Offaly v Dublin - NHL Division 1 - 14/03/2010

[black and red exile]

Jaysus even Tipp, Cork and KK people wouldn't make stupid statements like this lot and rubbish us like we are nobody, reading those comments that BNMM signalled out from these braindeads it sounds like some of them could of come from the few ignorant gobshites that were standing behind us yesterday. God help us all if they ever win anything wothwhile at senior level.

[Phoenix]

Joe Bergin is our Joe Canning and Shane Dooley our Damian Hayes? I wonder will we continue with these Portumna tactics in Salthill, Galway?

[backofthenet]

I said it all last year Dublin were overperforming by reaching the leinster final and all ireland quarters. Offaly and Wexford most definately have the beating of them on a given day, Sunday was a fantastic win, a win we badly needed to have a hope of staying in division 1.

The game against Galway can be looked to with confidence, its unfortunate that the Portumna players will be back, it would be nice to have played galway without the two cannings and see how we get on, A win against Galway and Limerick could see us in a league semi final could it not?? How good a turn around is that compared to the talk of relegation battles from the championship last year!!

Dublin, Offaly & Limerick, two out of the three will go down, lets make sure its not the faithful...however i do think the league structure has to be looked at again, having the likes of Clare and Wexford beat the crap out of your Carlow and Kerry's every second year is just stupid. Either create a bigger division 1 and bring them into it, or else create a smaller division 1 and get four good teams fighting for promotion against each other.

On the game, Shane Dooley seems to be going to town on teams, its great to see him in such great form, also nearly all the forwards scored today, this needs to continue into july and august if we are to have a good championship.

[Bord na Mona man]

Dublin, Offaly & Limerick, two out of the three will go down, lets make sure its not the faithful.

Luckily only one team goes down. However Dublin are capable of getting a win elsewhere. Limerick could have a kick in them, if they get their internal trouble sorted.

[bracknaghboy]

Jaysus even Tipp, Cork and KK people wouldn't make stupid statements like this lot and rubbish us like we are nobody, reading those comments that BNMM signalled out from these braindeads it sounds like some of them could of come from the few ignorant gobshites that were standing behind us yesterday. God help us all if they ever win anything wothwhile at senior level.

Lads I think the comments by the Dublin posters are an indication (rightly or wrongly) of how our hurlers are viewed these days. Most teams see us as a easy win, and I can understand why given the results we've had over the last 10 years. We are no longer feared. I'm not upset by the comments I'm upset by how far we've fallen!

[backofthenet]

Dublin, Offaly & Limerick, two out of the three will go down, lets make sure its not the faithful.

Luckily only one team goes down. However Dublin are capable of getting a win elsewhere. Limerick could have a kick in them, if they get their internal trouble sorted.

Appologies BnM man, youre correct! We are in a good position to stay up and I dont see any reason to fear either Wexford or Clare getting more points than us next year should we stay up!

A lot of counties do see us as an easy win, because they have had easy victories over us. Dublin however are not one of those counties, They see themselves as being among the Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperarys of this world, but they are a like offaly about 5-6 points off it at the moment.

[Kevin]

Dublin, Offaly & Limerick, two out of the three will go down, lets make sure its not the faithful.

Luckily only one team goes down. However Dublin are capable of getting a win elsewhere. Limerick could have a kick in them, if they get their internal trouble sorted.

Appologies BnM man, youre correct! We are in a good position to stay up and I dont see any reason to fear either Wexford or Clare getting more points than us next year should we stay up!

A lot of counties do see us as an easy win, because they have had easy victories over us. Dublin however are not one of those counties, They see themselves as being among the Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperarys of this world, but they are a like offaly about 5-6 points off it at the moment.

Agree, based on performances over the years we 'should' be viewed as a chance to pile on points differential for some teams and a chance to avoid relegation for others (in D1 this year anyway). It will take some consistent results for us to shed this perception. When we do start performing better, people will take us more seriously. Then the real heavy lefting begins.

[leinsterman]

Jaysus even Tipp, Cork and KK people wouldn't make stupid statements like this lot and rubbish us like we are nobody, reading those comments that BNMM signalled out from these braindeads it sounds like some of them could of come from the few ignorant gobshites that were standing behind us yesterday. God help us all if they ever win anything wothwhile at senior level.

Lads I think the comments by the Dublin posters are an indication (rightly or wrongly) of how our hurlers are viewed these days. Most teams see us as a easy win, and I can understand why given the results we've had over the last 10 years. We are no longer feared. I'm not upset by the comments I'm upset by how far we've fallen!

still we have played the dub's in the last ten year's in championship and still they didn't beat
us fair enough if kk or tipp no longer fear us but the dub'd, if we met in this years championship i would put the house on offaly to beat them, since 1980 we have met a good
few times and they got a lucky break in 1991 to beat us. they are like the footballer's of dublin all mouth, and you won't win anything with your mouth.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Much had been said so I'll just add a few points of my own.

