frankthetank wrote: ↑Tue Apr 29, 2025 9:28 pm
From being in Parnell Park for Offaly v Dublin and having watched Dublin vs Wexford on TV I have no doubt that Roundup was sprayed on the pitch.
With the coverage of spray the pitch got, in 6 days time it absolutely won’t be playable.
Yeah, they're putting out the story that there was a leaky pipe on a lawnmower and that it was oil damage, but there are other stories circulating of a disgruntled employee taking their anger out on the pitch a few weeks ago.
Nope, it's not oil and not a leak either. Oil would leave the grass black in a quicker timeframe and someone would have noticed the slimy texture. Something leaking has a much more random dispersal pattern.
It looks like vandalism.
Dublin team announced for tomorrow. Names six survivors from last year’s Leinster final – Cathal Kennedy, Fionn Murphy, David Lucey, Brendan Kenny, Conal Ó Riain and Ollie Gaffney. And maybe seven if Conor Groarke is Conor MacRuairc.
Tomorrow’s Dublin team shows big changes from the 2022 Minor semi-final – Ben Lynch, Cathal Kennedy, Brendan Kenny, Senan Crosbie and Ollie Gaffney are the only survivors.
While Fionn Murphy, Daragh Kilduff, William Wheatley and Daniel O’Kelly played against Offaly in the 2023 Minor championship.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).
Purcell misses out for Dublin, as does full forward David Mulqueen from the last day.
William Wheatley comes into the Dublin team, although I’d imagine he is to be deployed in the backs. He was Dublin minor centre back 2 years ago and was coming on for Na Fianna at corner back last year.
Having conceded 4-10 to Antrim the last day, I’d imagine Dublin will try and clog up the backline around Screeney and play an all action running game through the middle where their stars are, Kenny, O’Riain and Lucey.
Corner forward Ollie Gaffney was on the Dublin Senior panel last year but has failed to live up to the hype so far this year, so expect James Mahon to pick him up.
With Laois and Wexford facing off at 2pm, we will have a fair idea of the form lines by throw in time.
Both games available on TG4 YouTube. As Clubber have rights to Leinster underage games, does anyone know how this works? Do TG4 buy these games off clubber or are they allocated to tg4 from the beginning of the year?
We will need a big game from our 2 Coolderry men in the full back line. Andrew was caught out against Galway but performed better against Laois. Dublin forwards aren’t going to stand and hurl you like you’d be used to.
Dublin’s 2 standouts are in the middle of the field and that’s where Offaly will need a big performance from Kavanagh and Furlong. Both have been poor so far and will need to recapture form today. I wonder is there any temptation to push Donal Shirley into midfield.
From a Dublin POV, they will look to keep Donal out of the game by playing to the other wing. They will also look to overcrowd their half back line where Ravenhill, Rigney and Doyle are.
Doyle has been off form so far and needs to step it up. By all accounts he was the standout in the challenge games against Munster opposition.
Conor Egan gets his chance again in the inside line. Darragh Scully returned to the bench the last day but must have picked up another injury.
Birr and Belmont are the only Offaly Senior A clubs not represented on the panel.
Clodiagh Gaels are the only of the 4 senior b clubs not represented.
Drumcullen and Shamrocks are the only first teams in intermediate and both are represented.
Donal Shirley and Sean Og Foley represent Brosna Gaels.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I make it that Birr, Belmont, Clodiagh Gaels, Edenderry, Gracefield and Crinkill are the only hurling clubs without representatives?
Purcell misses out for Dublin, as does full forward David Mulqueen from the last day.
William Wheatley comes into the Dublin team, although I’d imagine he is to be deployed in the backs. He was Dublin minor centre back 2 years ago and was coming on for Na Fianna at corner back last year.
Having conceded 4-10 to Antrim the last day, I’d imagine Dublin will try and clog up the backline around Screeney and play an all action running game through the middle where their stars are, Kenny, O’Riain and Lucey.
Corner forward Ollie Gaffney was on the Dublin Senior panel last year but has failed to live up to the hype so far this year, so expect James Mahon to pick him up.
With Laois and Wexford facing off at 2pm, we will have a fair idea of the form lines by throw in time.
Both games available on TG4 YouTube. As Clubber have rights to Leinster underage games, does anyone know how this works? Do TG4 buy these games off clubber or are they allocated to tg4 from the beginning of the year?
We will need a big game from our 2 Coolderry men in the full back line. Andrew was caught out against Galway but performed better against Laois. Dublin forwards aren’t going to stand and hurl you like you’d be used to.
Dublin’s 2 standouts are in the middle of the field and that’s where Offaly will need a big performance from Kavanagh and Furlong. Both have been poor so far and will need to recapture form today. I wonder is there any temptation to push Donal Shirley into midfield.
