Junior Football Championship

[Fargo Boyle]

Best of luck to K/K in the final. By far the best team at this grade and some fine footballers as well. Huge physical strength especially through the spine of the team. I'd say they are eyeing up the double and fair play if it can be done.

One thing for sure is that K/K will be representing Offaly in the Leinster and if they show the interest they could well be contenders for the Leinster title. They will be up against the Longford champs on the 21st of October at home so they are in with a good shout.

[Plain of the Herbs]

What genius of geography decided that Portarlington was the place to stage a football Final between Kilcormac and Clara? I know they needed lights but Tubber, Pullagh, Ballinamere would surely fit the bill.

Whoever they were, don't ask them for directions.

[The Double K]

The "Genius" you refer to PotH would be Tommy Byrne who seems to have the attitude that the will play it where I tell them when I tell them. It is common knowledge (in kk anyway) that both clubs have looked for this fixture changed and to be played at a later date during daylight hours. The playing of this final has no bearing on the Leinster club championship because as Fargo has already stated KK are the only ones who can go forward to represent Offaly. It belittles the lighting facilities at other venues nearer the two clubs when the county board want to drag it to the far end of the county. On the strength of KK winning the hurling last weekend they will bring a large crowd to this final, I havent seen Clara play this year so dont know what their support will be like but everybody going to this game has to travel the ONE road to get to it, its utter madness but not surprising. One last question for ye, Where is Tommy Byrne From??

[DAF]

Its scandalous that a county final is being played on a Friday evening.I think K/K have to play in the leinster junior club championship on Sunday but surely that could have been moved.It should be played alongside the intermediate final on Saturday

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

A disgrace! Is Tommy Byrne related to James O'Reilly??? Stroke politics at its best!

[boomcha]

x

[Plain of the Herbs]

I dropped into this on my way down from Dublin this evening. This was an enjoyable game of football with some flowing moves, good kicking, good scores and tough tackling.

There was a clear contrast in styles. Clara were lighter, but more mobile and played lots of quick, incisive passing moves. Kilcormac-Killoughey were stronger and played a more direct game. Ciarán Slevin looked to be a classy footballer and at one stage hit a free wide off the ground from just inside the 65m line. the two Healions did well covering the defence.

The hurlers hit Gracefield too, and there were about a dozen kids pucking around before the start of the match. Spreading the Gospel.

They were level 0-3 each midway through the first half when K-K got a penalty. I didn’t see who took it (if he was wearing a helmet I’d know him) and the rocket of a shot found the top corner. Joey Deehan scored some good frees for Clara, and K-K led 1-4 to 0-5 at half-time.

Clara had plenty of possession and territory in the third quarter but the buildup was too slow and K-K were able to get numbers back to defend. Then K-K took over. With about ten minutes to go it was 1-6 to 0-8. K-K had plenty of possession in the final ten minutes and finished by far the stronger. The Healions broke alot of ball at midfield, the Geraghtys were full of running in attack and they kicked intelligently to the corners. Slevin pointed an inspirational point to put a goal in it and this inspired them to go on to win 1-10 to 0-8. It got me thinking that Peter Geraghty's losing weight and getting fit was a crucial part of K-K's SHC success, as well as the JFC win tonight.

The Gracefield ground was in brilliant condition. Great lights, great ground, good stand and the traffic moved freely afterwards. Floodlit Finals might be the way to go. That's not to excuse the fixing of the match for Portarlington - that was still wrong.

A word on the ref. Who’s D Walsh, who refereed tonight? (and it wasn’t ‘Dinger’). He tried to be exact but he missed too much and as a result lacked consistency. He missed a raft of late tackles and seemed to be busy watching the ball. That call about ten minutes from the end when he appeared to be going to give an attacking free to Clara but after a relatively long delay awarded the free to K-K was crucial to the balance of play. Clara bore the brunt of that inconsistency throughout. A pity, because it seemed to be a relatively easy game to referee as it was played in a good spirit with both teams anxious to play the ball and no negativity or spoiling.

Finally, time was when the Cup for Junior football was a beautiful piece of silverward set in a wooden plinth. That cup seems to have been replaced. Is this so? Why?

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

That would be the great Davy Walsh, a thick set man with the atitude to go with it. Should not be getting a final, T Byrne looking after one of his own as well!
Nothing from your desciption of his refereeing surprises me.

[townman]

That would be the great Davy Walsh, a thick set man with the atitude to go with it. Should not be getting a final, T Byrne looking after one of his own as well!
Nothing from your desciption of his refereeing surprises me.

would Davy Walsh not be Bracknagh, Tommy Bryne would be Gracefield, strange alright to bring the two clubs down to Gracefield for the final
have to say after been there for the two offaly under 21's games this year its a fine ground and pitch and its nice to see them get a game or two.

[kingscounty]

k/k 0-07 ratoath 1-06 , anyone at the game? big ask for k/k to play senior final last weekend,junior final friday night and then again today.

[DAF]

Didnt Rathoat beat Kilclonfert in the leinster junior final in 2004

[Plain of the Herbs]

You're right, DAF. Kilclonfert beat Kilcavan, Crumlin and Mullinavat en route to a Final they lost 1-16 to 1-5 to Ratoath.

Didnt Rathoat beat Kilclonfert in the leinster junior final in 2004

[Plain of the Herbs]

Just been reading a newspaper report of the JFC final online. It reads "Ultimately, K/K proved to be that bit fitter and physically stronger and this was crucially important on a heavy pitch that cut up as the evening wore on. The more grueling the conditions got, the more dominant K/K became and they played their best football inside the last ten minutes."

For anyone who gets the impression from this that the Final was played in muck and shyte - it wasn't. My recollection (and it's only four days ago) is that conditions were excellent. The pitch was slippery (obviously - it was a damp evening) but it had a good covering of grass, it certainly didn't cut up and it was far from 'heavy conditions' one expects from National Hunt racing or the like. It's also unfair on K-K - yes they wre stronger and fitter, but their win was not solely as a result of gruelling (and that is how one correctly spells the word) conditions.

I've no connections with the Gracefield club at all but I feel they have been very harshly treated by this. I was thinking during the match that it wouldn't be a bad pitch for playing hurling on. I'm not from a farming background either, but I know 'heavy' going from 'soft' from 'good'.

[kingscounty]

Just been reading a newspaper report of the JFC final online. It reads "Ultimately, K/K proved to be that bit fitter and physically stronger and this was crucially important on a heavy pitch that cut up as the evening wore on. The more grueling the conditions got, the more dominant K/K became and they played their best football inside the last ten minutes."

For anyone who gets the impression from this that the Final was played in muck and shyte - it wasn't. My recollection (and it's only four days ago) is that conditions were excellent. The pitch was slippery (obviously - it was a damp evening) but it had a good covering of grass, it certainly didn't cut up and it was far from 'heavy conditions' one expects from National Hunt racing or the like. It's also unfair on K-K - yes they wre stronger and fitter, but their win was not solely as a result of gruelling (and that is how one correctly spells the word) conditions.

I've no connections with the Gracefield club at all but I feel they have been very harshly treated by this. I was thinking during the match that it wouldn't be a bad pitch for playing hurling on. I'm not from a farming background either, but I know 'heavy' going from 'soft' from 'good'.

I have no links with gracefield but i have played hurling and football on the pitch in wet conditions and i think its one of the best pitches in offaly. I think k/k were worthy champions over the way they played all year and they will do well in intermediate if they keep it together.