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Just a quick report on yesterday’s game.

The opening 20 minutes saw Offaly well on top. Neville Coughlan was heavily in several good moves, winning ball at full forward, dispossessing opponents and laying it off well. Ciaran McManus was covering the yards and driving Offaly forward. Offaly were 6 points ahead after two goals in the first 12 minutes, from Rory Connor and McManus and went 7 points ahead soon after. Unfortunately the fluid attacking play and scoring halted soon after. Offaly could have put away Laois at this point, but letting them score 4 points in row essentially made it a game that was destined to go right to the wire. Having scored 2-5 in the opening 25 minutes, Offaly only scored 1-3 in the remaining 45.

At the start, Niall McNamee at centre forward was using his vision and accuracy to great effect. The best example of this was a quick free he took out of his hands that was pin pointed to Thomas Deehan who had stolen enough yards to catch and slot over the bar. As the game went on McNamee was forced further away from goal. He was crowded more and the quality of ball that was heading in his direction deteriorated. He could be a useful playmaker for Offaly, however the risk of him being kept under wraps is perhaps too great to risk taking him the full forward line.

After an unsure start, Aidan Keenaghan came into the game after about 20 minutes and acquitted himself well. He was pitted against an extremely in form Paul Lawler who was having an inspired game.
James Keane didn't have a comfortable game at corner back. He looks short of the form he showed before his injury. He may not have the have the corner back instincts and would need to improve to challenge for a half back or midfield.

In the second half had wiped away the Offaly lead. Colm Parkinson, shorn of the '90s Britpop hairdo and instead sporting his socks pulled up, lest he be seen as a conformist, gave Nigel Grennan the slip to get through and beat Padraic Kelly for the first Laois goal. That score wiped out Offaly’s half time 3 point advantage and the game looked to be going Laois’s way.

With the sides level Scott Brady collected a quick free from the sideline on the edge of the square and calmly netted. Niall McNamee followed up with a long range effort to put Offaly 4 points ahead and seemingly put Offaly back in the driving seat.

However 2 Laois points followed to cut the gap. The score that turned the game was a Laois penalty. The circumstance in which it came were unfortunate given that during the build up the referee failed to spot that a quick Laois free which was kicked to a player standing only 3 or 4 yards away from the kicker.
Niall McNamee equalised and extra time seemed to beckoning until Laois scored the late winner for a close in free. The award of this seemed harsh as Joe Quinn was penalised for playing away the ball with his outstretched leg. However there weren't any Laois forwards in close proximity, never mind one attempting to pick up the ball, to make it worthy of a free.

The O’Byrne Cup is hardly the most important of competitions, but there are still lessons to be learned for Offaly. Missed chances from frees, the failure to successfully transfer possession from the backs to forwards and a loss of intensity after being 7 points ahead were probably the biggest factors in the defeat.

Too many balls were kicked hopefully from Offaly's half towards the half forward line of Reynolds, Connor and McNamee. Very little made it's way to the Offaly full forward line - Even less of it arrived there with any great precision. Offaly's lack of support to the man of possession meant a lot of this early kicking into the forwards. Whereas Laois, still demonstrated the O'Dwyer traits of working the ball out of defence by handpassing and gaining better field position before delivering the ball into the forwards.
The issue here might be that Offaly's lack of physique inhibits the ability to hold possession. Also given the time of year and the pre match training session that Offaly had, a lack of stamina might have mitigated against the high intensity running required to carry possession.

The lack of size in Offaly's forwards was also an inhibiting factor. PJ Ward was introduced and again showed he can field high deliveries. However his introduction was at the expense of Neville Coughlan, who was having an excellent game before getting injured. Bringing him off still left Offaly with no nett gain in the physical stakes.

The recurring free taking problem reared its head again. Niall McNamee missed a number of frees, some of them very scoreable. Ken Casey who showed a lot of promise last week, wasn't given any to take. Perhaps management are not giving them to Casey, on the premise that he won't be a definite championship starter. However Niall McNamee is not a specialist free taker. A few months of intensive practice between now and championship may improve his strike rate. However it may not and Offaly need to give serious thought to an alternative.

