Offaly v Cork, SHC qualifier, 25/6/2011

[Plain of the Herbs]

Briefly . . .

That was gut-wrenching today. I had a good feeling about this all morning and I expected a big performance. I never guessed Offaly would be so so dominant for most of the match. A pity they couldn’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo in front of goals.

Clever play by Shane Dooley . . . not. What was with the standing behind his man throughout the second half when Offaly were hurling into the wind?

Offaly got down in good time - I passed the team bus at the Fermoy toll some time before noon. They also had a Garda escort through the city en route to PUíC. Good planning.

Offaly did a very interesting drill before that match, simulating a ‘scrum’ situation, where one player protects the ball on the ground and another tries to take it off him. They also did another drill where two players contested a dropping ball, with one trying to catch and the other attempting to spoil. Contrast that with Cork who did some tippy-tappy drills. With the exception of the third quarter, Offaly were on top in the air, and on the ground.

Daniel Currams came of age today. Well done to the McDonald chap, Brosna Gaels’ first countyman! Cork must have done some searching the DVD library for information on the lad when they found out he was starting.

Cork were gank, and their supporters were tearing their hair out. They were caught sleepwalking and got out of jail. The amount of ball they hit to Dylan Hayden in the free role was astonishing. Hard to see them progressing further.

I’m gutted for the players who again have seen a mighty effort come to nought, again. A pity there won’t be a match again for over 6 months. It’s clear Dooley has brought them as far as he can now. Time to hand the reins over to Francis Forde who I would credit with those new drills.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

That was absolutely heart breaking. POTH has covered it well above. Briefly:

1: The wides killed us.

2: The wides killed us.

3: The wides killed us.

4: Egan, Cleary, Franks, Verney, Rigney, Eanna Murphy, Molloy, Carroll. We were short so many players. The wides were as a consequence of this. Depleted of so many and with the likes of Hanniffy and Hayden in defence to cover the absentees, we were very short on actual point scoring skill up front.

5: Some of the forwards were very limited - although to be fair that was partly injury enforced.

6: Hanniffy, Hayden and Morkan were incredible. Ate them. Just incredible.

7: Well done Dan Currams and Chris McDonald. Drive on now.

8: Goodbye and goodluck Joe Dooley. Enter Francis Forde.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Irish Examiner journalist Diarmuid O'Flynn has posted on Twitter to say

And no credit will be given to Offaly and the quality of their players, their performance. Same as it ever was.

http://twitter.com/#!/ballyhea14

[Scorpio]

Offaly could have won, true enough, but they didn’t. Here’s my impression of the game:

Offaly started well and during the first half had the beating of the entire Cork back line. Midfield was breaking even, mainly because Pa Cronin was not allowed to catch clean ball and the Cork forwards were winning just enough ball and taking enough chances to stay in touch. Even so, the sending off of Cronin seemed to seal Cork’s doom, as Offaly made hay while Cork tried to re-organize. What saved us at this stage was some very inept free-taking from Offaly. In fairness, the wides Offaly had from play were as a result of intense pressure by the Cork back line, who were beginning at this stage to wake up to their duties.

During the second half, with improved play from the Cork backs, Cork got on top and started to pull away. They were about eight points ahead at one point in the second half. At this stage, even though they were a man down, Cork were able to find players in a free position regularly. Then, with about ten minutes to go, they started striking wides, striking the ball directly to the free Offaly player and sending fifty-fifty ball head high ball to their two-man full-forward line. Slowly, with the help of frees and some good points from play Offaly started to eat into the Cork lead. At this point the Cork management started to make substitutions. But unfortunately there no logic to them and they served to unstablezise Cork even further. One ridiculous example was to take off Niall McCarthy, who was the only Cork forward at this stage who was winning dirty ball and put on Tom Kenny, who, to put it bluntly, doesn’t. Still, Cork were still four points up, heading into extra time when the Offaly goal came, appearing to straight in from a sixty-five. Time then ran quickly out for Offaly, though there should probably have been more than one minute extra played. Was I glad there wasn’t! The game finished after an Offaly puck out, after yet another Cork wide.

As to whether Cork will go any further, I feel they are capable of getting past the next round at least. After that, things don’t look so good, unless improvements are made. One good improvement yesterday was finally taking Gardiner off the long frees and giving them to Horgan. That said, our first goal came from one of his frees which was drifting wide before it was knocked down into the square.

