Big schools weekend in prospect.

[Lone Shark]

The two vocational schools finals this weekend, with Rynaghs playing Johnstown in Birr (Neutral?? ) @ 1pm Saturday, and our lads (Gallen CS) playing against Ballymahon in Athlone on Sunday, same time.

I don't know a lot about the hurling, except to say that Rynagh's have been very good so far this year, but they'll really be something special if they have enough to beat a school with the pick and hurling ethos of Johnstown.

As for our fellas, I'm struggling to be optimistic. Ballymahon in the form they are would have been a challenge at the best of times, but with time being divided between football and rugby training, and Aidan Egan breaking his collarbone, it's hard to see it happening. He's a huge loss in particular, because they're a bit short on solid full back line players, and for a lad in school that fella is one rock of a player.

Equally they'll need all the three lads up front to pull together and work together well - something which hasn't really be happening as a matter of course. But there is the football in them, and Flannery and Rafferty at midfield should certainly give enough good ball in to give them the chances anyway. They certainly have a great chance, but betting wise I'd say you're 1/2 Ballymahon. We'll see when we get there anyway.

On the negative side it eliminates all possibility of getting to Mullingar - which is a pity. Because even if it was as pointless as Water Polo, watching us whup Westmeath is always fun.

[Lone Shark]

Not much I can say about Rynagh's, but a great weekend for Ferbane! (and district )

For those who didn't hear the score, it was Gallen 2-9, Ballymahon 1-9. I have to say I thought it was a thoroughly deserved win, for the backs in particular who were absolutely magnificent.

They started the game into a reasonably strong wind, and although they conceded the first score, they always looked lively if profligate, having missed three chances before registering a score. They were playing the better football though, and with HT nigh, were level @ 0-4 apiece. At this stage you would have fancied them strongly with the wind to come, but a dodgy line ball decision led to a high ball into the box that was fumbled and bounced into the path of the B'Mahon no 12 who duly goaled.

Their good form continued into the second half though, and their attitude was spot on. 4 of the forwards were in Ferbane's U-16 championship side last year, and the familiarity showed as these lads were linking up well and showing up their more illustrious counterparts, Deeley and Boland. (You wouldn't say either of the two lads played badly, but you wouldn't say they played well either, and Deeley could easily have walked for excessive mouthing at the ref at one stage). Daly and Fleming (I think) got the two goals, and after the second one the only danger was Ferbane sitting on their lead and letting Ballymahon come at them - which they duly did. Rafferty was being doubled up on in midfield and couldn't win a clean ball, but Gallen's man over was of little benefit now. Gerry Grehan had been made look like an absolute legend in the first half, when he was the free corner back, and Ballymahon were hitting long hopeful ball in - his reading of the game meant that he mopped up everything and looked like a superstar. In the second half when the Longford lads won possession around midfield they ran at Gallen, and as such rendered Gerry a lot less effective. They started to pick off scores, and the danger was that the goal would come when it would be too late for Gallen to respond. To be fair to them though, the goal never actually even came close to materialising, and after getting back to two, another fine point from Dermot Daly finished it.

They'll be absolutely to the pin of their collar in the AI semi (I think they play an Armagh team next), but with the shock in the other semi - Achill beat Kanturk yesterday - suddenly this has kind of opened up a little for them. They'll need Boland and Deeley back to form, and equally Shane Flannery in midfield wasn't playing at even 50% of his potential, but from here on anything is a bonus, and you'd hope the freedom they'll be able to play with now should get results for them.

[mykneehurts]

Congratulations to the Gallen lads. They just about did enough but if last year is anything to go by a vast improvement is neccessary if they are to challenge for the bigger prize.

As for the football-rugby thing I don't think it is applicable to Gallen because only five of the starting players on the football team are starters on the rugby team. I played both sports for my six years in school and I played on a few other teams as well and if anything I think it improves a player's fitness levels throughout the year. The only problem that arises is when a manager tries to make a player choose one sport over another. Anyway, I would just like to wish Gallen the best of luck against Sligo on Thursday. It will be a tough one. I wonder who are favourites for that match Hopefully we can have a repeat of last year.

[Bord na Mona man]

A good win. It would be a good boost for Offaly football if they could emulate Clara's achievements and capture an All Ireland.

Why is it called "Gallen CS" btw?
I though all the various schools, reformatories and boot camps that amalgamated were in Ferbane?

[Lone Shark]

Tis true about them needing to pick it up a bit more from now on, but with that said, Munster have been the dominant province in this for years, and with Kanturk beaten and Ballygawley knocked out of Ulster you do get the feeling it is now or never.

At the risk of inflating certain heads (:D ) there isn't anything like the cutting edge up front this year that there was last year, but that being said, the defence is very solid and works very well together, and not every team will be well enough prepared to know to double team Raff in the middle. You would hope that they won't be relying on the largely transition year attack the next day either.