Padraic Kelly
Nigel Grennan
Joe Quinn
James Keane
Sean Casey
Aidan Keenaghan
Thomas Coughlan
Kieran Hogan
Ciaran McManus
Rory Connor
Niall McNamee
John Reynolds
Thomas Deehan
Neville Coughlan
Ken Casey

Subs
Scott Brady for Kieran Hogan
PJ Ward for Neville Coughlan
Karol Slattery for Sean Casey

It's been done to death here, but surely someone can tell Pat Roe that the following is just a non-runner.

At the start, Niall McNamee at centre forward was using his vision and accuracy to great effect. The best example of this was a quick free he took out of his hands that was pin pointed to Thomas Deehan who had stolen enough yards to catch and slot over the bar. As the game went on McNamee was forced further away from goal. He was crowded more and the quality of ball that was heading in his direction deteriorated. He could be a useful playmaker for Offaly, however the risk of him being kept under wraps is perhaps too great to risk taking him the full forward line.

And ...

Niall McNamee missed a number of frees, some of them very scoreable. Ken Casey who showed a lot of promise last week, wasn't given any to take. Perhaps management are not giving them to Casey, on the premise that he won't be a definite championship starter. However Niall McNamee is not a specialist free taker. A few months of intensive practice between now and championship may improve his strike rate.

To be fair to Pat Roe, he's not familiar with Offaly football, and he won't have seen how badly these two things have gone wrong for us in the past. In saying that, this is really where his selectors should step up and point out that come the summer, we'll only be playing Niall in the corner and nowhere else. I'm struggling to think of a centre forward in the country who contributes heavily to the scoring on their team, and Niall is a scorer, pure and simple.

Cheers for the rundown BnaM. A few other things...

(1) Casey at wing back strikes me as very odd. Surely Keenaghan would have been a lot better there, with Casey in the centre? Either way with Sullivan and Slattery to come back in, there are a lot of possibilities in that line.

(2) We seem to be suffering again from the problem in the Fahy era - too many pickable inside forwards as opposed to half forwards, so rather than
drop the ones who don't make the cut, we're playing guys in the half forward line who just aren't foragers. That line was seriously short on scrappers yesterday, and a team without a fielding presence can't afford that.

(3) Thomas Coughlan was a player I thought didn't really progress in 2006 from his good form the previous year - I'm surprised he's getting as many chances - how's he doing?

(4) I reacted to Scott Brady's selection that far forward with a seriously raised eyebrow, but it seems to me now that he's after putting in a few decent displays there. Is it time to maybe think about it as a permanent role for him?

The O'Byrne cup is there for a manager like Roe to come in a see lads in a semi competitive game and get a reading on how they'd fit in. I have no problem with him trying lads in different posotions etc. and even though we hadn't thought Niall would work Center Forward it's worth him having another go as he's still developing physically so maybe he'd work out maybe not.
I'm happy that they did this well with a lot of new faces and lads in different positions. Now they can put the head down for a few weeks of hard training and come out mad to go for the league. I know it's "only the league" but very important that we go back up. One thing that I was disapointed with yeaterday was the few subs we had. I know that Rhode were away etc. but it's still mid January and there should be a few more lads in the training squad that maybe would work out.

Any point trying Slatts on the half forward line as we have a number of options in the half back line that could cover?

I don't think it's a surprise at all that Scott Brady is being picked around the half-forward line. I think he could be the third midfielder this year. He had a good year for Clara in the middle and had a huge County final, which I'm sure Pat Roe attended. Although he's a little bit short on height, he's got everything else that's needed for the heavy traffic.
I have to agree with you regarding Thomas Coughlan though - I didn't think he built upon his early promise last year.
Finally, perhaps trying Slattery in the half-forward line is an option, although I don't think I've ever seen him in that role? However, don't expect too much. It's amazing how good/great half-backs fail to impress in the half-forward line when they're facing the wrong way receiving the ball. Graham Geraghty is one of the few successful transitions that spring to mind.