The best of luck to Offaly hurlers for the future; we may meet again next year in better championship circumstances for both of us.

[manfromdelmonte]

Well done lads, ye did your best.

Time to get an outside manager in.

[Plain of the Herbs]

John O'Brien in the Sindo was at a totally different match to the one I was at yesterday. By the looks of it, he went along to see a Cork exhibition, didn't get it and is stumped as to why. He got the Offaly lineout incorrect as well. Laayzeee.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling ... 06139.html

[walshisland]

Was heart braking leaving cork yesterday.
The chances we had was unreal.

that cork team was there for the taking.

When will we ever get a bit of luck.

[Kevin]

My favourite part of the build-up - Kevin's

COME ON OFFALY!!!!!!

hope you're keeping well, lad!!

My favourite part of the build-up - Kevin's

COME ON OFFALY!!!!!!

hope you're keeping well, lad!!

Cheers POTH. All is well here. Many thanks and hoping the same for you. Of course things would be better if we had pulled this one out.

To the game itself, it was tough to listen to as the wides piled up.

Was not there, but it seems we have a habit of losing concentration at certain points in games. For example, I was confounded when just before half time one of our puck-outs was either played short, mis-read by a defender or mis-hit directly to a Cork player who pointed easily. This is only an example (I think Dempsey is a very good keeper). We just can't allow things like this to happen to us regardless of who manages.

Even being as short-handed as we were this summer we showed we can play. I think there is a mental block we need to get over collectively. Of the 2 Galway games last year, Dublin (maybe a little less so) and now this Cork thing, the question is: what separates us from these teams. I must insist that they are no better than us. We flatter them for some reason that I can't put a finger on.

The Offaly fight back is there again. Anyone leaving an Offaly match when we are down by 5 or so points is a fool. That is a great thing, but giving our opposition substantial leads gives us no choice but to 'fight back or give up'. We find ourselves in this position is almost every game (oh and throw in Antrim last year too here). This is not a healthy psychological situation (go ahead, shoot me for bringing up psychology when there are so many other glaring problems to deal with). We must get over this. The fight back shows there is a desire to to change things. Hopefully the days of us being close for 50 minutes and still losing by 15 points are well in the past.

On the other hand, these moral victories are killing us (speaking for myself anyway).

I'm looking forward to the day when we are drawn out of the hat and our opposition thinks - Oh God, not those feckers!!!

That day is coming.

Up the Faithful!

[Efan]

I couldn’t fault the players for their effort on Saturday. We lacked one cooler head in front of goals to steer us home. Some of the wides were gut wrenching especially in the course of the first half.

I would take severe issue with the amount of injury time played. 7 substitutions (one was a double change for Cork) and the trainers were on the pitch 6 times in the course of the second half (a few of the experienced Cork players were well aware it could become a race against the clock) yet the officials only came up with a minuet to add on. WTF. I know refs don’t like playing extra time and I’m not sure if Johnny had the legs for it, it’s a big ask to ask hurling refs to run for another 20 mins given how fit the players now are. I would love somebody to explain the logic as to how exactly time is calculated.

I read in a few papers yesterday a passing reference to this and then a foot note saying the wides really killed us. I wasn’t aware that a high wide tally meant that the officials played less stoppage time. Never givea sucker an even break I suppose ….

[Plain of the Herbs]

Some final thoughts before this match is consigned to history . . .

Offaly’s approach to this match was very different to what had been practiced all year. Gone was the demands to “drive it, drive it” that prevailed as recently as the challenge match against Limerick in Coolderry. Instead, the half-backs were content to pick out a pass before getting the right angle to deliver the ball to the attack. A pity it took so long.

Offaly attempted to play the ball to the corners of the attack quite alot. The plan seems to be to use Brian Carroll (who started top-of-the-left) as a fourth half-forward, roving to pick up breaks and to make space in the corners. Problem was, more often than not it was Ger Healion was the one who had to make the run to the corner to collect. Than isn’t Ger Healion’s forte, though he did win some good ball and always looked to play the ball around (Brian Carroll take note).

On reflection, they might have been better served by having Healion at centre half-forward, with Joseph Bergin the one to collect the ball in the corners and pose a bigger scoring threat when so much ball was going in during the first half.

