Offaly Senior Football 2026

[Offalysupporter26]

Let’s be honest the scoreline is flattering towards how the game went. Could have easily been 10/15 in it. Cork missed at least another two goals and never came out of second gear.
Harry plunkett was good for offaly he showed he’s a natural forward that can score. Keith o Neill came in and out of it and showed well. Other than that he’s hard to pick anyone else out. Melia can’t be at fault for either of the goals and had no option but to kick the ball long I’d be worried about his physical size and presence in the goal. Regarding the two Dublin players either the county board want them playing for forking out big travel expenses every month or they must have something on Declan Kelly, average club players at best.
The spine of the team seems to be the major issue with teams constantly coming straight through the middle but we have to remember most teams in this league will fancy a good run in the all Ireland series whereas we are tailteann cup semi final/final at best with a full squad. Very bad offaly support today and two away games up north next won’t attract many with Kelly’s team selection each week. Hopefully we get a huge crowd for Cavan and Meath at home and get ready for championship and get a good run in the summer.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

Listening on the radio, looking how the team is shaping up now after ditching the Dubs, can we at least show a bit of respect to the work that is going on in many other clubs. There are a few lads from Offaly on that team not pulling up any trees either and are being shown a lot of loyalty.
That scoreline was seriously flattering as there was no intensity to our first half performance. Game was over and Cork would have an eye on the games against Derry/Tyrone/Meath and Kildare...they are the 3 hardest games to come for them.

Like the first half against Louth, we gave up a serious amount of chances and again in old money, it would have been 2-09 to 4 at half time after playing with the wind. There were enough decent footballers on show to have given a better account but the body language was poor. The couple of changes and a drop in Corks tempo would have helped to get us back into the game. Some defenders out there not performing and not enough intensity from the forwards that are dropping back.

Further change needed for the next 2 games to give a view of those there, plus enable us to try to protect some lads who look a bit flogged already.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

From the radio, you would think that there wasnt a footballer in the county when you go outside of the top 4 senior teams, utter shite, as most lads do 80% of their training with the County. Yes some players are at a disadvantage as their club may not be offering the same high level.
So basically if you are a decent underage footballer such as Jack Ryan, he should get out of Doon in order to play with Offaly? In theory yes, but that is not the case in Offaly, and should not be encouraged.

[Anonymous1]

Anybody not at the game will think the result wasn’t too bad and it wasn’t but it’s extremely deceiving.

Cork pulled up early enough in the second half and if they needed to win by 10/12 etc it wouldn’t have been much of a problem for them.

9 points down at halftime while playing with the wind is abysmal.

First halves have been our downfall in every game. We’re not starting games fast enough and only dig in when the game is already gone from us.

We also have a glaring issue with goals. We’ve conceded 7 goals in 3 games and scored 0 - in fact we haven’t even looked like scoring a goal.

Second half was better but then again, it could hardly have been worse than the first.

Plunkett, O’Neill and Cormac Egan the only three county players you’d pick from that Offaly team today.

Niall Furlong showed a bit of promise off the bench. The two Dublin lads have had enough chances at this stage. Murphy might work in the half forward line but he’s not a full forward and Sawyer has kicked 0-1 in 3 games.

Melia’s kickouts were longer than Chip’s. I’d stick with him for now.

There are a number of players playing who are absolutely nowhere near the standard of inter-county never mind division 2.

Yes, there are a mountain of injured players but there are still plenty of others around the county better than what was on the field today.

We have next to no chance of taking anything from the next two games up North so we’d be as well off to completely rotate the team and get a look at a few others on the panel.

The reality is Meath, Cork, Tyrone, Derry and Kildare are effectively safe from relegation at this point and therefore Offaly beating Cavan alone won’t be enough as Louth have the head-to-head.

The only hope for Offaly at this stage is for Cavan to beat Louth, Offaly to beat Cavan and then hope Meath are already promoted by the final round so have nothing to play for and Offaly snatch a win there too.

