Intermediate semi-finalists confirmed following weekend...

[Hocker]

The four semi finalists for the 2010 intermediate championship have been confirmed following Shannonbridge's impressive defeat of a surprisingly tired looking Rhode team in Mucklagh this morning.. The bridge ran out 2-09 to 7 point victors and will surely hold no fears when the draw for the semi-finals is made in OCP on Tuesday night.
Raheen hammered Doon in OCP on Friday evening, on Saturday Durrow needed a late goal to overcome Clonbullogue and St Rynaghs were lucky to take their tie with Birr to extra time before defeating their opponents 1-14 to 0-9.

It still remains very tight and one couldn't pick a winner of this championship too easily... it remains fairly open.
If I were a bookie I'd have the odds for the Intermediate as follows:

Raheen 5/2
Shannonbridge 7/2
St Rynaghs 7/2
Durrow 5/1

[theman]

Durrow didn't deserve to win. They carry on of some of the players was disgraceful. Spitting in players faces, if only the rest of the team took after their two midfielders gerathy and molloy. Two very sporting men. Noel cooney should hang up his boots. At 69 years old he should be sitting up in offalia house. No wonder refs are getting abused.

[Hocker]

Semi-final draw made yesterday evening....

Shannonbridge v Durrow
St Rynagh's v Raheen

Ties to be played weekend 25th/26th September...

[Georgio1]

Cooney is well past it alright. Spitting in faces? Clonbullogue would not normally need an invitation like that, presume there were slaps thrown?

[theman]

No major slaps. Bit of pushing after the match but that was more to do with emotion running high. Killeigh were a bad host club. Didn't provide linesman for the match and then coming into the losing dressing room telling us to hurry up cos some underage hurlers wanted to tog out. Durrow don't deserve to win it out. Limited team

[black and red exile]

Love to see Raheen win it now, god knows they have been knocking on the door long enough but I have a sneaky feeling Shannonbridge might be just hitting form at the right time.

[tinker]

Raheen hammered Doon in OCP on Friday evening

I think you are slightly biased against your beloved neighbours. Doon lost their 2 best players with injury after less than 10 mins play. when James coghlan went off, there was only 2 points between the sides and when Declan Rohan went off, there was 3 points in it. there was only 3 points in it at half time and allowing for 4 very scoreable frees that Doon missed badly either side of half time (Coghlan had kicked 2 much harder ones before he went off), I'm sure most would agree that Doon would have been a lot closer at the end if both of the above stayed on.

then throw in 3 very sloppy goals (2 basic goalie errors), it gets a bit closer.

anyway, just a nuetral so happy to hear of Raheen thoughts on what I've just said.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I won't pretend to claim to know anything about the IFC. I just want to say that I was travelling around Shannonbridge, Clonmacnois and Clonfanlough a few weeks ago and almost every house had a blue & gold flag out for the Celebrity Bainisteoir. I'd say the community spirit is strong in the parish at the moment - a vital commodity.

Love to see Raheen win it now, god knows they have been knocking on the door long enough but I have a sneaky feeling Shannonbridge might be just hitting form at the right time.

[blue+yellow]

seen rynaghs and birr game it was 1 of the worst football games iv ever seen. i expect raheen will beat rynaghs easily in semi final.. shannonbridge looked very impressive at times against rhode and should hav no problem over coming durrow in semi final.

[Foreign Paddy]

Can anybody tell me what has happened to Doon? They came down to Intermediate and got to two County Finals, losing only to two Senior teams and then have slipped away so much, they have a good young team, oldest players would be the two Ryans and they are hardly passengers, especially at Intermediate level anyway, sure the Great Vinny Claffey could probably still be plyin his trade, seen him playin a junior league final not 2 or 3 years ago and looked in great shape. Speaking of the game Doon beat Tubber I think and Doon had some good players on display, Alec Mooney, who is now playin with the Intermediates, good strong, fast player, they also had few other players that I haven't heard much from since, Conor Galvin and Sean Henry? I remember both these guys were very good minors and if not mistaken the latter played senior for Doon when they were still flyin high back in the early 00's. Two players with good size and strength, have to be major advantage in Intermediate..... Walsh island, need I say more.

[Lone Shark]

Being fair to Doon, James Coughlan played very little football this year due to injury and that was huge. I know it's not a good statement about any team, but he is responsible for 60% of their scores on average. I remember being at a league game at the start of the year where Shannonbridge beat them narrowly and he was responsible for every score out of 0-11 or something similar - a crazy number really.

