JOE looks back on a weekend in which Cork and Down delivered a classic, while physicality was the order of the day when Dublin and Monaghan met in Clones.
By Ciaran Brennan
Just how different can two games be then? Played under the same rule book, with the same number of players on the pitch, by teams in the same division, and yet the difference can be stark.
Take two of the weekend’s National League football games for example. One played in Cork on Saturday night where Down were the visitors, the other in Clones on Sunday where Monaghan hosted Dublin.
Some players seemed more interested in making physical points to their opponents than on putting points on the score-board.
The game on Leeside, under lights, was very much camera, action. Right from the throw in, the teams went about putting on a display of football, full of pace and skill, high endeavour and teamwork.
In Clones by contrast, the action was dour and abrasive and niggling. Some players seemed more interested in making physical points to their opponents than on putting points on the score-board.
In Cork, the action was crisp and speedy and skilful and full of high quality scores. While the Clones effort, for the most part, was slow and laboured with telegraphed moves drawing the inevitable foul. And some of the missed scoring opportunities, by usually prolific forwards, were poor in the extreme.
Not much point in blaming referees and their assessors when a game is littered with pulling and dragging and pushing and late tackles.
As the Clones pitch had only just passed an inspection, we’ll take that as an extenuating circumstance. Otherwise, best put it down to a bad day at the office because we know that both Dublin and Monaghan are also capable of the standard reached down by the Lee on Saturday night.
Ace tipster
Hmmm.., let’s see now, how did we do in our preview?
Cork to beat Down in a close encounter (well it was up to the last twelve minutes or so), in the standout football game of the weekend.
And in Hurling, Galway and Kilkenny to produce a cracker, likewise Waterford and Cork, and Tipperary to have too much in the tank for their visitors, Offaly. And oh yes, Dublin to beat Wexford!
While I’m at it…..take St. Patrick to smile on St. Brigid in her tussle with Crossmaglen, and take Clarinbridge to also beat the bookies, and O’Loughlin Gaels.
As for Cheltenham, I’ll leave that to the experts.
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