Staggering lack of self-awareness shown by large sections of the Donegal support today when the decided to boo en mass Dublin's decision to keep possession. Perhaps Dublin should have disregarded their own scoreboard lead and instead played into Donegal's cynically constipated gameplan.

Gavvygavgav (Dublin) - Posts: 383 - 06/08/2016 22:19:29    1896983

Well done the dubs bossed this game through out - we had a small window after the goal and Connolly red card but didn't grasp it and that was that - needed everything to go right today and when murph and mcbrearty misseded early on - never looked like being our day - thought KMAC was MOTM for me - ran the legs off us all day / proud of Donegal team to hang in and make a game if it till the end - thought Neil McGee - Mcglynn - Ryan Mchugh put in huge shifts / Lacey is a shadow of his former self - Mcniallias never turned up / Murphy clearly limping throughout - no midfield - we didn't have enough today under any scenario so no excuses but I was never clear I what the game plan was - had enough of the Rory show - rumour has it martin beag wants a shot / worth a punt

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 06/08/2016 22:32:15    1896991

First off congratulations to Dublin. They were deserving winners even if they made it a bit hard on themselves. After Ryan's goal I thought we might have had a genuine chance to rattle them. Instead we were treated to a brilliant exhibition of game management, led by the magnificent Ciaran Kilkenny. What a player this young man is. Scary to think he may dominate our great game for the next decade!

We never realistically looked like overturning the deficit and Dublin duly saw it through reasonably comfortably. The indiscipline from Connolly and O'Gara were blemishes and both should know better by now. It didn't cost them today but on future occasions it may become a bigger problem. Connolly in particular. On the first half some of his play was out of this world. Surely with husband age and experience now the aul shite has to stop with him?

Lastly just want to thank our boys for another years sacrifice and effort. We went down swinging and that's all we can ask. There will undoubtedly be a few retirements now. We'll take stock and move on. Time waits for no man but these boys owe us nothing. They made a proud County even prouder and each and every one of them were, are and always will be fine Tír Chonaill ambassadors. Maith sibh uilig go léir!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 06/08/2016 22:33:02    1896992

Fair play to Dublin, best team won. Did well to breach the Donegal defence from the 20th minute or so onwards and they took some great scores. McManamon is the main Dublin forward who can breach our system! Always has been too.

Donegal tried very hard, never gave in. Full of running. No shame. Kept the game as a serious contest throughout and felt we could have had another free or two towards the end.

Personally, I feel we need a change of management. No harm to Rory, he has done a good job in difficult circumstances. But we need to integrate more younger players straight away in the league next year, come what may. Murphy is injured and shouldn't be playing, no matter what he or Rory says on that issue. Murphy, a true great, is becoming rudderless because he is being horsed. He needs to be out for an entire national league to recover and reignite the genius he has. We need a genuine midfielder from somewhere. McElhinney isn't at the races. Leo needs to be in that team. O'Reilly is a forward and shouldn't be man marking Diarmud Connolly. We need to reevaluate our game plan and freshen elements of it. We are not very far away and with good minor teams in recent years, we aren't going away.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1321 - 06/08/2016 22:39:17    1896998

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 06/08/2016 22:57:10    1897007

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 07/08/2016 03:13:28    1897111

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 07/08/2016 03:18:55    1897113

TirChonaillabu2 (Donegal) - Posts: 344 - 07/08/2016 06:58:17    1897123

Hard luck donegal..gracious in defeat..and that shows class.the donegal fans are a credit to their county..

GGdub (Dublin) - Posts: 260 - 07/08/2016 09:45:15    1897160

I notice you didn't mention Murphy's behaviour today Lockjaw or the targeting of Connolly from the word go, sledging, off the ball hits, pulling the shirt off his back. He received a whole new level of special care so Gavin has to sort him out. O'Gara gave Magee a slap to the belly after Magee was constantly tanting him. Let's not pretend that Donegal were angels yesterday just because they ended up with 15 on the pitch at the end.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 07/08/2016 09:55:13    1897164

