key matches Gaelic football will always be far too much of a lottery lending itself to the sort of widespread irresponsible dangerous nonsense from both teams as we saw yesterday
Key - Tyrone won getting stronger mentally and united as a team Anything is possible with the worm of doubt eating the back of Kerry minds
Hope Joe McMahon can make it back and imagine achieving such a comprehensive victory without his calming influence and smart distribution - very good result but I still wish Mickey or Devlin would talk to Southern media more will cost Tyrone 2-3 points against Kerry

cjx (Tyrone) - Posts: 270 - 09/08/2015 11:42:39    1766403

1. Tyrone were by far the better team yesterday. Every time Monaghan scored Tyrone won the resulting kickout and replied with a score of their own.

2. Some of Tyrone's antics were not nice to watch. McCann's tumble to the ground was disgraceful and no arguments saying "ah well a Monaghan player done the same thing 6 years ago" will change my opinion.

3. Monaghan were no angels either. The only difference was that they were so naive compared to Tyrone. Strange for such an experienced team.

4. Despite my previous opinions, there is sometimes a lack of balance when it comes to ulster teams. E.g. Tyrone played wonderfully yesterday (as good as any team performance this year) and, yes, they were very cynical at times. Because of this, they are being heavily criticised. Yet, last week, the rte pundits were in awe of Killian youngs drag down of the Kildare man through on goal when they were hammering them. Why is that seen as cleverness and Tyrone are cynical? They are both cynical imo.

5. I feel that the key to Tyrone's victory was their ability to win midfield and breaking ball so easy. Gave them a platform to run at pace. This will be very difficult to dominate against Kerry so I think Kerry will win a tight game but it will be a fascinating tussle.

breakingball22 (Louth) - Posts: 419 - 09/08/2015 12:18:43    1766436

I honestly thought Monaghan would win this game but they just got totally outplayed by a brilliant Tyrone team. Monaghan reminded me of the way Donegal played in the Ulster final, lateral slow build ups from the back and running into a bank of Tyrone defenders around the 45 meter line. They left it too late to push up on Tyrone although it may have made no difference to the outcome. We have seen in the past that when two teams play the blanket defence that the team who builds up a lead by half time usually goes on to win.

I thoght Mattie Donnelly and Sean Cavanagh were outstanding. Regarding the off ball incidents, it only really kicked off near the end. There seemed to be plenty of play acting on both sides to be honest. Monaghan lost their composure which played into the hands of Tyrone. Best of luck to Tyrone against Kerry, they have nothing to fear. Monaghan will be back as they have some fine players and didn't do themselves justice yesterday.

JimTheLegend (Donegal) - Posts: 247 - 09/08/2015 12:29:37    1766457

Thomas Clarke
County: Tyrone
Posts: 795

_______________________

TC I have raised the issue of the match tracker with Hoganstand themselves as I was appalled when I was reading it. I wasn't able to catch the action on TV yesterday as I was at a wedding and so was dependent on the HS match tracker for updates, so when log on to that service that's precisely what I want to see, real time factual updates, not opinion and certainly not the biased, partial and patently anti Tyrone opinion I was reading. Now unless the GAA rule book has been amended recently I didn't realise that there were different grades of free kick because it seems now that we have a 'soft' free added to the referees already hard task. So HS, please take note!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 09/08/2015 13:27:54    1766516

Men against boys,turned out that we were the boys,we lay down like lambs to the slaughter.Well done Tyrone and all the bast in the semis.

ruthless (Monaghan) - Posts: 594 - 09/08/2015 13:41:11    1766524

brendtheredhand heres the thing, with approx 10 mins to go with the game looking all but over I handed the tv to the kids while I raced to make some dinner before the second game. While doing so I checked match tracker for the final score and could not believe what I was reading from the 60 mins I had watched. I rang my brother to get his take as I believed I had watched a very impressive Tyrone relatively easily dispatch of Monaghan. Turns out I had missed the McCann incident and Yes it was poor but to sum up that game with 'The cynicism and play acting from Tyrone today has beat the band' says it all really as to what you boys are up against. The reality is that Tyrone will never be given credit for anything in certain quarters but somehow I do not think this will do them any harm and if anything will make them stronger. My team for the remainder of the Championship.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 09/08/2015 14:23:41    1766550

The decision to appoint Duffy to this kind of game was a poor decision from the GAA

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 09/08/2015 14:34:31    1766554

donegalcelt
County: Donegal

Are we not allowed to say what we see now without having to justify it in some way, here is what our esteemed Ulster colleague thought of it

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/joe-brolly-diving-stalling-meanspiritedness-the-tyronemonaghan-game-was-depressing-31437275.html

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 09/08/2015 14:39:22    1766558

Joe can never hide his dislike for Tyrone. As a skilled forward himself you would think he would have been waxing lyrical about some of the football on display. As for the second game it was over just after half time and a weary Donegal never looked like offering anything as Mayo had them all over the pitch.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 09/08/2015 14:52:19    1766569

Joe entitled to his opinion like the rest of us! This time most genuine gaa followers will agree with him. What happened yesterday has no place in Gaelic games!!

Molaise (Fermanagh) - Posts: 96 - 09/08/2015 15:19:57    1766590

There was absolutely no class shown by Tyrone yesterday both on the pitch and by one of their mentors. Tyrone pride themselves on being great GAA people and are great at the PR when they do do something thats in the spirit of the GAA but thats just a smokescreen to what they really are. IT ok being nice when you're down in Tipperary beating teams that you are expected to beat but when it comes to tight affairs like v Donegal in Ballybofey and yesterday v Monaghan we see the real Tyrone.

Diving, Cynical play, Officials goading players and interfering with free takers, masters of the dropped knee after a foul, the list goes on.