Take out one county standard player in Damien Hunt and two very promising youngsters in Matthew and Callum Boland from the panel, and then add in the fact that instead of being a ridiculously close knit group, they now have to alternate with hurling, and you begin to see the scale of the problem. They're not as far off as all that, but they are a few players short and in an area like Doon, you can't simply plug gaps when all you have to replace them are either junior players or in many cases, moderately promising minors.

A big part of the problem is the absence of too many lads in their late twenties leading the drive, such as the lads you mentioned. I think Conor Galvin plays a fair bit of rugby and that keeps him away, while I couldn't tell you where Seán Óg Henry is but certainly he'd have something to offer if he was knocking around and training well.

Despite all this, if Declan Rohan and James Coughlan had been fit enough to finish out their semi final, I'd say you'd have been looking at a three or four point defeat against Raheen, and that might be a more accurate picture of where Doon are right now.

[Georgio1]

"A big part of the problem is the absence of too many lads in their late twenties leading the drive"[quote][/quote]

Not alone with regard to Doon, but would be the case in many clubs around the county.

[Foreign Paddy]

Being fair to Doon, James Coughlan played very little football this year due to injury and that was huge. I know it's not a good statement about any team, but he is responsible for 60% of their scores on average. I remember being at a league game at the start of the year where Shannonbridge beat them narrowly and he was responsible for every score out of 0-11 or something similar - a crazy number really.

Take out one county standard player in Damien Hunt and two very promising youngsters in Matthew and Callum Boland from the panel, and then add in the fact that instead of being a ridiculously close knit group, they now have to alternate with hurling, and you begin to see the scale of the problem. They're not as far off as all that, but they are a few players short and in an area like Doon, you can't simply plug gaps when all you have to replace them are either junior players or in many cases, moderately promising minors.

A big part of the problem is the absence of too many lads in their late twenties leading the drive, such as the lads you mentioned. I think Conor Galvin plays a fair bit of rugby and that keeps him away, while I couldn't tell you where Seán Óg Henry is but certainly he'd have something to offer if he was knocking around and training well.

Despite all this, if Declan Rohan and James Coughlan had been fit enough to finish out their semi final, I'd say you'd have been looking at a three or four point defeat against Raheen, and that might be a more accurate picture of where Doon are right now.

You mentioned Damian Hunt, where did he disappear to? Dunno if he was ever the player he was say 10years ago, too many injuries but still huge player for Doon at this level. Another name missing is John Ryan, he'd be same age as Hunt, 29/30? I know Callum Boland has a promising carrer ahead of him on the rugby side of things so he is just not worth mentioning really but where did Matt go? Never seen him play much after minor?
Doon also seem to have had some goal keeping errors in some games? Is Niall Hennessy not a forward?

[Lone Shark]

Damien Hunt was playing rugby in Dublin and fairly busy out doing professional exams and depending on who you listen to, there are different versions as to why he and the club weren't able to make that work. The upshot was that a very talented footballer was lost to a club that badly needed him. With all due respect to John Ryan who played a few good games, he wasn't in the same category as Damien at all. Of course he'd be a loss to the team, but Damien Hunt was floating in or around the county team for a while, which is another level entirely.

I know Matthew Boland was in Wales for a while, but I couldn't tell you where he is now. You would see him around on occasion, but whether that's just occasionally home for the weekend and the like is another matter.

As for the goalie position, Niall Hennessy mightn't be county standard or anything but he's not the worst keeper at this level by a long chalk either. Any club would struggle to replace a character as inimitable as John Joe O'Leary who was another breed entirely, but I'd be slow to put any of Doon's current problems down to Niall. He might prefer to play up front but his kickouts are decnt and he's made a few very good saves in his time between the sticks.

[Foreign Paddy]

I'm not tryin to disrespect anyone here either by sayin they had goalkeeping issue, I just remember seeing Niall play outfield. And you are right on your judgement of John Joe Leary, he was a very good keeper for Doon and I'm sure is sorely missed, he is not too old either, would put him in same bracket as Hunt. What happened to him, he's been missing for some time.
And goin back to point of John Ryan, yes he wouldn't be at same level as Hunt but is still very good player for Doon who, to use your words are "pluggin gaps wit talented minors". Anyone who was around a senior scene for as long as John is advantage.

Shannonbridge seem to be in same boat with losing alot of players, as is Erin Rovers, Tubber, and Ballycumber, what is goin to happen to football in the West Offaly?