delighted to be into our seventh all ireland semi final in a row
its a great achievement by this group of players and must be a record for a dublin team.
felt we controlled the game in the main. similiar to 2014 we could have won it by half time but missed two goal chances again.
the difference this time was patience. some excellent score taking from connolly and andrews in the first half was key.
mcmannoman and john small were very good throughout and kilkenny was the playmaker all day dictating everything.
delighted to see mannion hit form when introduced and mccauley who started off in the same poor form as he has been did improve and win some good balls so its good to see.
felt connolly was hard done by for the first yellow card, its all too easy way out for the linesman to give two yellow cards in that instance.
whats the guy to do when he is pulled to the ground. its annoying week in week out the guy gets targeted especially early in games as teams are quite happy to get the player off their own team yellow carded as long as they get connolly yellow carded too.
whats worse is you seen last week donaghy hit a closed fist to the face of clare player and not see red and last night murphy done the exact same and only yellow. yet o gara who is another player that gets the targetting every time off the ball gets a red for an open hand slap.
the outcry over cynical behaviour was there but there seems to be an exceptence by media and refs alike that its ok to antagonise and be the aggressor but the player who is provoked reacts and they are the culprit. for me thats wrong as its very hard to do anything right particularly in connollys case as hes damned if he does lash out like against westmeath and hes damned if he is the one who gets pulled down like last night.
but all in all the way donegal play its never going to be a cracker of a game so the fact we controlled the game and kept them to only two points from play over the whole game was very encouraging.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 07/08/2016 11:23:11    1897223

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4898 - 07/08/2016 11:48:00    1897240

Very good post Hill. Sums it up very well. Look we're there now and that's all that counts. It's up to the GAA to clean up this element of the game, for all teams.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 07/08/2016 11:53:01    1897246

What about Philly macmahon putting his hand up to an opponents eyes again during the connoly incident !
I hope the CCC will take the proper retrospective action. But the fact that it's a Dublin player they probably won't.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 07/08/2016 12:05:20    1897253

Firstly, Commiserations to Donegal. A lot of people aren't too keen on them, But I think they have been fantastic over the last few years and had they beaten us yesterday, I would have had no qualms in saying I hope they go on to win it. Their fans are lovely, genuine GAA people and we had some great craic with them afterwards. In Murphy and McBrearty to name just two are wonderful footballers. I've no doubt that with a few changes you will be back fresh again next year.

As for Dublin, Well, What can I say about this group of players, They are absolutely sensational. Its a pleasure to be able to witness them live in the flesh all year round. They are just incredible. Their workrate and intensity is top notch, Even when Diarmuid Connolly got sent off we didn't cave in, We learnt our lessons from 2014, Once we got a lead in that first half I never felt we would relinquish it. Ciaran Kilkenny, Philly McMAhon, Davey Byrne and Kevin McManamon where imperious. For all the talk of our FB line being fragile, We stood up to the test yesterday, If it weren't for a lazy pass from COS in the build up to the Donegal goal, I'd go as far as saying it was the perfect defensive display from the Dubs.

It was a very entertaining game with great skill on show, Those two Diarmuid Connolly points are out of this world, likewise Paddy Andrew's effort from out at the Cusack stand sideline.

In terms of the talking points/Red cards, First yellow card for Derm I didn't see, But once he is booked you cant afford to mistime a tackle, especially a high one, Second yellow was fair. The O'Gara one, He struck out, open handed or not you aren't allowed to strike someone off the ball, he did, He did leave Ciaran Brannagan no choice but to send him off, The only was he will get off is on a technicality, ie, The Umpire said it was a close fist punch, and it wasn't.

Michael Murphys was the correct decision. A tad reckless but Fento ducked into it I feel. Red would have been harsh

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 07/08/2016 12:14:57    1897265

If we were all honest and could see (everything) without blinkers then we would have a fairer game.

But there are too many posters with selective vision and too many managers too.

Hearing Gavin and Harte protesting about sendings off of a) a player who caused the invention of the black card and b) a fella who... Well, I won't go there as it won't be published.

Donegal sledge, Dublin sledge, Tyrone sledge, Mayo sledge, Kerry sledge... Do we get the picture here?

We're Donegal Angels yesterday? No. Absolutely not. Were Dublin? You don't end up with 12 players because you're being hard done by. Get real.

Dublin won the game fair and square, are a great team and will take some beating again.

But this victim mentality when the whole country is engaging in cynical behaviour of various descriptions is nauseating.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1321 - 07/08/2016 12:31:22    1897277

HILL

I agree regarding players being provoked.

