Enjoy...
It wasn’t always like this. Inferiority that is. Underdogs in our own backyard. Overshadowed by our neighbours at underage level throughout most of the 90’s proud biffos everywhere have had to kneel to a new, frustrating and above all annoying rival since the dawn of the 21st century. The Lake County. Wastemeath. Fellow midlanders. Disregard geography, commandment and basic morals. We will just never be friends.
For some it’s worse than others. Clara, Rhode, Ballycumber will all feel it more than most and none more so than the tiny Offaly outpost of Tubber. Losing is not an option-let alone acceptable. Ridicule for weeks is guaranteed. Hate is a great motivator. Whether it’s obsession or passion Ciaran Mcmanus will feel it more than most...
To be honest I can’t wait. The seventh of June. An old-school ambush or Westmeath’s right of passage?. Hard to tell. Hard to digest. Football followers across the country will tip Westmeath. And rightly so. 2004 Leinster champions. 3 time All-Ireland quarter finalists in the last eight years. 2008 Division 2 victors. 1999 All-Ireland U-21 winners. The stats don’t lie. Tradition toppled. New destinies forged. Best of luck and all that...
Not to mention that defence. As charitable as a Mugabe led dictatorship. Stingy. Watertight. Whatever, they don’t concede. Whatever Mcnamee gets he’ll earn. Firstly there is Keane. Rosemounts pride and enjoy. An exquisite corner back. Ably assisted by the new kids on the block; Gavin and Boyle. Unsung and unheralded, great players all the same.
In the half back line they have it good. Damian Healy and Michael Ennis. Neither grace their own senior championship. Pity for the bachelors. Their final piece in the defensive jigsaw is Derek Heavin. Tough and tenacious and as wily as they get.
In a straight fight midfield would be theirs. Tyrellspass’s resurgence has been Westmeaths gain. Martin Flanagan will bring strength, guile, experience and above all a lethal right boot. O’ Donoghue will tackle and run for the two.
After that Westmeath get light-headed and dizzy. For Smith, Harte and Wilson read middling, solid and average. Whilst Dessie will need his fitness to be improved upon if that swagger is to be seen again. Mangan performs at a level that he is uncomfortable with. Dennis Glennon will have to be watched. Blessed with pace and composure Glennon will highlight any pace deficiencies in our backline. Good for a goal he will have to be stopped at all costs.
Offaly are sneaking nicely into this match. And sneaking is the word. Labelled with the Division 4 moniker and hit with a raft of withdrawals to the outside world we have no chance. To those in the know though- we will be close. Victories over Mayo and Derry has stirred optimism. Likewise Offaly will not roll over in O’ Connor Park and competiveness is forecast with showers of ferocious hits and a deluge of unsentimental off the ball skulduggery. Just how I like it.
I’m not Pat Roe. Thank God!. I don’t pick the team but here is my perspective. Let Rafferty pick up Dolan. He is not the player of old. Allow Slattery to roam in the half backline. Richard Fox must man centre back. At six foot two inches he has the presence to cut out the dangerous ball going into Glennon and give a physical and unsettling presence to the centre. Smyth will be let roam which will be a necessary evil. This will take the pressure off Sullivan who one on one would be hopelessly out matched by Glennon. My two half backs would be Keane and Slattery. James K adds that bit of class that McConway and Grennan do not have. Don’t shoot the messenger. Brian Darby should play the other corner. Smart and tigerish he plays a high octane game and is capable of swallowing up Mangan or Buddha as they call him!. Do not worship false Gods.
Midfield is an easy choice. McManus is a certainty. His workrate is essential. He should be partnered by Smith. Watching him develop has been exciting. Jimmy Grennans ghost hopefully put to rest.
Now I will get controversial. Paschal is a magnet for vitriol. For me though he is a given. A gifted distributor his job will be to win the breaks and supply the two man full forward line. He will also bring experience and a level head. Just kidding. Stay out of the black book son. We need you. He must be flanked by David Egan and James Coughlan. Egan like all true blues will be unafraid of the physicality and will not be frightened by hard work. Coughlan is used to grappling for ball for his club and on his day is a frighteningly talented player. I would start him. Our full forward line picks itself Deehan and McNamee can do the damage if given the right ball. I do not need any superlatives to describe the duo.
Here is the wild card. The full forward jersey should be given to Jason Kelly of Shannonbridge. I judge ability on my two eyes. He broke my heart in 2006 running riot in Mucklagh and has the engine, confidence and craft to succeed at this level. I don’t hold a grudge. His job would be to help our ailing midfield and crucially track Damien Healy and Michael Ennis’s runs forward. He will probably only be a used sub though. Sorry for the hot hair.
I can’t predict a winner but I expect dour defensive football. Frightening hits and ferocious intensity. Unrecognisable midfield traffic. A large crowd especially from our northern enemies. A one or two point victory would then be all the sweeter...
... Though led out by Rafferty, McManus will be the spiritual leader of this side. Our national claim to fame. Our talisman. In essence he owes Offaly nothing. A Leinster under 21 medal in 1995, Leinster senior in 1997, two intermediate medals in the cupboard. This is the obvious. Almost single handedly training a collection of mediocre young lads to take on the key positions on a now competitive senior team. Travelling from Germany for National League games. Legendary stories of inspirational personal training regimes. He bleeds green white and gold and adores his football. Now in the winter of his career he can’t last forever. 60,000 of us will be cheering you on. 7,000 will be there. Praying. Begging. Hoping. You deserve this win.
For the 300 senior club players waiting for the county to be taken care of!.
For their Intermediate, Junior A, B and C counterparts.
For fallen natives and For past heroes.
For emigrated comrades. For your village.
Above all though man For yourself...
Offaly Team for Westmeath match as picked by Silken T...
Padraig Kelly
Brian Darby Shane Sullivan Ger Rafferty
James Keane Richard Fox Karol Slattery
Ciarán McManus Niall Smith
Jason Kelly
James Coughlan Paschal Kelleghan David Egan
Thomas Deehan Niall McNamee
. This would happen no matter what the opposition and is deep rooted in my mind along with many others. In a way I am glad to see
doing well and coming to Tullamore all cocky and sure of a win as it will make it all the sweeter to see