In several respects Dylan Hayden was put under too much pressure too soon – a Minor at 15, Senior at 19, and was off the panel for some time since then. It is really only last year that the Birrman really stepped up to the mark as a senior player of the team. Last Saturday he showed superb anticipation and expert reading of the game in the difficult free role during the second half. His distribution was excellent too.

Back in 2003 Arrigle was noting Hayden as a future centre half-back; I always thought he was raving – until Saturday. Given the chance he could make a real go of the pivotal position. He's my candidate for Offaly's best hurler this year, and his point off the hurl, on the run in the league against Dublin is the year's highlight for me.

So that’s it for eleven months. They’ll learn nothing in division 2, they’ll plod along producing 20 minutes hurling in each match, and while they’ll probably win 5 of the 7 matches, the odd result won’t go their way. Cork were there for the taking and, had they got a result on Saturday they could well have beaten the winners of Galway or Clare. A pity.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Last Saturday he showed superb anticipation and expert reading of the game in the difficult free role during the second half. His distribution was excellent too.

.

Dylan was exceptional on Saturday. The management deserve credit for this one - David Kenny was the 'free man' for the duration of the first half after Pa Cronin saw red and wasn't getting the most out of the role. Cue the switch at half time to make Dylan the lone operator - it couldn't have worked much better. Dylan isn't a natural defender, he's a natural hurler and and he used his considerable talents to give an exhibition on how to correctly play the role of the feee man. His reading of the game and the assistance he provided to his fellow defenders was exceptional.

Back in 2003 Arrigle was noting Hayden as a future centre half-back; I always thought he was raving – until Saturday. Given the chance he could make a real go of the pivotal position.

.

Despite what I said above, I don't agree with this. A couple of reasons:

1: To me anyway, Dylan isn't a natural defender. This has been seen on plenty of occasions in the past. He suffers from 'Rory Hanniffy Syndrome' in that he's so exceptionally talented he can play well anywhere. His home is from midfield up. An exceptional reader of the game with forwards instincts, he is one of the best ball strikers in the county. Perhaps midfield would be a suitable compromise although a full forward line including himself and Dooley holds considerable appeal.

2: Perhaps most importantly, we already have enough able defenders. Franks/Verney, Cleary, Egan/Verney, Rigney, Kenny, Morkan would be my personal starting back six. Add in replacements/possible starters/promising young players in the form off Rory Hanniffy/Eanna Murphy/Brian Mulrooney/Stephen Wynne/Barry Harding/Sean Coughlan and it's clear we have ample cover.

Contrast this with the forward division where we remain a light on scoring power and over-reliant on Shane Dooley. Dooley, Bergin and Carroll can score and will remain. The rest are more honest endeavour than finesse and three of that is far too much to carry in one forward unit. The benchmarks, KK and Tipp, certainly don't. Molloy is by far the best of these and is completely deserving of his place. The other two slots need to go to guys who can, quite simply put the ball over the bar. A quick glance at the substitutes bench and the underage scene reveals a relative paucity of the such candidates in comparison to defenders. Thus enter Hayden.

[Plain of the Herbs]

GreatDay, there’s quite a bit there, most of which is spot-on as usual. Just a few things.

I do agree that Hayden isn’t a natural defender. He is deceptively good in the air though, which is why I feel he has more to offer in the half-back line than he would at midfield. Then again, a midfield of Hayden and Mahon would be quite a blend. Centre-back requires more anticipation, sweeping behind the wing back on both sides under the dropping ball etc., which is why I felt positioning him at centre-back would be worth considering.

Looking at the list of defenders you name there, it does free him up to move into the attack given a full deck to deal from. Of all the Offaly absentees, James Rigney was the biggest loss of all.

[SearingDrive]

I made a first time trip to Pairc Ui Caoimh last Saturday, and must agree with the sentiments expressed.It was disappointing to lose a game we dominated, especially in the first half. Offaly should have been out of sight if we took our chances. Cork got 2 early goals, but never looked like adding to thir total thanks to our defenders. If we had a few more forwards to spread the scores we could go places.
I must also congratulate our footballers on a great win, and take back a comment I made after the Wexford game. Well done guys, and Tom Cribbin.