Offaly vs Down SFC Qualifier Rnd 3 - 17/07/2010

[Offaly2010]

What's the thoughts on the team for Saturday?
You would have to hope that Slattery is fit because against Longford,Benny Coulter played wing forward and Slattery would be well able to mark him and he is our best man-marker by a mile!
The only change I would make for Saturday is Reynolds in for Dalton and put Brian Connor midfield with Coughlan and Reynolds to start at centre forward.
Team I would like to see selected:
Alan Mulhall
Brian Darby
Scott Brady
Sean Pender
Niall Darby
Ross Brady
Karol Slattery(if fit)
Brian Connor
John Coughlan
Graham Guilfoyle
John Reynolds
Ciaran McManus
Anton Sullivan
Ken Casey
Niall McNamee

[Long John]

No Reynolds wouldnt offer anything at centre forward or anywhere. From what i saw in the Clare and Waterford games he is out of his depth and doesnt want to know about it most of the time. Sean Ryan would offer alot more than Reynolds.

I agree Dalton isnt up to county football, but theres quiet a few in the same boat as him.

The only other players to bring in would be Ward, Alan McNamee, McConway. Maybe play McConway at Centre back and move Brady centre forward. Its a disaster there is no spine to this team and its July. 6, 8, 9, and 11 are critical positions and Offaly are weak in all 4.

[offalyman08]

The problem with Offaly football is only about 4 or 5 of that team are county standard, but they are the best Offaly have. That is why we are so far behind. Realistically how many of that team would make any of the top teams?

[Plain of the Herbs]

Time to give it a lash, lads.

[Bord na Mona man]

The provincial championships and the qualifiers are now becoming as divorced a competition from each other as the league is to the championship.

So many times we've seem teams look pure dung when getting hammered in May, only to get their act together come July. Other teams have limped through the first couple of rounds of the qualifiers and build up momentum after getting a couple of wins.

At the moment Offaly have the nearest thing to a settled team where there's at least a bit of predictability to the line up. If nothing else, we have at least given ourselves a decent chance of playing to our potential - whatever that may be.

As I've said before, when Wexford, Sligo and Louth played Offaly in the league, there was no obvious gulf in footballing ability.
Shouldn't we all be gobsmacked that they managed to match Galway, Meath, Kildare and Dublin?
Longford finished 3rd from bottom in Division 4 and beat the Division 1 league finalists Mayo.

Yet most Offaly folk seem hugely in awe of the top 8 or 10 footballing counties. If Offaly play to their potential, they are well capable of giving Down a right good game of it.

[Kevin]

Time for a big performance.

We need to defend like starving lions at the opening whistle.

Round 4 is definitely something to shoot for.

Winning can be contagious.

BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK!!!!

UP THE FAITHFUL!!!!!!!!!

[Offaly2010]

Football Team To Play Down Announced

The Offaly senior football team to play Down in the All-Ireland Qualifier in O'Connor Park at 7pm on Saturday has been announced. Karol Slattery, who was injured in the victory over Waterford, is unable to start, and his place has been taken by Paul McConway.

OFFALY (SF v Down): Alan Mulhall; Brian Darby, Scott Brady, Sean Pender; Niall Darby, Ross Brady, Paul McConway; Richie Dalton, Brian Connor; Graham Guilfoyle, Niall McNamee, Ciaran McManus; Ken Casey, John Coughlan, Anton Sullivan.

[Offaly2010]

Karol Slattery will be a huge loss for Offaly tomorrow night,would have thought he would have been the one to mark Benny Coulter.
Think Brian Connor is playing in his best position. Interesting to see Niall Mc named at CF and John Coughlan at full forward. I think that suggests that Offaly might play the kicking game for once,a big 'Hail Mary' ball from Mad Mac into Coughlan and it's in the back of the net!
Thats the way I would love to see Offaly play,never mind the little five yard hand passes around the middle of the field trying to walk it into the forward line,get it in there on top of Coughlan! With the likes of Niall,Casey and Anton running off him that is bound to cause havoc in the Down defence!