1. A great result, well done all.

2. As good as the result was we, and the management, would do well not to forget the first 45 (approx) minutes of the game. Up to then Dublin looked the superior outfit; much quicker to the breaking ball, better in the air, creating scores much more easily and completly dominating Offaly's half forword line. After around 25 minutes Offaly were leadng 2-08 to 1-05. By the 45th minute Dublin were ahead 2-09 to 1-16, by this stage a rot looked to have set in and an absolute hammering looked on the cards. What happened thereafter is a testament to the players on the field but let it not paper over the cracks too much. One daffodil does not a spring make.

3. Dylan Hayden is, and never was, an intercounty defender. Sunday proved this in spades and hopefully it marks the end of that experiment. As I said after the Cork game last year, the reason he gets away with it at club level when playing for Birr is because of his high skill level. Even Birr though have seen sense in this regard, opting instead to play him in the forwards (his natural home) for the business end of last years championship. Given his excellent ball striking from 40+ yards and his need to be in the 'thick of it', I'd like to see him tried at wing forward for the county.

4. Given how the defence survived (with players such as Franks and Egan still to come back) without Diarmuid Horan yesterday, I'd really like to see him tried at wing forward. The half forward line struggled for large parts yesterday and a unit consisting of Hayden (on form), Molloy and Horan could work very, very well. Ally those three with Dooley and Bergin inside and suddenly one can see where the scores might come from.

5. Well done Shane Dooley and to a lesser extent Joe Bergin. Dooley had one of those days and took his two goals superbly. In addition he struck all of his frees exceptionally. Hopefully the management will now be wise to the value of isolating those two players inside. If Joe Bergin could just react a fraction faster then those two could become a potent pair.

6. Brian Carroll (unsuprisingly) did quite well in the loose yesterday towards the end of the game. Given his penchant for 'roving' as such, any use in trying him at midfield? Hanniffy and Mahon both played very well yesterday though and should be left together.

7. Rory Hanniffy's ball to Shane Dooley for Offaly's second goal was poetry in motion.

8. Del Morkan's intelligence when he does and does not have the ball is remarkable for such a young player.

9. What of the penalties, Dooley has missed a few by now. In fairness he seems to strike them well but just not quite strong enough and at a frendly height to be blocked. Remarkable when one considers the manner in which he nearly burst the net when scoring his second goal yesterday. Bergin or Molloy perhaps?

10. Dublin's collapse was remarkable, both on and off the field. The Dublin line seemed to get a dose of the jitters and emptied the bench while the game was still in the melting pot.

[leinsterman]

i agree on most thing's you said, but the turning point of the game was kevin brady
taking out of centre forward how joe looked at him for that long i don't know, joe brady turn
the whole game around when he came on won and broke great ball and got a good point as
well.

[kinnittyman]

Lads was I at a completley different game to everyone else yesterday regarding the performance of Conor Mahon. John McCaffrey completley destroyed him in the first half and scored 5, yes 5, points from play off him. Only when he went to Wing Forward did he acheive any sort of tangible result.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Are knee-jerk reactions to become the norm around here? Lose to Kilkenny and Cork and Offaly hurling is finished; beat Dublin and they’re All-Ireland contenders.

Folks, get a grip. This Offaly have had good results in the NHL before only for the same weaknesses to cost them come June. Remember they’ve beaten Cork, Tipperary & Waterford in recent times in Birr and drew with Cork when they were All-Ireland champions. It would be entirely wrong to suggest that any of the long-standing problems have gone away.

The poster who suggested Dublin were “one of the leading contenders for the Liam McCarthy” is taking an extremely liberal interpretation of that description. Similarly there’s no way there’s a Leinster title in that Offaly team. Kilkenny is a bit too far inland to be hit by a tsunami which might wipe out all their hurlers!

To put Dublin in perspective, yes this is a ‘golden generation’ they have at the moment but look at their record. One Leinster title at under 21 level during which time the furthest they’ve had to travel outside their county boundary has been to Clane in Co. Kildare! Remember Galway did a job on them on their only voyage beyond Leinster. Yes, they’ve won 2 Leinster minor finals but they’ve yet to beat a Munster team outside of Leinster and left an All-Ireland final appearance behind them losing to Limerick at a Leinster venue, Kilkenny.

Offaly won yesterday because they denied Dublin possession during the last 25 minutes, and Offaly played deep enough to crowd the Dublin attack and to leave enough space for their attack. There looked to be an element of planning about it, which is an attempt to curb second half fadeouts. That is to be welcomed. The wind was a factor too with Gary Maguire struggling to puckout beyond midfield.

Survival will still be Offaly’s main target, though Limerick will target the Offaly match as their best chance of a win.

