County senior football championship

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Lone Shark
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by Lone Shark »

I think of all the hurlers currently playing with Offaly, Shane Dooley is one of the last who could have his head turned by the big ball. He's clearly worked extremely hard on getting to a level where he's arguably one of the best six forwards in Ireland - why would he risk all that by turning around and suddenly having a fight on his hands to become one of the best six forwards in Offaly? After all, he looks good at club level but he's the main scoring forward in a team with no scoring forwards, but a team that has a good back line and tends to give good ball into their inside line. While he's a good footballer and if he didn't hurl I'd be delighted to see him given a chance, but my gut feeling is that he's no better than James Coughlan, Nigel Dunne, Alan Lynam or Rory Guinan, none of whom are able to quite break into the county forward line.

Now having said that, there would be a couple of fringe panellists on the hurling squad who I think could make a serious contribution to the footballers, guys who I suspect won't be starting for the county hurlers next year, but that's another story.

Regarding Tullamore generally, I wouldn't rule them out either but I think they could only win it if somebody else beat's Rhode for them. If that happens, then it's wide open, but I think that Tullamore would struggle too much in the kind of open, shapeless game that would be a Rhode-Tullamore championship match.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

TRUEGAEL
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by TRUEGAEL »

well done to edenderry seniors staying up senior good to have the 2nd biggest town in offaly up inthe premier championship

Long John
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by Long John »

Have to agree with Lone shark. Dooley is no better than alot of footballers who cant make the starting line up for Offaly as it is. Yes of course hes not a bad ball player but hes limited enough I think all the same. He was roasted against Shamrocks by Michael Stanbrook, Ive seen him play against Rhode a couple of times and he was non existent, had a good game against Ferbane this year and a decent game against a poor WI team at the weekend with plenty of good quality ball going in but did some silly things aswell. I would definately rate PJ Ward, William Mulhall, Alan Lynam, Aidan Keenaghan, Tom Deehan and James Coughlan well ahead of him.

blue+yellow
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by blue+yellow »

have to totally disagree iv marked shane dooley and all these players PJ Ward, William Mulhall, Alan Lynam, Aidan Keenaghan, Tom Deehan and James Coughlan and shane dooley was hardest to mark. id have him on my team ahead of any of them

kinnittyman
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by kinnittyman »

Plain of the Herbs wrote:Shane Dooley is a big lad and is well able to make up his own mind on these matters. I'm sure he's well aware how difficult it would be to combine hurling and football at inter-county level. Hands off, footballers. I expect ye'll want Joseph Bergin next . . . then James Rigney . . . then someone else. Are there no footballers in the county any more?
black and red exile wrote:Bracknaghboy, there is more chance of Vinny Claffey coming back into football panel than Shane Dooley being brought on board if his dad gets another year with the hurlers, hell will freeze over if Joe Dooley lets Shane anywhere near the football panel.
Would you believe that James Rigney is probably a better footballer than hurler. And by all accounts he prefers football to hurling too. It's his misfortune to be from a club that's only Junior B at football I suppose, although they are making a good push at winning that this year. I actually find it gas that Kinnitty who have had not one football training all year can beat Erin Rovers and Daingean in the championship. And i'm not making that fact about the training up either.

As an aside-Do you think it would be possible for the Rhode Junior B hurlers to meet up for a match without training all year and beat a hurling clubs second team?

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bracknaghboy
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by bracknaghboy »

kinnittyman wrote:As an aside-Do you think it would be possible for the Rhode Junior B hurlers to meet up for a match without training all year and beat a hurling clubs second team?
In fairness I think it would be very difficult considering the club hasn't had a hurling team in 5-6 years :D To answer your question.....yes clubs from that end of Offaly did it before to 'hurling clubs'.

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Lone Shark
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by Lone Shark »

kinnittyman wrote: Would you believe that James Rigney is probably a better footballer than hurler. And by all accounts he prefers football to hurling too. It's his misfortune to be from a club that's only Junior B at football I suppose, although they are making a good push at winning that this year.
I've seen him play and he is a talented footballer without question, but to say he's a better footballer than hurler is stretching it to say the least. I'd consider him one of the best hurelrs in the county, whereas at football he's good and while he is the best footballer on the Kinnitty team, he didn't stand out the same way a good senior club player would at that grade, at least not in the two matches I saw.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

biffoabroad
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by biffoabroad »

There are 2 or 3 lads from Kilcormac who I think would be very strong candidates for the senior footballers after seeing them in the Junior this year, some of them were successful minor players not to long ago. It is a shame that dual players aren't accomodated better, I can't see why in terms of fitness and demands on the body why young fit men in their early 20s in particular can't play dual if they have the talent. I appreciate, time/work/college commitments may be more of a factor. I also think inflexibility amongst officials within clubs and county board doesn't help either.