If Louth beat Cavan, it’s all over for Offaly.

[Superhans75]

The scoreline flattered us today
I missed the first 20 mins was at a funeral
But to honest cork are a different class to us .
We keep going on about injuries and non selection and personal dislikes
3 games no goals
The management have to take responsibility.
It's like watching the talteann cup fiasco
Unfold again someone has to bang there heads together
At least I'll get a decent pint of harp in Derry.
Take care

[DurrowBoy17]

From the radio, you would think that there wasnt a footballer in the county when you go outside of the top 4 senior teams, utter shite, as most lads do 80% of their training with the County. Yes some players are at a disadvantage as their club may not be offering the same high level.
So basically if you are a decent underage footballer such as Jack Ryan, he should get out of Doon in order to play with Offaly? In theory yes, but that is not the case in Offaly, and should not be encouraged.

Laz Molloy & Brian Gavin. Haven’t a breeze about modern day football. Too old school. Often heard them and be thinking what are they on about.

[DurrowBoy17]

The scoreline flattered us today
I missed the first 20 mins was at a funeral
But to honest cork are a different class to us .
We keep going on about injuries and non selection and personal dislikes
3 games no goals
The management have to take responsibility.
It's like watching the talteann cup fiasco
Unfold again someone has to bang there heads together
At least I'll get a decent pint of harp in Derry.
Take care

Completely agree. The management don’t seem to be taking any accountability only say what they’re missing which is probably their fault for most too

[Anonymous1]

The scoreline flattered us today
I missed the first 20 mins was at a funeral
But to honest cork are a different class to us .
We keep going on about injuries and non selection and personal dislikes
3 games no goals
The management have to take responsibility.
It's like watching the talteann cup fiasco
Unfold again someone has to bang there heads together
At least I'll get a decent pint of harp in Derry.
Take care

Anybody at the game also witnessed a funeral in the first 20 minutes.

[classof81]

Very poor, cork won that in first half and were thinking of the journey home in 2nd half. Worryingly cork supporters out numbered offaly despite travelling 2 and a half hours, ot looks like supporters and talking with there feet. Now we will still have 1 or 2 say injuries is our only problem (why so many injuries happening by the way) supporters are as important as players, supporters are looking for a change and freshness across the board. Surely this is a concern for the county board. It can't be ignored for much longer, without supporters what do we really have and what's the point.

[Snotser123]

Its ok everyone we will get new management at end of summer and they will bring in on these great players from the cold that harte and Kelly have ignored ...be patient ...leinster will be ours next year when new management brings all the dropped players back

[jimbob17]

Didn't get to game so interested in what people think. On radio it said there were only 1200 people there, with majority from Cork. That is truly disappointing and should be of concern to county board. An attendance that low in a Div 2 home game is fairly brutal and not good for brand Offaly GAA. Given we were playing a big team like Cork, who should bring a good draw from Offaly supporters and the fact that Cork football folk would not have followed in major numbers says a lot really. Their main support base would be West Cork, and it is a long commute for what they'd have perceived to be a definite win, and by all accounts, still outnumbered Offaly support which is a concern.

On the football front, what was the actual starting team and did they line out as named?

From what I could gather on radio, the game was done at half time. One thing that stood out to me was that it has taken this length of time and this amount of injuries for Harry Plunkett to be given a chance for whatever reason. He was top scorer in club championship as far as I know and should have been afforded a chance long before now! The stats are fairly compelling too..... and in approx 90 minutes, he has scored 7 from play(1pt every 13 minutes on average) excluding frees against good teams. In contrast, Sawyer has scored 1 from play in approx 140 league minutes. Surely management can factor this in when making future decisions on team selection. Fair play to Harry for sticking in there when there must have been lots of frustration. He surely starts the next day too!

To score 19 points is good and credit to lads for not throwing in the towel, even if Cork took foot off the gas and the game was done from long way out. Priority now should be to rest any lads with niggles for next two games so that we can go into last game or two as strong as we can and without further injury.

