I think a few people will be surprised to be honest. This KK panel have been training specifically for this championship with very little senior panel intrusion and are hoppping to beat Offaly tonight. Last year's defeat wasn't taken too kindly.
Personally, I think KK might be that bit better balanced with more scoring options up front.
I don't want to come across all doom and gloom, I hope alot can be taken from the manner in which we play the game tonight as well as the scoreline. Of course it'd be great to beat KK and it would be good for the players' confidence but we have to bear in mind some facts when managing our expectation. In last years final, Dublin outhurled us for loads of it and the goals kept us in it until Dublin eventually sealed the deal. Alot of this same Dublin team were taken apart by KK in the semi-final and you can have little doubt that this is a KK team on a mission.
How we take them on will reveal lots about some of these Offaly lads. I hope to fcuk we beat them but if not, we better let them know they were in a game for the full 60 minutes.[/quote]
About time you made your way over here from AFR!!!! Whats kept you??
lEINSTER U21 FINAL
Re: lEINSTER U21 FINAL
Have been an avid reader KM but sometimes feel a bit out of my depth over here as alot of the posters here definitely have a more in depth knowledge of the local scene than me.
I just felt motivated to write especially yesterday because I did think people were getting a bit carried away with recent senior results.
Last night's performance was worse than that though in that it was so flat. Did we win anything in the air? We can't be that bad but how we let them dominate eveything in the air and on the ground was worrying. To see lads fiddling and foostering with the sliotar in an attempt to rise it, to watch the ball bouncing up off their hurls and hit them on the face as they attempt to control it and to see lads not being able to break challenges as they attempt to emerge with the ball all painted a picture that we've still got a lot of work to do.
Admittedly KK have set the bar high but that's where we have to aim. I can't say one player who won his duel head to head against his marker last night, although young Coughlan in the corner certainly came close.
I hope it acts as a kick up the asre to these lads so that enough can progress.
The slight worry is that these are young lads but it was really just like watching the senior team over the last 8 or 9 years agsinst KK.
I just felt motivated to write especially yesterday because I did think people were getting a bit carried away with recent senior results.
Last night's performance was worse than that though in that it was so flat. Did we win anything in the air? We can't be that bad but how we let them dominate eveything in the air and on the ground was worrying. To see lads fiddling and foostering with the sliotar in an attempt to rise it, to watch the ball bouncing up off their hurls and hit them on the face as they attempt to control it and to see lads not being able to break challenges as they attempt to emerge with the ball all painted a picture that we've still got a lot of work to do.
Admittedly KK have set the bar high but that's where we have to aim. I can't say one player who won his duel head to head against his marker last night, although young Coughlan in the corner certainly came close.
I hope it acts as a kick up the asre to these lads so that enough can progress.
The slight worry is that these are young lads but it was really just like watching the senior team over the last 8 or 9 years agsinst KK.