Offaly Hurling team vs. Wastemeath

Rynaghs Biffo · Post by **Rynaghs Biffo** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:09 pm

Offaly Senior hurling manager John McIntyrne has named his side to face Westmeath in the Walsh Cup in Mullingar on Sunday (throw-in 2pm).

Birr’s Rory Hanniffy will be playing his first competitive match as team captain, after taking over from Ballyskenach’s Brendan Murphy.

Hannify, who has been selected to play at centre forward against the Lake County, will have plenty of help from new joint vice-captains David Franks (left corner back) and Kevin Brady (centre back).

Ray Murray, a new face this year, has been given a chance in nets with last year’s championship shot-stopper Shane O’Connor dropped from the panel.

Elsewhere, Cathal Parlon has been selected at right corner forward and Eddie Bevans at left wing forward following their respective recalls to the Faithful County fold.

SH v Westmeath: R Murray; C Hernon, P Cleary, D Franks; C Horan, K Brady, D Kenny; B Teehan, D Hoctor; D Molloy, R Hanniffy (capt), E Bevans; C Parlon, J Bergin, A Egan.

Hyper · Post by **Hyper** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:25 am

I see on this morning's paper that Brian Mullins missed a challenge game and has been dropped from the panel whilst Dylan Hayden's withdrawl is said to be from a lack of appetite - things don't look rosy in the camp.

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:56 pm

At the recent cull of the panel, I was a little surprised that Breeder made the cut.
He was dropped for the Clare qualifier game last year for a similar no-show at training that week.
That's why a little disappointed that Shane O'Connor didn't make the panel, as he represents a better long term prospect.

With Dylan Hayden, you could understand why he might be feeling burnt out. He was playing a minor All Ireland semi final in 2000 having just turned 15 and has been playing for club and county teams at all grades since then. In Offaly we always run the risk of burning out players by pushing them very early. Barry Malone was a senior county player at 17 and his inter-county career effectively ended 4 years later when he took a break and went abroad.
Ronan Mooney (like Malone) was playing for the county while he was doing his Leaving Cert and again more or less packed in county football in his mid 20s.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:36 pm

I know it's only a Westmeath game, so in that sense it won't tell us much about the respective players, but in saying that there are a few players there that I've been looking forward to seeing in those kind of positions, it'll be interesting to see how they do with a steady run there.

Cathal Horan is the main one - he has the shaping of being a real decent player, right now I'd expect more out of him in the long term than I would out of Diarmuid. David Kenny I'm surprised to seee at wing back, but I'm certainly glad to see him get a run, ditto Barry Teehan further out the field where he might be able to hurl as opposed to just worry about the man he's marking.

Finally Derek Mollow has always shaped like a lad who had it in him if he was well motivated and directed. If that is happening, he'd have real potential too.

As for the Mullins/Hayden issue, complete agreement with BnaM man on both counts. I only hope we're not saying the same about Joe Bergin or more likely, Paul Cleary in a few years.

Rynaghs Biffo · Post by **Rynaghs Biffo** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:32 pm

Its tough on Hayden, especially coming from a club like Birr, playing under 21 club and county throughout practically the whole 12 months of the year, and occasionally fitting in a football match here and there. But in saying that, I find it hard that he "lost" his appetite. Surely a young fella like him would have huge hunger to play for his county. Something tells me that he'll be back before the championship.

As for Breeder, no harm. There was always reports of him not giving 100% in training and he never came across as a commited player.

I wonder will this leave an opening for Shane O'Connor? Who I'd prefer to be wearing the No.1 jersey.

borderfox · Post by **borderfox** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:02 pm

so then offaly would have the coolderry goalie and 1 of their forwards as offalys 2 goalies? its a kick in the teeth for all the other goalies in offaly.
hayden would be a huge loss ask any back in the offaly championship wat forwards they wouldnt like to mark and among them would be hayden(probably along with carroll and possibly bergin i.e high ball), maybe the break will do him good and he`l be back hungrier

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:40 am

Handy enough win for Offaly yesterday.
Was anyone at it who could give us a summary of the game?

From the Indo:

Bergin on the double as Faithful march on

Offaly 2-22

Westmeath 1-7

POWERFUL Offaly full forward Joe Bergin turned in a dynamic performance to blow Westmeath's Walsh Cup hopes out of the water at Cusack Park yesterday.

Both teams bore somewhat experimental looks with Westmeath forced to make one late change due to the absence of Andrew Mitchell.

His place was taken by Vincent Bateman with Gary Hanniffy also being drafted in to the Offaly line-up, in place of Daniel Hoctor.

Despite being denied by two brilliant stops from Westmeath 'keeper Pat Burke, Bergin twice exposed a porous Westmeath defence in the opening half to fire home goals.

His first came after just 17 minutes and the second green flag came on the stroke of half-time and sent the Faithful in with an eight-point advantage, 2-8 to 0-6.

With wind advantage on the change of ends, Offaly were never in any real danger and although Barry Kennedy briefly raised Westmeath's hopes with a sweetly struck goal 13 minutes into the second period Offaly picked off a further twelve unanswered points before the finish.

SCORERS - Offaly: J Bergin 2-8, R Hanniffy 0-6, E Bevans 0-5, A Egan 0-2, C Parlon 0-1. Westmeath: J Shaw 0-4, B Kennedy 1-0, V Bateman 0-2, J McGuinness 0-1.

OFFALY - R Murray; C Hernon, P Cleary, D Franks; C Horan, K Brady, D Kenny; B Teehan, G Hannify; D Molloy, R Hanniffy, E Bevans; C Parlon, J Bergin, A Egan. Subs: J Rigney for Kenny, B O'Meara for Cleary, M Verney for Franks, G Oakley for Teehan, K Kelly for Egan.

WESTMEATH - P Burke; C Jordan, D Curley, N Gavin; A Price, D McCormack, B Connaughton; P Dowdall, J Shaw; J McGuinness, V Bateman, R Jackson; B Kennedy, D Carty, D McNicholas. Subs: E Loughlin for Connaughton, S Egan for Jackson, N Kilcoyne for Price, N Williams for McNicholas.

REF - A Stapleton (Laois)

Bogman · Post by **Bogman** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:13 am

Westmeath had an under-strength team out, further weakened by the tragic drowning incident in which Andrew Mitchell (who was originally picked on the team) was one of the lads clinging onto the overturned boat.

That puts it all in perspective but the game did give Offaly some encouragement.

One player who made a huge impression on me was Eddie Bevans. He scored 5 good points from play and had assists for other scores. He could have had more, put 2 or 3 into the goalies hands, but overall he proved a handful for the Westmeath defence.

He had a way of getting a touch on the ball in flight to deflect it past his man and then he was away running between the half forward and full forward lines. The ball seemed to be always under control even though he was typically juggling it forward with one hand on the hurl. He looked like a real find but of course he'll have different opposition against Kilkenny.

Bergin could have had a lot more scores also, missed a lot of frees. But as we all know he is a player of huge potential and that was plain for all to see.

Cathal Horan and Conor Hernon were sound. Barry Teehan shaped well at midfield, linking up play well and showing good vision. I don't think John McIntyre was there.