private joker wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2024 10:29 pm
So why are they playing these games?
New format won’t be ratified until January so they have to play it just in case it doesn’t pass…
I read your post on club amalgamations, good point.. I had mentioned a similar idea to Colm Cummins, GAA Sec. It was passed to review committee.
About Sunday. I thought Edenderry were very poor, considering the quality of their players.
private joker wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2024 10:29 pm
So why are they playing these games?
New format won’t be ratified until January so they have to play it just in case it doesn’t pass…
I read your post on club amalgamations, good point.. I had mentioned a similar idea to Colm Cummins, GAA Sec. It was passed to review committee.
About Sunday. I thought Edenderry were very poor, considering the quality of their players.
Good to hear, something needs to be done sooner rather than later.
after all the controversy about groups etc lets hope we get a good day and a good final . theres not much between the teams but tullamore seem to always find a way to win. lets hope it changes sunday week!!
Fear Uibh wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 10:44 am
Erin Rovers playing Junior football next year , first time since 1962 when they won it, another sign of clubs in west Offaly struggling.
Firstly, it's a fair indictment of the new system when you see a club get two wins and a draw from their three group games and then get relegated. Nothing against Kilcormac-Killoughey, they played the system that was voted into place, but I am curious if they fielded the same calibre of team against St. Rynagh's two weeks ago as they did against Erin Rovers last night. Maybe they did, and maybe St. Rynagh's dialled up a bit of help for that relegation game, and either way, it's all part of championship football - but I don't think anyone would say that Erin Rovers were the weakest of the eight intermediate teams this year.
The wider demographics issue is with us all the time, and there's no doubt that it's in West Offaly where there are the most clubs caught in the crosshairs. The unique geography around Pullough, where being located in between the Grand Canal and the Brosna means that it's not particularly handy for access in terms of longer commutes, means that it will really struggle in the long term, in a way that clubs like Doon and Tubber won't to the same degree. But solving that is an issue beyond the GAA's pay grade. All I'll say is that lots and lots of windfarms won't fix it.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
Erin rovers would have been tipped to progress to semi-final they've been decent at this level its a sad year for the club with the loss of one thier captains joe dot and now relegation for junior A , but sets up a nice battle between them and shannonbridge for promotion next year
As for kk they've been in the mix in the football before they pipped ferbane (wheery)at under 21 a good few year ago and were a decent outfit for junior/intermediate ,and that wheery team had some very good footballers , Colin and sean ryan to name 2
So maybe if they weren't 100% concentrated on hurling they could be doing better
Lots of negativity about the state of the club game in Offaly in recent times. It has been a poor championship up to today in general, but to be fair to both teams, that was as good a final as we have had in a long time. Both teams came out to play. Tullamore have got some bad press over years in way they play, and maybe might have played differently today if they hadn't to come from behind. Ferbane were full value for their lead and couldve been further ahead at HT. Tullamore then closed the gap really quickly and you'd have thought they would take it from there, but Ferbane to their credit came again and took a two point lead. But when chips were down Tullamore had Furlong Egan and McDaid to pop up with great scores from play and that was probably the difference. Well done to both teams on producing that final.
One of the talking points will be the refereeing. Lots of very close calls, with a couple contentious ones but there were frees given on both sides that wouldv'e been contested and id say across the game they may have balanced out, even if Ferbane will feel hard done by for some that resulted in Tullamore scores.
Hard luck to Ferbane but Tullamore deserved the win, just about. Ferbane played some great football in the second quarter but a four point half time lead didn't reflect their dominance.
Tullamore turned the screw in the first ten minutes after the break. In fairness to Ferbane they hung in there. But they couldn't get their hands on enough ball and, when they did get possession, were forced into playing a short passing game which didn't suit them. Thus their inside forwards Cian Johnson and Darragh Flynn, who had the beating of the Tullamore defence, were starved of service. Ferbane really needed a goal but it never looked like coming.
The introduction of Diarmuid Egan before half time had a big bearing on the game. This guy is a serious footballer and deserves another run at county level.
Hopefully Ferbane will regroup and give it another rattle next year. They're not far away and were in hard luck today with a couple of refereeing decisions, particularly the one penalising Leon Fox for overcarrying, which was just plain ridiculous.
The referee had a very very poor second half and Ferbane have every right to feel aggrieved tonight.
To give a foul against Leon Fox for over carrying despite him being hand tripped is mind boggling. This allowed Tullamore to level the game up in the 59th minute.
Last edited by Anonymous1 on Mon Oct 14, 2024 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
It boggles the mind to think any referee would pull a player for over carrying when he was hand tripped on the 2nd step and fell.that was leon fox In the 60 min. Ferbane were 13 12 up at that point. The whole dynamic of the game changed on that incident. Also cathal egan(excellent player) running through in 2nd half realised he was goosed and decided to genuflect hoping for a free .he did succeed. Overall it was a very unsatisfactory display by him. To be beaten fair and square is fine.and what I hear after re the refs location etc defied logic as to how he was appointed in the first place. Maybe Ferbane shud have objected to him...I dunno. Totally unsatisfactory day. And the best of luck to tullamore in leinster club.