Regarding the rugby it's hard to fancy them, much and all as you would respect what they've done this year and last. Sligo have eaten all before them alive so far, and while they haven't beaten anyone of the calibre of Garbally as our boys have, they've just as many Connacht reps and you'd suspect they wouldn't have the same weaknesses out on the wings as our lads would. That's not to knock the two boys playing there, but again, transition years playing in a big lads' game. If it was in Ferbane/Athlone you'd make it very close to call, but up in Sligo you'd have to give the edge to the Grammar buachaills.

But then I fancied Ballymahon as well, and certainly when you're winning in any sport it'll feed the confidence in the other.

Regarding the two sports clashing, the only reason I feel that it's not ideal is because with the big games for both coming so closely together, teams don't get a chance to work out as a unit as often as they'd like. Fitness is not really an issue for these fellas (Scary when I hear of schoolkids benching 90 and 100kgs ) but fluidity and working together might be.

[Lone Shark]

I think it's just a little bit easier to sell Gallen CS to the environs than Ferbane CS! Certainly when Banagher amalgamate they'll compete for the hearts and souls of Cloghan and the Bridge, so I think the idea is that this is more of a "Community" school than a school located in a big town that country lads commute to.

Interesting twist, saying emulating Clara would be good for Offaly. It's a novel approach, I'll give you that .....

[Bord na Mona man]

I think it's just a little bit easier to spell Gallen CS to the environs than Ferbane CS!

[Lone Shark]

The rugby dream died anyway yesterday!

16-6 to the Grammar. I wasn't there, but apparently Gallen had a lot of ball, but never really looked like penetrating. A good show from the forwards, good lineout, but much like the football, struggling to replace the flash strike runners that they had last year. (we'll be nice since your knee is sore!! )

It seems I was mistaken with that AI semi in the Vocational schools as well - Aertel had it up as AI VS semi final, but it must have been B or something, because the Connacht Final was on this wednesday, with Belmullet beating some crowd called Inrem. (:?: ) So a tough track ahead still beckons after all....

[mykneehurts]

Thanks for the compliment Lone Shark but last year could hardly have been my best year in either code but cheers anyway .

The rugby match was a depressing affair . There were too many unforced errors but now there is no excuse for a lack of enthusiasm in the football. The likes of Gilligan, Rafferty and Grehan in particular don't have the added burden of trying to lead by example on two teams.

I think the attitude is right for a more realistic chance of All-Ireland glory than this time last year. Anyone who saw the lack of celebration by the players when they beat Ballymahon should be of the opinion that this team wants more than just another Leinster medal (believe it or not some of the present team have now won five Leinster titles in their secondary school football careers)

I was talking to one of the lads the other day and he said that as much of an honour as it was to win a Leinster final he was fed up of only going that far and he wanted more. If the rest of the team are of the same opinion they might just make us proud.

[mykneehurts]

Thanks for the compliment Lone Shark but last year could hardly have been my best year in either code but cheers anyway .

The rugby match was a depressing affair . There were too many unforced errors but now there is no excuse for a lack of enthusiasm in the football. The likes of Gilligan, Rafferty and Grehan in particular don't have the added burden of trying to lead by example on two teams.

I think the attitude is right for a more realistic chance of All-Ireland glory than this time last year. Anyone who saw the lack of celebration by the players when they beat Ballymahon should be of the opinion that this team wants more than just another Leinster medal (believe it or not some of the present team have now won five Leinster titles in their secondary school football careers)

I was talking to one of the lads the other day and he said that as much of an honour as it was to win a Leinster final he was fed up of only going that far and he wanted more. If the rest of the team are of the same opinion they might just make us proud.

[Lone Shark]

I'd love to believe it, but it's just that the Munster and Ulster schools have been dominant in this grade for a while now, and much and all as they might want it, there's still not a lot you can do when you're up against sides laden with intercounty players.

The truth is that the Offaly Minor football team of 2005 looks like being distinctly ordinary, and only Gerry Grehan is likely to feature out of this team. Granted Raff is another class above again, but in general there's too much reliance on lads that are 15 or 16 years of age. (Dermot Daly, Colin Egan, Gary Rigney, Johnny Fleming, Oisín Kenny etc.) Equally the absence of a real blue chip forward to me has to tell - and Paul Deeley proved the last day that he's just not right in the head to be depended on. As for Matthew Boland, you certainly wouldn't have picked him out as a lad that made a cameo in a county quarter final during the summer.

When you think about what it takes in this grade - 7 or 8 out of that Bandon team last year went on to feature in a good Cork minor team, it just shows you what you're up against.

All that said, I'll be at the semi shouting loudly for them, and once the ball is thrown in I'll believe it's possible. It's just hard to see it happening in the cold hard light of day.

[mykneehurts]

I think the biggest problem for the team is that the forwards that didn't perform the last day need to stop thinking about who is looking at them and start concentrating on playing football.

The younger lads performed the last day because there were no headlines congratulating them when Saran's coasted through the first few games.

Hopefully the players I mentioned earlier can have a good influence on these players and it has to be remembered that 90% of this game is half mental.

[Lone Shark]

I think 90% of that forward line is half mental. That's 43% of the problem.