What I will say is that Diarmuid Connollys second yellow card was no better, nor worse than Michael Murphys on Brian Fenton in my opinion.

Both reckless tackles, and both yellow card offences.

Unfortunately DC was already on a yellow so a red card was the right call by the ref, I didn't see the first incident cause I haven't watched the whole game back, But if DC was provoked or antagonised like you say he was then id feel for him.

That said, everyone knows that the action the refs will take on "handbags" will always be two yellows. Its the norm for a long time now. I don't agree with it, but its what they do. Unless Connolly felt he was in danger like the Lee KEegan incident last year, he should know by now to just walk away, as I said I didn't see the incident so maybe you could enlighten me Hill.

As for Michael Murphy, A red would have been harsh. It was a bad tackle but I don't think its a red card offence, in my opinion. Fento ducked into it a small bit. A ywllow was the right call, and the ref was consistent on the MM and DC second yellow calls.

Eoghan O'Gara, Red card. Open handed or not, a strike is a strike. I think its a bit harsh aswell as it was open handed but the rules state any strike is a red card offence, doesn't matter if its a closed fist or open hand. Why he felt the need to do it is absolutely beyond me, He, like Derm should know by now they will try and get a reaction. He done himself no favours. Dublin may win the appeal based on the referee claiming it was a closed fist strike rather than open hand. But I think that should stand.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 07/08/2016 12:32:21    1897278

After both games yesterday did the Ulster championship take too much out of Tyrone and Donegal, were both teams suffering from fatigue? Donegal teams usually don't lose if opposition is down to 13 men, they would put the pressure on and push for home, same with Tyrone, they only scored 2 or 3 points from play, very unlike them, the ref gifted 5 soft frees in 1st half that kept them in the game, they didn't seem to be as good as they were in the past, Donegal were very slow in QF v Cork

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 07/08/2016 12:52:39    1897286

Dublin have lost Rory O'Carroll and Jack McCaffrey to Foreign parts this year but Paul Mannion is back.He was in China last year.Thought Mannion was excellent when he came on yesterday.He scored 1-1 and hit the post.Took his goal very well.So often players faced with a one on one with the goalkeeper don't know what to do and fluff the chance.Dublin really are a team of all the talents.The best I've seen since Kerry 1970s.They need to keep their discipline though because teams who can't beat them at football will endeavour to wind them up.Only for the sendings off, they'd have won by 10 points yesterday and they won't want to be going a man down against a Kerry team that will be going all out to win.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2180 - 07/08/2016 12:53:08    1897287

Well done to Dublin yesterday. Thoroughly deserved. They were much the better team. I'm gutted, felt like there was a chance was there for us after the goal but this is a truly great Dublin team and played very smart to see out the win. Defensively Dublin were excellent.

Ciaran Kilkenny had 52 possessions yesterday which is remarkable in a game like that. What a talent. He really took control of the game when we got it back to 3. But who taught him how to hand pass like that?? One of the strangest techniques I've ever seen!! Kevin McMenanmin.. I hate him!! but I mean that as a compliment. He is the one constant thorn in our defense and definitely has our number. His point in the second half off the left boot was right in front of me and he had no right to score from there.. Mannion was brilliant as well

Dublin's point taking yesterday was so clinical compared to our own. They scored 3 outrageous points in the first half where as we missed 3 or 4 decent chances that we needed to put over. After the goal, we gave away a silly free that knocked back our momentum and then we missed 3 good chances in a row at a crucial stage in the game that we badly needed. Dublin's conversion percentage was very high whereas we had 12 wides and 4 that dropped short.

As for the red cards, I felt Connollys first yellow was soft enough. Murphy can count himself very luck with a horrible attempt of a tackle but in saying that Fenton did duck his head down and it would have been a harsh enough sending off. O Gara should never have been sent off in my opinion but Bastick should have been black carded on two different occasions but the ref bottled it on both. Did Philly McMahaon strike Leo McLoone?? Few people said he did but I must have missed it.

As gutted as I am, I couldn't be prouder of our lads. They've been brilliant all year and gave it absolutely everything again yesterday, showing great bottle and desire to come back at Dublin in the 2nd half

HandballRef (Donegal) - Posts: 520 - 07/08/2016 13:13:33    1897299