www.uibhfhaili.com

Happy with that team for sure. Would like to see Kellaghan get a run off the bench and see what he can offer.

i also see young Morgan Tynan back in the panel which is good to see plenty of football in him and a good addition to the squad.

Unfortunate not to turn it around fully, probably left a bit too much to do in the second half

Interestingly Cian Farrell was in attendance, albeit in the stand. Hard to imagine why he’d bother travel up if he had no interest in playing with them again.

pigeon house biffo wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 4:51 pm Unfortunate not to turn it around fully, probably left a bit too much to do in the second half

Interestingly Cian Farrell was in attendance, albeit in the stand. Hard to imagine why he’d bother travel up if he had no interest in playing with them again.

The first half was Fermanagh’s best period, I think they led Offaly 1-9 to 1-1 late in the opening half, playing against the wind. Offaly had reduced the margin by3, 1-12 to 3-3. First loss in the league. Important game at home to Kildare next month.

Unfortunately Fermanagh are now in the driving seat for 2nd place.

They've three very winnable fixtures left against Sligo, Leix and Leitrim.
If they hit 10 points, Offaly would need to beat Leitrim, Klare and get some sort of result against Kildare to better that. Fermanagh have Offaly on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Our best hope is for Sligo to wake up and make a better showing in the closing games.

don't think kildare will drop any points they seem to be very strong since Glen Ryan went. they also have the guts of two teams that got to two under 20 all ireland's finals winnning one.

I said it a few posts back that the depth in the forwards would come against us in the tougher games. Only one forward brought on today in Nigel Dunne who is in his twilight years.
Aaron Kellaghan definitely one for the future but is just back from an ACL.
After that there are no forwards in the subs that can make an impact in the harder games.
Still a chance at promotion but won’t be easy.

I think promotion is gone after today.

We won’t be relegated which is the main thing but no promotion unfortunately also means no Sam McGuire unless Dublin pull out of Leinster in protest at not being able to play in Croker or some other pipe dream…

Good second half response in fairness but its a real shame that we didn't get the 2 points as this would have left us in the driving seat. Clare have to travel to Sligo and with them fighting for points its still possible that Clare could lose that.
That said, as was pointed out earlier we hadn't enough on the bench to solve the problems when our forwards didnt click.
Interesting that Daire Mcdaid was brought on, I think he's a great prospect but has been used sparingly to date.
Up front Nigel was the right call, but you would have to think that when the heat is on there are lads on the bench that are not really up to it.
If you accept that Cillian Bourke is a midfielder, then effectively we got no score from a forward in the first half with the wind and yet its only with 10/15 left that one of them is taken off.

That said, we are still in a strong position, we have all to play for down to the wire for promotion and the fight in the second half is a huge positive.
Leitrim next week is a strange game now, like even if you try 3 new forwards, what can you take from it really?
Hopefully Dempsey and Ruairi are back for the last 2 games and add a bit of depth. We should be able to have a cut off Kildare and it will set us up for a go at Clare in the last game.

Would i be correct in saying it should come down to who ever wins between Clare and us who gets promoted?

greenairfield wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 11:34 am Would i be correct in saying it should come down to who ever wins between Clare and us who gets promoted?

Well, not necessarily.

If we beat Leitrim and Clare, and lose to Kildare, we'll finish on 10 points. If Fermanagh win their remaining 3 games, they'd also be on 10 points. They'd have us on head to head and unfortunately there'd be nothing we can do about it.

So we've to beat Kildare.

If taking at least a point off Kildare in a home game isn't realistic, then we've no business up in Division Two anyway.

In my opinion, 10 points would be a great league and after yesterday we are unlikely to beat or draw with Kildare.

But wouldn't agree with you in relation to Kildare LS. They seem to be going really well and should be a Div 2 team ahead of Westmeath, and maybe even Down. But with another year with current mgt and a few additions to the squad Offaly should improve further.
Yes Kildare have not fulfilled potential over many years but they are generally a cut above us.

We blew it yesterday but lets see how we react in the last 3 games.

Also Its a free world and you can keep on about Cian Farrell (not sure who posted that he was at the match yesterday), but it's unlikely he'll be back. Free world and sure why wouldn't he go along to the match yesterday?

The first half was well below the required standard. Forwards were all over the place and extremely inefficient
Second half there was a surge and a bit of character shown
Some players and forwards in particular have 9 lives and unfortunately it may be the best we have, but management need to change it up now
Kyle highins needs to start against Leitrim, great score yesterday and has good hands ,
Nigel dunne got 6 minutes against the wind yesterday, wind had died down due to heavy rain, he needs to start, yes he is the winter of career but he will score.

Dunican
Pearson
Bracken
Egan
Cormac
John f
Jordan Hayes
Jack mc
Cillian bourke
Kyle higgins
Cathal Flynn
KON
hyland
Dunne
Tierney/ Bryant

Need to beat Leitrim, take a pt at least against kildare at home.

No score from play in 1st half yesterday with a gale ( apart from goal)

6 pts in total

Now the first 3 games we scored heavily so perhaps it was an off day

Lone Shark wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:17 pm So we've to beat Kildare.

If taking at least a point off Kildare in a home game isn't realistic, then we've no business up in Division Two anyway.

If we beat Leitrim next week, and take at least a point off Kildare later, we will have 9 pts facing Clare away. Kildare are favs for promotion, Offaly will be in a scrap for the second spot, barring a slip up.