Agree with Magpie regarding switching Karl to the forward line. It's a completely different game and when he was picked there for Gracefield against Shamrocks in the championship last year things didn't work out for him. Having said that it is an option to try out because he is fit enough to collect balls around the half back/midfield area and cut through a defence with great effectiveness which can draw fouls close to goals. Has been known to score one or two also.

One thing Offaly aren't short of are options on the half back line:
Shane Sullivan and Karol Slattery are ones you'd pencil in as starters.
After that pick from:
Eoghan Byrne, Barry Mooney, Sean Casey, Aidan Keenaghan, James Keane and James Rafferty or possibly Thomas Coughlan and Paul McConway (if he's back on the panel?).
That's assuming Scott Brady is either midfield or half forward.

A full back line of Rafferty, Quinn and Grennan would, on the evidence seen so far be a solid unit. Though it's a little early to start putting necks on blocks, I think the traditional worries about the full back line have eased a little. With Sean Casey, Barry Mooney, Shane Sullivan and possibly Conor Evans available to cover, I don't think we are as badly off as previous years.

While no one would suggest Offaly are packed with stars, what is significant is that there are more viable options on the bench than we've seen in a long time. 5 or 6 years ago, picking a 2nd string Offaly side meant a seriously weakened selection. Now in most positions we have players on the bench who are almost as capable as the ones on the pitch.

The half forward line certainly needs muscle. Moving Brady here has worked well so far. He can also help out at midfield. I'm not sure about putting Karol Slattery at wing forward. I think it might be very frustrating for him if he has wait for the ball to be passed to him, while a back is pulling the jersey off him. As mentioned, receiving the ball with your back to the opposition goal is a totally different scenario.

Any word on Evans coming back at all? Thought he was back in the from oz?

BNM Man has got me thinking...Perhaps the full-back line is not nailed as it might seem after all. The healthy competetion in the half-back line could very easily see Barry Mooney moved back into a corner, where he can certainly be effective.
With regard to the half-back line, there's no argument about Slattery - unless he's injured or suspended, he's a certain starter. I'm still not sold on Shane Sullivan, though he is a good athlete and very tough. I'm sure he'll prove me wrong and take ownership of the number 6 jersey
It won't surprise me if the remaining wing-back slot is occupied by Eoghan Byrne. Off the back of a good club championship and a good start to the inter-county year, he appears to be the man in form.

I think we've had a similar exercise for the hurlers, so why not try to name your starting 15 for the footballers, with a nice little comment as well

1. P. Kelly - Being pushed very hard by K Meehan, but still No. 1
2. B Mooney - More mobile than either of the Raffertys
3. J Quinn - Stand-out candidate at the moment
4. N Grennan - So solid last year...owns this jersey
5. E Byrne - A rising star at the moment - full of confidence
6. S Sullivan - It'll take bigger boots than Mattie's to keep him down
7. K Slattery - Possibly the second name on the team sheet
8. A McNamee - If only for his telepathy powers!
9. N Coughlin - Massive Athlete, square-to-square man
10. S Brady - Possibly the best solution for 3rd Midfielder
11. C McManus - Will be effective if he's controlled
12. J Reynolds - Up against it, but still plugging away
13. T Deehan - More potential than he showed last year
14. P Kellaghan - Will play out the field somewhere I'm sure
15. N McNamee - No intro needed - 1st name on the team sheet

sorry have to disagree barry mooney will be lucky to make the team ger rafferty was one of our most consistent perfrpmers last year.barry mooney hasent played that much football in the last year because of injury.. is he training with offaly at the moment???? and sorry again john reynolds plugging away the man wouldnt know the meaning of plugging away he is not up to intercouny football and it is plain for everybody to see. i also thouight paul mcconway had a good start to his intercouny career and will push hard again this year for a starting spot. he was not available for o byrne cup as he played with ucd. think joe quinn looks a very good footballer hopefully he can continue his good start. centre back is a problem maybe shane sullivan is the answer but i reckon the jury is out. but our achilles heel this year and for the next couple of years is our midfield with no clear candidates to partner ncnamee so i suppose n coughlan with scott brady on the haLF forward is the most likely solution this year

Two comments:

1) You're right about Barry Mooney not playing much football and so on, but the fact is, he's been back playing since last August, and knowing Barry Mooney, that's long enough for him to get back to the very high level of fitness that he boasts. And lets face it, a very big part of his game is based around having a great engine.
Not taking from Ger Rafferty, who did have a good year, but I think Barry Mooney is quicker and has more of an edge.