I think the big factor tomorrow night will be attitude. I hope Down come to Tullamore thinking "Oh we hammered them by 18 points 2 years ago,lets get the job done and get out of here as quick as possibee". I think thats where our lads can catch Down but of course Offaly have to have the right attitude aswell. If Offaly are thinking "Oh they hammered us here 2 years ago,lets just go out and see how it goes". Bullshite!!
Offaly have to come out thinking they can win,that they can match Down man for man all around the field.

If the above happens,I think we will catch them in the last 10 minutes.
Up Offaly

[the Untouchable]

Half back line could be in real trouble, none of the lads have played much football this year in their positions. Can't see any of them marking Benny Coulter or Mark Poland who is a handy forward too.

I get the feeling there'll be a huge amount of moves before throw in, Ross Brady surely would be better in around Full forward, John Coughlan at Midfield, Ken Casey wing Forward, McManus centre forward and Niall in the corner. Obviously that means putting Richie Dalton at center back but at least he'd be used to playing there!!!

Down are no great shakes, but then again they weren't brilliant 2 years ago either when they blew us away in O'Connor park.

Realistically we need our full forward line to click in a big way to have any chance here and not just depend on Niall Mac to carry us all the time!!!

[Offaly2010]

Confidence is growing but Cribbin not getting carried away

Published Date: 16 July 2010
OFFALY'S win over Waterford in the second round of the All Ireland Football qualifers will not go down in the annals of memorable Offaly wins but it was a vital result in terms of the development of this team.
Damian Moran reports

Tom Cribbin's side were relatively comfortable throughout and should have won the game by more.

Speaking after the game the Offaly manager agreed that there had been an improvement from the opening game against Clare and he said this was because there was far less pressure on the side last Saturday.

"I'm happy that we won but I'm not getting carried away. There was a an awful lot of pressure on the team the last day. When you haven't won a championship match for three years, there is pressure on a team. In particular on the older lads feel it. The younger lads tend to throw caution to the wind. We're missing our frees, some important stuff at vital times but they are starting to believe in themselves a bit more and they kept battling and kept going."

Offaly were never headed from the 12th minute but they never managed to open a meaningful gap between themselves and Waterford.

At the final whistle there was a comfortable gap of five points between the teams but at no point were the home side able to relax. Tom Cribbin said after the game that missed frees remain a big problem for his side.

"When you're missing easy frees like we were, and we missed another one from 14 yards today and another from 25 in front of goals, no one really wants to take them then. It's not that they're not practicing.

"You should come to the training ground and see them, you're kind of wondering what's going on here lads. Everyone steps up and they're all going over. They spend about a half and hour each night, three or four of them, kicking over frees so hopefully we can get that right."

Defensively Offaly looked relatively assured and Tom Cribbin complimented the backs on their collective performance, giving particular praise to the younger quartet of the group.

"Ross Brady is only in there the last couple of weeks. He's a big strong, honest lad and he is doing very, very well for us. We've tried a couple of the half-forwards back there. Niall (Darby) is back there to help him get his confidence because he is a very good ball player and he reads the game well. Sean Pender is a good young lad and is starting to get belief in himself and Brian Darby is carrying sickness the last couple of weeks but he got better and better there today."

He also commended the veteran influence of Scott Brady at full-back in the conditions however when asked he did agree that the Clara man had his hands full with Waterford's imposing full-forward Gary Hurney.

"I suppose having Scott back at full-back and he was showing great leadership back there. He's talking to them all around him and he was just keeping them very focused. That's the important thing with young players, keeping them focused.

"Gary (Hurney) has played for Munster. He's a big strong guy, he's 6ft 4, he's physically able to hold you off as well and he has a good left peg. But Scott did well. He commanded the square well."

Offaly now play their third game in the qualifiers something they have only managed on one previous occasion with Down the visitors to Tullamore. Speaking after the game before the draw was made, Tom Cribbin was adamant that his side would not be cannon fodder for any team in the country.