I'm sure I'll get the usual reponses from Tyrone posters pointing to other teams and also my own but that again is just a deflection tactic that they are great at instead of condemning the antics that they currently involved in.

The sad reality is that we are going to have to get used to them as the ref's don't seem to be capable of dealing with them and now they have a new generation of players well disciplined in Mickey Harte's philosophy which will probably lead them to quite a few Ulster Senior titles in the next few years until Donegal, Derry and Armagh get through their transitions.

Ciarrai Abú

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 09/08/2015 15:34:39    1766596

In light of what we saw in yesterdays match I'd just like to add that the GAA administrators are 100% to blame for any unsporting behaviour because they have tolerated it and done nothing about it and because they don't seem to have realized that people will do whatever they can to win as long as they are let away with it.There is no leadership in the GAA and too much democracy so this results a bunch of commitees which dilutes any leadership or any power to change things.

Things won't change until this is accepted first

It doesn't matter what you do in the GAA anymore you don't get a necessary punishment and there is far too much sympathy for people who break the rules , "ah sure he's put a lot of effort in it would be dreadful to see him miss a big game" seems to be the prevailing attitude rather than punishing people when necessary.

Brian Gavin is allowed to referee the AI semi final on Sunday despite being banned for being abusive to a fellow referee at a recent match and getting a ban for it.

A player is assaulted in a recent challenge match and nothing has been done about it.

Austin Gleeson is involved in a mass brawl in a club match but continues to play for Waterford in the championship.

etc etc

Until there is a very hard line taken on discipline we will continue to get the same sh1t over and over again because the players know that if you have an ass ride it and the GAA are the ass for tolerating any indiscipline.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 09/08/2015 15:39:35    1766600

Molaise I would argue that Joe, given his profile, has a bit more responsibility than the rest of us. I think us simple folk can see what McCann did yesterday has no place in our game but yet again Joe goes OTT on the negatives of Tyrone. I would like a bit more balance.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 09/08/2015 15:40:22    1766601

mhunicean_abu
County: Monaghan
Posts: 252

1766380
Hard luck to the lads they didn't show up yesterday and let themselves down in a number of ways especially football wise, Playing lateral across the field made them look clueless and very one dimensional, surely mixing it up with hard hard direct running and the long high ball would have served them better. The first half refereeing was a factor in the game where Tyrone drew three scoreable frees by going to ground on contact (a tactic which must be practiced at length, such is their mastery at it, Kerry beware), any premiership team would be proud of the "assimilation" going on. Anyway as one old fella said to me after the game "there was a ref there ya know".
The hardest thing to take is that we knew exactly what was coming and seemed so unprepared for it, instead allowed ourselves to get frustrated and petulant thus ruining our chances. Best team won on the day
Any way it was another good year for us maintaining Div 1 status and deservedly winning another Ulster title. Heads up lads and here's to 2016
-------------------------------------------------------------
Theres nobody better at buying frees than your own Conor Mc Manus.Don't worry about Kerry as they are masters of cynicism and dirty play to gain an edge when it suits them.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 09/08/2015 15:53:55    1766606

seanie_boy
County: Tyrone
We played 4 games in the championship Cavan, Fermanagh, Donegal and Tyrone. You made the statement now could you please give your examples Where McManus systematically went to ground. It didn't happen yesterday. Posters from the other 3 counties are welcome to contribute...
As I said in a previous post the most annoying thing is that we all knew what was coming and weren't ready for it (it's not the loss but the way it happened for we're well used to losing) and neither was the ref

Tir Conaill Abu I'm with you on this one (some of your fellow county posters baffle me after what happened in Ballybofey maybe they just hate us) ever since Mickey Harte boycotted the RTE he seems to think anything goes in pursuit of victory as he doesn't have to answer the tough questions. I never thought I would say it but.
Chiarrai Abu

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 09/08/2015 16:30:21    1766625

mhunicean_abu
County: Monaghan
Posts: 253

1766625
seanie_boy
County: Tyrone
We played 4 games in the championship Cavan, Fermanagh, Donegal and Tyrone. You made the statement now could you please give your examples Where McManus systematically went to ground. It didn't happen yesterday. Posters from the other 3 counties are welcome to contribute...
As I said in a previous post the most annoying thing is that we all knew what was coming and weren't ready for it (it's not the loss but the way it happened for we're well used to losing) and neither was the ref

Tir Conaill Abu I'm with you on this one (some of your fellow county posters baffle me after what happened in Ballybofey maybe they just hate us) ever since Mickey Harte boycotted the RTE he seems to think anything goes in pursuit of victory as he doesn't have to answer the tough questions. I never thought I would say it but.
Chiarrai Abu
----------------------------------
He didn't get away with it yesterday as he was plying his trade against players who are too cute for that stuff.I can't recall particular games cos no incident stands out for me that much but ask the Donegal man who said the same thing a few posts back.He said that it was O' Rourkes instruction to Mc Manus to buy frees when possible,or something to that effect.I don't understand how Monaghan people can see the same game in such a different way.Along with Brolly you are probably the only people in the country who thought that Conor Meyler deserved a black card.Disgraceful decision derided by all.Hughes got his marching orders for a dirty challenge on Cavanagh and NOT for touching Mc Canns hair,a false narrative that people are only to happy to play dumb about.Paul Finlay punched Sean Cavanagh in the face and gave him a dirty knee to the back.Gollogly showed moments of his usual reckless self and Kieran Hughes would have been better off concentrating on football instead of mouthing and being a nasty dose at every opportunity.So get tfd from your high horse and stop your pathetic and nauseating pontificating cos we are sick listening to yez all.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 09/08/2015 17:01:48    1766639