As for Salthill on Saturday, the Portumna lads will NOT be hurling. Four days after the Club All-Ireland? Get real! Galway are under pressure after the collapse to Tipperary and will see this as a chance to get back on track. McIntyre will know much about the Offaly lads too. An awful lot needs to go right for Offaly to win but it’s alot more desireable to be heading west on the back of a morale-boosting win. That’s for sure.

[leinsterman]

Lads was I at a completley different game to everyone else yesterday regarding the performance of Conor Mahon. John McCaffrey completley destroyed him in the first half and scored 5, yes 5, points from play off him. Only when he went to Wing Forward did he acheive any sort of tangible result.

mcCaffrey was well on top at midfield, but joey boland was doing alot of damage in the half
back line, why joe dooley didn't switch mahon and brady after 20 minute's kevin brady would
have been better out the field. its unfair on kevin brady putting him centre forward, his a
half back or centrefield, my last word goe's to brian carroll had one of his best game's in a
while on sunday got 3 good points, he also came back and help out in the backs.
the thing that drive's me mad about brian carroll is he has the hurling in him he still is one
of the best offaly forwards lets hope he hit's form now. as for joe bergin fullforward and leave him there, he is lethal around the square if he gets a chance. as for shane dooley well
he didn't lick it off the ground.

[leinsterman]

Are knee-jerk reactions to become the norm around here? Lose to Kilkenny and Cork and Offaly hurling is finished; beat Dublin and they’re All-Ireland contenders.

Folks, get a grip. This Offaly have had good results in the NHL before only for the same weaknesses to cost them come June. Remember they’ve beaten Cork, Tipperary & Waterford in recent times in Birr and drew with Cork when they were All-Ireland champions. It would be entirely wrong to suggest that any of the long-standing problems have gone away.

The poster who suggested Dublin were “one of the leading contenders for the Liam McCarthy” is taking an extremely liberal interpretation of that description. Similarly there’s no way there’s a Leinster title in that Offaly team. Kilkenny is a bit too far inland to be hit by a tsunami which might wipe out all their hurlers!

To put Dublin in perspective, yes this is a ‘golden generation’ they have at the moment but look at their record. One Leinster title at under 21 level during which time the furthest they’ve had to travel outside their county boundary has been to Clane in Co. Kildare! Remember Galway did a job on them on their only voyage beyond Leinster. Yes, they’ve won 2 Leinster minor finals but they’ve yet to beat a Munster team outside of Leinster and left an All-Ireland final appearance behind them losing to Limerick at a Leinster venue, Kilkenny.

Offaly won yesterday because they denied Dublin possession during the last 25 minutes, and Offaly played deep enough to crowd the Dublin attack and to leave enough space for their attack. There looked to be an element of planning about it, which is an attempt to curb second half fadeouts. That is to be welcomed. The wind was a factor too with Gary Maguire struggling to puckout beyond midfield.

Survival will still be Offaly’s main target, though Limerick will target the Offaly match as their best chance of a win.

As for Salthill on Saturday, the Portumna lads will NOT be hurling. Four days after the Club All-Ireland? Get real! Galway are under pressure after the collapse to Tipperary and will see this as a chance to get back on track. McIntyre will know much about the Offaly lads too. An awful lot needs to go right for Offaly to win but it’s alot more desireable to be heading west on the back of a morale-boosting win. That’s for sure.

I Don't think anybody was saying offaly hurling is finished because cork and the cats beat them sure they are the kingpins of hurling, offaly playing well again cork up till they got a lucky goal and the back's were great against kilkenny we missed alot that day as well.
as for winning a leinster i think if we get a forward or two and we are a young team we could win one in the next few years. the cats won't go on forever, theirs a nice few young
hurlers coming up in offaly if we can get them in and get them to play for the offaly jersey
we could do it. i know we have had no underage success the last few year's but sure what
minor or under21 success did the offaly 81, or 85 team have i still think the clock will turn
full circle and offaly hurling will be back again. thats why i never miss an offaly match our
day will come again please god keep the faith.

[Bord na Mona man]

Are knee-jerk reactions to become the norm around here? Lose to Kilkenny and Cork and Offaly hurling is finished; beat Dublin and they’re All-Ireland contenders.

Folks, get a grip. This Offaly have had good results in the NHL before only for the same weaknesses to cost them come June. Remember they’ve beaten Cork, Tipperary & Waterford in recent times in Birr and drew with Cork when they were All-Ireland champions. It would be entirely wrong to suggest that any of the long-standing problems have gone away.

I think we're entitled to enjoy this one.
For all the hype Dublin are at most about the 8th best team in Ireland. Offaly are no worse than 10th best, despite our recent woes.
If there was the whiff of arriviste about them, then we can afford a tiny bit of glee.

That Offaly finished the out game well is pleasing, but in the overall scheme of things it certainly wasn't two contenders on show.