As a neutral I was thinking was he going to give a black card to Cillian Bourke for the trip on Leon, after giving a free I thought he would play for the draw. Overall nothing between the two teams and a draw would have been a fair result.
Back on the ref I thought for certain fouls he played the advantage and then called it back after they had lost the ball too long in time.
On a side note it was great to see John furlong, cormac egan and cathal Flynn all having good games.
I'm a Ferbane man so I'm not going to dwell too much on Eamon O'Connor, except to say that while the free against Leon for the equaliser was a very poor call, I'm sure if you went through the full hour, there were plenty of 50/50 calls for and against both teams that could easily have been disputed. Sure, a big call in the 58th minute tends to be more valuable than a big call in the 8th minute, but there was too much happened over the course of the hour here to say that it was the referee who decided the game.
On the issue of EOC's connections to Tullamore, I've made the point before that it would probably be optimal if more referees stepped away from games where there are obvious issues like this, as even when they do their best to referee it fairly (as I fully and firmly believe EOC did here), then when it's a tight game, there will always be perceptions of bias, and nobody deserves that.
Anyway, on to the football. I don't think I'm being one-eyed when I say that I think the sides were very evenly matched and that a draw and replay wouldn't have been unfair.
But, sport is sport, and little moments can make all the difference, and while it was unlucky from a Ferbane perspective, it wasn't an injustice, or anything like it.
Moreover, I think it needs to be said that I felt it was an excellent game, played to a very high standard, and hugely encouraging for Offaly football, at the end of a championship that was anything but encouraging. We all know about the U-20s of three years ago and how their development has been mixed, but I thought Cathal Flynn, Cormac Egan and John Furlong were all excellent, both in terms of their ability, and their leadership, taking on responsibility and making things happen for their clubs. If Offaly are to make the progress we all want to see in the next couple of years, then these lads have to be right at the heart of it.
Behind them, Darragh Flynn didn't get much space or time to operate but he had three shots on goal and nailed all three, and it's impossible not to get excited by Cillian Bourke, for whom the sky is the limit. I interviewed him after the game for Clubber and while I'm no athlete, I'm not small either, at six foot in real life, maybe 6"2 or 6"3 if I ever have to go back on a dating app. He towered above me, and he's not scrawny, he's built like a senior intercounty footballer into the bargain. His catches were exceptional, his tackling was relentless, and he has really turned into a serious talent. For a lad that will be playing Leinster Colleges ball in the next few weeks, he's standout.
I'm obviously very disappointed, and my heart goes out to some of those Ferbane lads that I know have poured their heart and soul into their club, and into Belmont too in many cases. But at least we're reflecting on a game where two teams really had to go after it, they defended high up the pitch, they played with intensity, and there was plenty of quality all the same, even with no shortage of pressure. Would I have taken a one-point win in a dire game? Hell yeah, but all we can do now is see the positives, and there were plenty of them on show. So to the players and volunteers of Ferbane GAA, thank you, you are a credit to our town and parish. To Tullamore, well done, tough questions were asked of you and you found the answers, and now for the love of God, please go on and show the rest of Leinster the very same when you go out against (presumably) a very good Portarlington team next month. Best of luck to ye.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
All well and good kevin but in such a tight game 2 incidents i highlighted resulted in 2 tullamore points.the difference in the result. I'm not saying eoc reffed it wrong on purpose,but surely there was a more neutral ref available? The mind boggles.
biffinbanner wrote: ↑Sun Oct 13, 2024 9:16 pm
All well and good kevin but in such a tight game 2 incidents i highlighted resulted in 2 tullamore points.the difference in the result. I'm not saying eoc reffed it wrong on purpose,but surely there was a more neutral ref available? The mind boggles.
Another one was in around the 62nd minute a Ferbane forward was hauled down and given no free.
Maybe the ref tried his best and just had an off day but why would he put himself in the position of being accused of bias and why would the county board do likewise?
Ferbane will rightfully feel that they left this behind them today. It was a great chance to bring the Dowling cup to Ferbane tonight. An excellent game of football over the hour and whist Ferbane will feel aggrieved about some of reffing decisions late on, they have far more positives to take from the game today.
A strong finish to the first half left them in a great position at half time but it was Tullamore that came out of the tracks in the second half.
I thought it was a little strange to play Cathal Flynn so deep (nearly a sweeper). He’s such a talented player and would causes a lot of damage getting on the ball more in the middle third.
Great to see strong performances from the younger lads like McDaid, Furlong (serious talent) and cillain bourke, another serious talent and then both Flynns did well for Ferbane.
Let’s hope that Tullamore give Leinster a good rattle.