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Offaly2010
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by Offaly2010 »

Rhode 1-15 - 2-7 Ferbane.

This game wasn't as easy for Rhode as most people would have thought. Ferbane played against the wind in the first half and went in leading by a point at half time.

Soon after half time, Ferbane took a 3 point point lead and the game looked like it could go either way but the Ferbane heads dropped after a Rhode goal and Rhode just drove it home from there.

And then there were four...

Rhode
Clara
Shamrocks
Tullamore

Will Rhode or Clara be beaten?
Can Shamrocks or Tullamore cause an upset?
Its getting exciting now lads!

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ditchhurler
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by ditchhurler »

Semi Final draw

Tullamore v Clara
Rhode v Shamrocks

black and red exile
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by black and red exile »

Some decisions went against Ferbane when the game was in the melting pot last night, the most blatent one was when Ciaran Kenny was blatently pushed in the square and how the ref who was perfectly positioned didn't spot it beggers belief but apart from that when Ferbane went 3 points clear early in the second half the worst thing happened when within a minute Rhode were level with a Roy Malone goal, after that the next score was vital and when Rhode got it you could sense that they were capable of pulling clear which is exactly what happened.
Well done Ferbane for giving it everything and giving Rhode plenty to think about for most of this game, who knows what would have happened if they had converted some of the point chances that went the wrong side of the post in the second half when they had Rhode on the ropes. Last night's game as well as the Tubber/Clara match proved that the so called big two are very beatable and a little voice in my head tells me that Tullamore could just be that team.

SearingDrive
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by SearingDrive »

Concrete. Have you hardened in your opinion that Tullamore can progress in the SFC?, (sorry about that bad joke)
Having seen Rhode and Clara struggle in their quarter finals recently, I think they are both beatable. Their respective backlines are shaky, and if opposing forwards take their chances, shock results could be in store.
Nice how Rhode and Clara were kept apart in the semi finals!

concrete
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by concrete »

having seen both clara and rhode games this myth that they were miles ahead of everyone else has gone. both backlines looked shakey. i think if tullamore can get good quick ball into their full forward line like they did in the first half against walsh island that their boys inside can cause serious trouble, sort of like the way clara will try get quick ball into their full forward line. i think the midfield battle will be crucial, whoever gets the edge here i think will win the game.

Long John
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by Long John »

Interesting battles ahead alright. Has to be said that Rhode and Clara were far from impressive in quarter finals. Clara should have been beaten without question if anything had gone right for Tubber. Rhode huffed and puffed their way through against Ferbane. They probably were still the better team but if a few breaks had gone Ferbanes way Rhode would be out of the championship.
Now to the semi's. Rhode v Shamrocks. Generally great games between these two. They drew last year in group stages and Rhode scored 2.4 in the last 10 minutes last year to run out comfortable winners in the semi. Having said that Shamrocks had blitzed them early but injuries forcing off Barry Mooney and Ronan Mooney resulted in major reshuffles which seemed to totally unsettle them. Rhode put huge effort into that game last year and it took it out of them for the final. Rhode dont seem any better this year than last year and although Shamrocks are missing players they are a little more committed this year and seem to have a bit more hunger than last year when they put in no effort. Still expect Rhode to win by a comfortable margin.
Clara v Tullamore. Well I said it earlier when they last met that I was hugely disappointed with the Super Blues. They put no effort into that game. A game that usually would have skin and hair flying. As some posters have said Midfield is crucial. Hogan did well for the Super Blues the last day and he will have to out shine Scotty if the they are to prevail. Ross Brady for me isnt a great footballer and was quiet poor against Tubber. If the super blues can expoit him they will have a right good chance. Reynolds and Deehan dont win 50/50 ball but they will score if given a good ball with loads of space. The Blues have to ensure that ball is slow in coming in. Tullamore have not impressed in any game I saw but they have a chance but will be underdogs against Clara.

Georgio1
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Re: County senior football championship

Post by Georgio1 »

Biffoabroad,The KK Lads were called onto the football panel and decined. Mahon might change his mind for 2011 as he got nowhere near the hurling team and ended up going to the states. So its a case of the players not being interested as opposed to the management. Gorman would not offer anything at either code at county level, and Currams could be an asset to the footballers. He will have to have a better 2011 in order to become a regular for the hurlers (suspension) aside, he has had a poor year.

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