Who will be the likely 'man of the match' on Sunday and the top scorers from both Down and Cork?

gaalltheway (Fermanagh) - Posts: 807 - 17/09/2010 13:30:44    776902

Down's Benny Coulter will take the man of the match honour as he leads his team to victory!

Cavan_gael (Cavan) - Posts: 100 - 17/09/2010 14:36:13    776987

Cork-- Pearse O'Neill. MOM.

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 17/09/2010 14:47:13    777006

Cork can't score goals. Just two this year I think, and one of those was a peno.

Man of the Match : So I'm going for Down's Benny Coutler as he has class!

Score prediction:

Down 2-08 Cork 0-11*

*Cork has a poor record at scoring goals.

Up4it. (Tyrone) - Posts: 199 - 17/09/2010 21:55:15    777445

Preview: All-Ireland football final

Cork and Down will face off on Sunday to see who can become the first country, other than Kerry and Tyrone, to get their name on the Sam Maguire Cup since Armagh's breakthrough success in 2002.


Cork head into the game as favourites, with the bookies judging that their experience of losing All-Ireland finals in both 2007 and 2009 will stand to them.

There is a widely-held belief that a side must lose an All-Ireland final to win one. If so, the Rebels are primed to end a 20-year wait for All-Ireland glory.


The Leesiders have had a relatively quiet path to the decider.

They were edged out by Kerry in a Munster semi-final replay, and made steady, if unspectacular, progress through the qualifiers.
And while they never set the world alight, Conor Counihan's men were only ever really troubled by Limerick, which is no shame.


Cork have acquired the ability to grind out a result even when they are not on top form.

The best example of this was in the All-Ireland semi-final when Dublin dominated them for 60 minutes, only for the Rebels to get over the line with a late surge.


The big question about Cork is not their ability to win a tight game, but whether they have a quality performance in them.


It's the polar opposite to previous seasons where there was no doubting the ability of the team, but the end product wasn't always there.


Counihan has named both Graham Canty and Eoin Cadogan in his starting XV.

The former is seemingly still considered a doubt due to the hamstring injury he sustained against Roscommon.


Cork need only look at Henry Shefflin's experience in the hurling final to realise the dangers of taking a risk on marquee players.

What makes the decision even more dangerous is the fact that Down's playmaker Marty Clarke - who is undoubtedly a contender for Footballer of the Year - will most likely be his direct opponent.


The inclusion of Cadogan at right corner-back is also a gamble.

The dual star spent the majority of the summer with a hurley in his hand, and only rejoined the football panel once Denis Walsh's men were eliminated by Kilkenny.


The Douglas clubman has big match experience, but Sunday will mark his first-ever Championship start in football and Down could well target him as a weak link in the Leesiders' rearguard

WestRules (Galway) - Posts: 271 - 17/09/2010 21:59:48    777451

Down have the advantage of being in, as Dublin manager Pat Gilroy would put it, 'bonus territory'.


Manager James McCartan took the reins after Ross Carr's tenure ended on a sour note with a qualifier defeat to Wicklow in Aughrim last year.


McCartan got an immediate boost with the return of Martin Clarke from Collingwood, but he still had a lot of work to do with a side which has not even reached an Ulster final since 2003.


They made progress in Division 2 of the National League, eventually topping the table but losing the final against neighbours Armagh.


Throughout the campaign, McCartan was careful to downplay any hype that may have been building up about his side.

Right up to the point they clinched promotion the former Queens University boss was insisting his priority was to avoid relegation.


Their Ulster journey ended at the semi-final stage after a terrible second-half display saw them lose to Tyrone.

But like so many sides before them, they dusted themselves down and made for the back door.


Longford and Offaly put up brave battles before Down handed out a hiding to Connacht finalists Sligo, which in hindsight was the first real clue that they were serious contenders.


They then overcame Kerry in the quarters, though the absence of Tomás Ó Sé and Paul Galvin was a mitigating factor for the Kingdom.


Down's semi-final was an epic tussle ultimately decided by a Benny Coulter goal that he admitted should have been ruled out and a last-minute Kildare free that bounced off the crossbar.


The Mourne men certainly rode their luck in that game, but there's no denying that they have shown all year that they are a force.


They have won all five All-Ireland deciders they have appeared in and victory on Sunday would draw them level with Cork in the winners table.


Sometimes it's just your year and the momentum from their last two victories in particular could swing in Down's favour in a game that is likely to be decided by the tightest of margins.