"There's no way we'll get a hockeying off any team now. Our confidence is improving and I think you'll see us play better football the next day. I know the pace of the game and the standard wasn't quite as much as some of the other games but we are capable of playing at that pace and we will move up.

"This was a dirty old dour day and it wasn't easy to play football. We're a light fast team and if we get good hard fast ground, we're starting to find a few positions. Our young lads are playing well in the middle.

"Brian Connor was only 20 a few weeks ago, Richie Dalton is only 22, Ross Brady is only 22 this year and Anton's only 19. Those young lads on good fast ground will be okay and they are improving as a unit and are getting confidence which is more important."

(taken from Offaly Express site)

[Bord na Mona man]

Whatever way Offaly line out, we should be playing direct football anyway.

Our scoring forwards are the team's best asset. Short passing and slow build up play nullifies any advantage we could hold over teams here.

If you have a dozen big athletes and poor shooters, then play a possession game. Offaly have are a few smaller players who aren't comfortable taking the ball into contact and a couple of players who don't always take the right option under pressure.

On occasions when we do go direct, Niall Mc wins a huge amount of 40-60 deliveries. Yet we don't utilise this enough.
Get it in around the house ta fook. None of the sideways crab football.

[Offaly2010]

McCartan keeps the faith


16 July 2010


The Down team to face Offaly in tomorrow's All-Ireland football qualifier is unchanged from that which defeated Longford by four points last Saturday.

However, manager James McCartan has made a couple of positional changes with Declan Rooney and Darren O'Hagan swapping places in defence and Benny Coulter and Conor Maginn trading places in the attack.

Kevin McKernan, Conor Laverty, Peter Fitzpatrick and Aidan Carr all saw action off the bench in the 1-14 to 1-10 over Glenn Ryan's side, but have failed to force their way into the starting line-up.

Down (SF v Offaly): B McVeigh; D Rooney; D Gordon, D Rafferty; D O'Hagan, J Colgan, C Garvey; A Rogers, K King; D Hughes, M Poland, B Coulter; C Maginn, J Clarke, M Clarke.

(taken from HS)

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Is playing Niall Mc anywhere but the full forward line not a bit, how shall I put this....thick?

To me, by no means an expert, that Offaly selection looks all over the place. And I don't meant that in a good way.

[Bord na Mona man]

I'm not sure how to read into the selection.
If Coughlan operates on the square, as he has done for St Sylvester's, then Ken Casey would be the best player to play off him - due to his pace and finishing abilities, but also because he isn't a natural ball winner.

McNamee has greater ball winning, playmaking and long range shooting prowess. He may operate slightly more withdrawn, but I doubt he'll be taken too far from the green zone either.
It could be like Rory Hanniffy for the hurlers. His multiple skills range cause him to be shunted around more than others.

After 20 minutes the number on a player's back could be meaningless anyway.

[bracknaghboy]

After 20 minutes the number on a player's back could be meaningless anyway.

With Cribbin the numbers on players backs mean nothing after 20 seconds!!
I'm thinking that this is team won't lineout like this. McNamee simply has to be close to goal and as inept as Cribbin is he surely knows this now. I have seen nothing from Richie Dalton in county or club jersey to suggest he would make a Offaly B team. Perhaps others see what he offers and if they do I'd like to hear it. From what I've seen of Down on TV this year I think they are a 'niggly' team and Offaly lads need to be careful not to get dragged in. We have a very slim chance with 15 players but none with 14. I'd worry about Anton Sullivan as he has been looking for agro in the last 2 games and has had to be restrained a couple of times, he's a prime candidate to get a stupid red.
Slattery is a huge huge loss....he keeps the head and down and gets through a mountain of work everyday (alot of which goes unnoticed by the media).
On the plus side Down are a team a bit unsure of themselves. They can't seem to make their mind up if they are a team that should be pushing for honours or if they are a medicre side capable of the odd big win. I think they will have too much but we live in hope.