2) With regard to John Reynolds, it's not easy to find other candidates to fill the wing-forward role. If the middle of the field was stronger, I wouldn't name Reynolds in the half-forward line. As for him not being an inter-county footballer and how obvious it may seem to all, I believe (but could be wrong) that he's now played under three different Offaly managers.

More comments welcome....and add your first 15 also

this is my first 15.

meehan

mconway quinn grennan

byrne g.rafferty slattery

mcnamee brady keane

n.coughlan mcmanus kelleghan

deehan mcnamee

has padraig bracken been dropped from the panel?

I knew well the Rat wouldn't be far away when the naming teams was going on!!

Anyway, regarding the main talking points of the thread, Barry Mooney is a fine footballer and has proved this many times - if he is fully fit again, and Roe and his selectors will know this, then he definitely comes into contention - however I saw a full back line there of Nigel Grennan, Barry Mooney and Joe Quinn - I'm sorry, but an all singing all dancing all attacking full back line is not something I want to see. Grennan gets away with it back there because he's fast enough to do so, while Quinn is a handy all round footballer, albeit without the aggression I'd like to see in a full back. But Mooney back there is a bridge too far.

And as for Reynolds, well I agree that it's not easy to find wing forwards - however why does this always mean that we end up putting corner forwards there? Reynolds is unlucky in that he is a decent inside forward, one who would be good enough to get on many Offaly teams as a corner man in the last ten years, but in the modern intercounty game, he's too easily swatted aside for a man who has to defend a lot.

My team then, for the purposes of argument.

1 Meehan - deserves a run, Kelly is still as prone to mistakes as ever

2 Rafferty - Solid, and first and foremost, a defender.
3 Quinn holds, but if Evans was back he's still the one I'd want there. Big if though.
4 Grennan - His pace back there is a huge asset.
5 McConway had a good year last year and deserves to be the man in possession, but with Mooney and Byrne in the wings, I doubt he'll get to keep the slot.
6 Sullivan - solid tackling and aggressive scrounging for loose ball, ideal for the centre. Was built for this role.
7 Slattery - still our best player to my mind, give him the job he likes.
8 Keane - I liked some of his displays here for Tullamore. His defensive instincts would be no bad thing either.
9 McNamee - A good second, ball playing midfielder.
10 Brady - This seems to be working, though for the life of me I can't figure out why.
11 McManus - Seems to be his best position now.
12 Keenaghan - With one defensive and one all round half forward, plus Neville in the full line, I think somebody able to attack from here with real pace would balance it up nicely. Call it Ferbane bias, but this would be my choice. Not expecting anyone to agree though!
13 Deehan - what we have we hold
14 Neville Coughlan - Seems to be doing well at the foraging, dropping deep, and can still attack if he needs to.
15 Niall - No debate here.

More feline activity among the pigeon gathering.

i reckon you have the blend just right ls but have my doubts about shane sullivan at centre back hopefully i will be proved wrong. james keane deserves a chance to prove himself at midfield he is not a corner back never has been so maybe a few games during the league to try him out. i defo agree with kevin meehan p kelly has been the comfort zone for too too long and every year he makes a blunder or two and always coming flapping for the ball when he does not need to. as for john reynolds i dont think he is even an option for the inside line i dont rate him at all (its just my opinion). p mcconway will come under pressure from e byrne but not barry mooney i asked before is he training with offaly at the moment

Ok....it's Ferbane bias

Aidan Keenaghan - Is he a relation of the once great, but injury plagued Mel?

Also LS, you've picked a team without Barry Mooney and Pascal Kelleghan? I could acknowledge that one of them might not make the cut, but not both.