From a Dublin POV, they will look to keep Donal out of the game by playing to the other wing. They will also look to overcrowd their half back line where Ravenhill, Rigney and Doyle are.
Doyle has been off form so far and needs to step it up. By all accounts he was the standout in the challenge games against Munster opposition.
Conor Egan gets his chance again in the inside line. Darragh Scully returned to the bench the last day but must have picked up another injury.
Birr and Belmont are the only Offaly Senior A clubs not represented on the panel.
Clodiagh Gaels are the only of the 4 senior b clubs not represented.
Drumcullen and Shamrocks are the only first teams in intermediate and both are represented.
Donal Shirley and Sean Og Foley represent Brosna Gaels.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I make it that Birr, Belmont, Clodiagh Gaels, Edenderry, Gracefield, Ballyskenach and Crinkill are the only hurling clubs without representatives?
H-T 0-9 to 1-3
Offaly better than Dublin, but not playing brilliantly. Dublin got a soft goal to keep them alive. If they get a purple patch and start to believe in themselves, it could get dangerous.
Screeney clearly hampered with injury. Being left on to take the frees by the looks of it.
All over. A deserved win for Dublin against an Offaly team that lacked energy, urgency and fluency. A performance following on from the group stages.
The year never really got going for this team for a variety of reasons and now, just like that, its all over. Sport waits for no one.
Thanks to the players and management for their efforts.
Offaly Hero wrote: ↑Mon May 05, 2025 4:18 pm
All over. A deserved win for Dublin against an Offaly team that lacked energy, urgency and fluency. A performance following on from the group stages.
The year never really got going for this team for a variety of reasons and now, just like that, its all over. Sport waits for no one.
Thanks to the players and management for their efforts.
This was 100% a match thrown away. Dubs smart enough to foul when we werent was key.
How many times were they going to let screeney hit it 20 yards short from a free with ravenhill on the field? Ego driven decisions which shouldnt have been left up to the player. it was clear to everyone at the game he wasnt making it & he should have been man enough to hand the sliothar over. He probably shouldnt have been on the field anyway with the injury.
Playing Ajay Cleary corner back another poor decision by management when he would be much more accustomed to wing forward, midfield, wing back.
We would have easily beaten the dubs if we had strenghtened our full back line with more experience and speed & that was very obvious at half time but wasnt addressed.
A pity as offaly would have needed some positivity leading into the next few weeks.
Offaly were well off it by the end. The lethargic first half was followed up by an even worse second half .
The goals gave Dublin a huge injection. Once they abandoned the tippy stuff and went direct, the Offaly backs were in serious bother.
The glut of goals conceded against Galway was not an aberration as it turned out.
Screeney was the obvious man who could barely walk, but other key men looked dead legged too.
It's been a great journey so far with this group, and it's far from the end. But there are plenty of lessons to be had about managing the load put on players.
That was a poor and disappointing performance. In truth , Dublin should have won by a lot more with all the wides they hit. That soft goal in the first half was huge for them. We looked very tired and made lots of silly handling errors. Screeney clearly wasn’t up to it due to injury and the decision to leave him on was poor. It had to end somewhere unfortunately but in reality if we turned up today we would have won
The team that wanted it more, won. Congratulations to Dublin.
They won every ruck, tactically destroyed us with their running game and hit a heap of wides, so in truth could have won by more on a day when we were extremely flat.
Our lads owe us nothing and inspired the county. All we can do is thank them for the journey they brought us on the last four years.
Well done to the dubs
Firstly I have thank the players for there effort.
There not to blame.
now the hard part .
Three games across all codes defences boarding on clueless being polite.
I fancied running against our backs today
They were like Moses and the red sea.
Something in Offaly stinks when you can't catch a a ball with know one near you.
I have said my piece
Take care
Superhans75 wrote: ↑Mon May 05, 2025 8:47 pm
Well done to the dubs
Firstly I have thank the players for there effort.
There not to blame.
now the hard part .
Three games across all codes defences boarding on clueless being polite.
I fancied running against our backs today
They were like Moses and the red sea.
Something in Offaly stinks when you can't catch a a ball with know one near you.
I have said my piece
Take care
A huge thanks and well done to this group of players, they have given us supporters glorious memories, and those of us old enough, comparisons with the great minor and U21 teams of the 80s and early 90s.
Time to move on now, and maybe no harm that these lads focus now on what’s needed to compete at adult level. The skill base, mentality and work rate are there in abundance, all that’s needed now is more physicality. If we develop the ability to win and retain ball at senior level, we will be a force in the coming years.
Well done lads, and thanks for some great days and nights