Verdict: Down

WestRules (Galway) - Posts: 271 - 17/09/2010 22:00:10    777452

After the departure of Tyrone and Kerry you would have thought that Cork had the Sam Maguire for the taking. It amazes how the Cork has slipped in the eyes of the GAA fans across the country. The growing confidence towards the Down team, supported by the media, gives us Ulster hope and doom for the Munster rebels.

Why has Cork failed to impress the GAA community that they are deserving of All Ireland success in 2010?

YesterdaysMan (Fermanagh) - Posts: 732 - 18/09/2010 10:18:41    777481

Come on Down...lets see u dispose of the rebels!!

Up4it. (Tyrone) - Posts: 199 - 18/09/2010 11:01:16    777502

Cork all the way

rebeltrev (Cork) - Posts: 344 - 18/09/2010 18:05:03    777757

Is this still the line-out for tomorrow?

Down Team

1. Brendan McVeigh

2. Daniel McCartan
3. Dan Gordon
4. Damian Rafferty

5. Declan Rooney
6. Kevin McKernan
7. Conor Garvey

8. Peter Fitzpatrick
9. Kalum King

10. Daniel Hughes
11. Mark Poland
12. Paul McComiskey

13. Brendan Coulter
14. John Clarke
15. Martin Clarke


Cork Team

1. Alan Quirke

2. Eoin Cadogan
3. Michael Shields
4. Ray Carey

5. Noel O'Leary
6. Graham Canty
7. Paudie Kissane

8. Alan O'Connor
9. Aidan Walsh

10. Ciaran Shehan
11. Pearse O'Neill
12. Patrick Kelly

13. Daniel Goulding
14. Donncha O'Connor
15. Paul Kerrigan

WestRules (Galway) - Posts: 271 - 18/09/2010 18:18:05    777776

down 4 sam , go on down .

ta32 (Tyrone) - Posts: 4907 - 18/09/2010 18:36:31    777797

Good luck to Down and I think the score might be
Down 2-10 0-14 Cork?

dromorethegreat (Tyrone) - Posts: 181 - 18/09/2010 19:11:25    777823

The rebels need to be positive from the start like Tipp were against the cats and keep the intensity up for the 70 plus minutes. They surely have one big performance in them, I believe they are a better team than Down and can see them winning by 4 points.

Tippsman (Tipperary) - Posts: 17 - 18/09/2010 19:18:22    777828

1-16 to 1-14 to Cork.

tipptothetop (Tipperary) - Posts: 531 - 18/09/2010 19:58:28    777863

question

why cans cork not skore gaols?

The_Lug_Coa (Fermanagh) - Posts: 406 - 18/09/2010 20:04:54    777873

The problem with Cork and goalscoring is that their forwards lack intelligent play therefore they are rarely able to deliver in the net taking second best opinion left, that being over the bar.

Tomorrow will test this assessment and see if I'm not right.

WestRules (Galway) - Posts: 271 - 18/09/2010 20:16:56    777881

There is not that much of an atmosphere around Dublin this evening. I see more Down people that from Cork. But a barman in the hotel hre says that Cork are too tight moneywise to come to Dublin and most just travel on the day.
Disappointing atmostsphere so far but we heading out no so maybe it will improve.
Anyway, all the best to Down.

gaalltheway (Fermanagh) - Posts: 807 - 18/09/2010 20:52:27    777909

18/09/2010 21:22:23
MourneArmy
County: Down
Posts: 239

777942 we will have to play for 70minutes+ if we are going to beat Cork, we need to start the game like a house on fire and put Cork in the back foot. The difference between ourselves and Dublin in the semi final is, we take our chances, we beat Kildare because we were more clinical than them. Midfield is going to be key tomorrow, Poland and Hughes are going to have to me on top form and pick up a lot of dirty ball around the middle. Im not too worried about Marty Clarke being man-marked, the fella is unmarkable in my opinion. I expect Benny Coulter to be on top form again, and hes due a goal!!!

UP DOWN!!!!

I like tis as its sums up Down's confidence compared with Cork's unrealistic predictions!!

Up4it. (Tyrone) - Posts: 199 - 18/09/2010 21:34:10    777953

Best wishes to Down.

Coa_gael (Fermanagh) - Posts: 1189 - 18/09/2010 21:55:33    777979

Down have won all five All-Ireland deciders they have appeared in and victory on Sunday would draw them level with Cork in the winners table.

Sometimes it's just your year and the momentum from their last two victories in particular could swing in Down's favour in a game that is likely to be decided by the tightest of margins.

Verdict: Down

Cavan_gael (Cavan) - Posts: 100 - 18/09/2010 22:00:23    777990