Interested in how Melia went today in goal and who actually played at 6 and where Hayes lined out. Given what has been said re team shape on this forum over last few weeks, For what it is worth, I'd be very surprised if a member of management were not taking note of what was being said here...... given there was claims made for Melia to be brought in, for Hayes to be brought up the field, Rory Egan going back to 7 and Diarmuid Egan being tried at 6, all of which were mentioned in previous posts on this forum! Sawyer being pulled at HT is another. Supporters could have more influence here than they are given credit for and if it is the case, it's a sad state of affairs

[classof81]

Its ok everyone we will get new management at end of summer and they will bring in on these great players from the cold that harte and Kelly have ignored ...be patient ...leinster will be ours next year when new management brings all the dropped players back

About time your saying something that makes sense. When you see amount of supporters that have turned there back on it that just goes to show that people want change.

[Anon444]

Its ok everyone we will get new management at end of summer and they will bring in on these great players from the cold that harte and Kelly have ignored ...be patient ...leinster will be ours next year when new management brings all the dropped players back

Snotser, surely there are things you have presumably seen which have made you worried? Or are you given the management a complete clean slate due to the injuries and allowing the league to be written off?

I’m not intending on starting an argument in the slightest here by the way, you are fully entitled to support the management and I think you are right regarding potential replacements, there won’t be many options. I’m not sure what I would be in favour of, it all depends on championship for me. But I think there has been some calls since the panel got together that have raised eyebrows and are valid points to debate.

[Snotser123]

Brilliant

[Anonymous1]

Didn't get to game so interested in what people think. On radio it said there were only 1200 people there, with majority from Cork. That is truly disappointing and should be of concern to county board. An attendance that low in a Div 2 home game is fairly brutal and not good for brand Offaly GAA. Given we were playing a big team like Cork, who should bring a good draw from Offaly supporters and the fact that Cork football folk would not have followed in major numbers says a lot really. Their main support base would be West Cork, and it is a long commute for what they'd have perceived to be a definite win, and by all accounts, still outnumbered Offaly support which is a concern.

On the football front, what was the actual starting team and did they line out as named?

From what I could gather on radio, the game was done at half time. One thing that stood out to me was that it has taken this length of time and this amount of injuries for Harry Plunkett to be given a chance for whatever reason. He was top scorer in club championship as far as I know and should have been afforded a chance long before now! The stats are fairly compelling too..... and in approx 90 minutes, he has scored 7 from play(1pt every 13 minutes on average) excluding frees against good teams. In contrast, Sawyer has scored 1 from play in approx 140 league minutes. Surely management can factor this in when making future decisions on team selection. Fair play to Harry for sticking in there when there must have been lots of frustration. He surely starts the next day too!

To score 19 points is good and credit to lads for not throwing in the towel, even if Cork took foot off the gas and the game was done from long way out. Priority now should be to rest any lads with niggles for next two games so that we can go into last game or two as strong as we can and without further injury.

Interested in how Melia went today in goal and who actually played at 6 and where Hayes lined out. Given what has been said re team shape on this forum over last few weeks, For what it is worth, I'd be very surprised if a member of management were not taking note of what was being said here...... given there was claims made for Melia to be brought in, for Hayes to be brought up the field, Rory Egan going back to 7 and Diarmuid Egan being tried at 6, all of which were mentioned in previous posts on this forum! Sawyer being pulled at HT is another. Supporters could have more influence here than they are given credit for and if it is the case, it's a sad state of affairs

Starting team as I saw it was;

1. Conor Melia
2. Shane O’Toole Greene
3. David Dempsey
4. Daire McDaid
5. Cormac Egan
6. Diarmuid Egan
7. Rory Egan
8. Jack McEvoy
9. Aaron Leavy
10. Marcus Dalton
11. Jordan Hayes
12. Keith O’Neill
13. Harry Plunkett
14. Ciaran Murphy
15. Eoin Sawyer

Also, Plunkett was 2nd top scorer in the club championship after Johnson.