Allianz FL Division 4 2013

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Micko coming to town on Sunday with Clare. Enough to whet the apetite, never mind the chance to get a putrid performance v Limerick out of the system.
Clare will be a tough propostition, but we need to show what was learned from the Limerick defeat.
Midfield , and our ability to win ball in the half forward line will be key.
Richie and Brian Connor, need to start midfield. EOin Carroll and Ross Brady in the half forward line, with maybe Anton coming out here to add a bit of bite and pace. Will he persist with Mitchell and Alan Mc in the team? Mitchell started well v Laois but has faded out of it since. Personally, would like to see Micky Brazil getting another start. Ideally , if John Moloney could get back to where he left off last year, then Derek Kelly moving to 11 and JM at 6 would be a possible solution to improving the forward option.
B Allen, or Paul mcpadden as the ground hardens up should be option inside.

[townman]

you won't see Anto for a while his shoulder is gone again i hear.

[True Red]

seriously??

[townman]

you won't see Anto for a while his shoulder is gone again i hear.

well there was a offalyman in parnell park saturday night saying so ?

[True Red]

taken from the Tullamore Tribune website

Sullivan Gone For Year After Dislocating Shoulder For Fourth Time
Thursday, 28 February 2013

OFFALY senior footballers have received a savage blow with the news that ace forward, Anton Sullivan is out for the year after dislocating his shoulder for a fourth time.
Sullivan's right shoulder popped out as he contested a high ball while playing for the Army in a game last Friday and he will now have to get an operation.

It is very sad news for the player, Offaly and his club, Rhode. Sullivan last dislocated his shoulder while training for Rhode last summer but made a much quicker than anticipated return towards the latter stages of the Offaly championship as Rhode retained the Dowling Cup.

He had been in great form for Offaly early this season but manager, Emmett McDonnell revealed on Monday that Sullivan has no option now but to get an operation.
McDonnell stated that he will have to wait seven/eight weeks before getting the operation and will then face an intensive rehab programme that will effectively rule him out of football until next January.
‘It is his fourth time to dislocate this shoulder and it has to be looked after right now. Four times is too many,' McDonnell commented, adding that it was a shame as Sullivan had been flying in training and games.

[offalyman08]

Sullivan last dislocated his shoulder while training for Rhode last summer but made a much quicker than anticipated return towards the latter stages of the Offaly championship as Rhode retained the Dowling Cup.

I think the Tullamore Tribune made a mistake there... True Red should spot it.

[True Red]

'retained'

its like 2011 never happened......

[DAF]

Four changes for Faithful
01 March 2013
01 March 2013
Offaly make four changes for visit of Micko's Clare in Allianz Football League

THE Offaly side announced to face Mick O'Dwyer's Clare in the third round of the Allianz Football League this Sunday, March 3rd at 2pm in O'Connor Park, Tullamore shows four changes in personnel from the team that lost out to Limerick, 1-8 to 0-12, in round two on February 10th.

Anton Sullivan, David Hanlon, Ross Brady and Sean Pender aren't included and into the starting fifteen come Paul McConway, John Moloney, Willie Mulhall and Peter Cunningham.

Sullivan and Hanlon have been ruled out through injury, with Sullivan facing a particularly lengthy spell out of action after he dislocated his shoulder for the fourth occasion during a Defence Forces match last Friday. The Rhode club-man will have to undergo surgery and an intensive rehabilitation programme, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Tullamore duo Paul McConway and John Moloney are selected in central defensive roles, with Walsh Island's Willie Mulhall selected at centre forward and Bracknagh's Peter Cunningham at top of the left.

Walsh Island's Brian Connor, who scored 1-2 against Limerick last time out and lined out with Leinster during their 0-17 to 3-12 M Donnelly Interprovincial Final loss against Ulster last Sunday at Croke Park, has been selected at mid-field alongside Rhode's Alan McNamee.

The Offaly squad is;



1 Alan Mulhall (Walsh Island)

2 Brian Darby (Rhode)
3 Paul McConway (Tullamore)

4 Eoin Rigney (Rhode)
5 Graham Guilfoyle (Clara)
6 John Moloney (Tullamore)
7 Michael Brazil (Tullamore)
8 Brian Connor (Walsh Island)

9 Alan McNamee (Rhode)

10 Derek Kelly (Edenderry)

11 Willie Mulhall (Walsh Island)

12 Eoin Carroll (Cappincur)

13 Bernard Allen (Tubber)
14 Niall McNamee Capt. (Rhode)

15 Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh)



Subs

16 Gavin Sheil (Killeigh)

17 Matthew Mitchell (Clara)

18 Sean Pender (Edenderry)

19 Richie Dalton (Edenderry)
20 Ross Brady (Clara)
21 Ruairi Allen (Gracefield)

22 Michael Verney (Birr)

23 James McPadden (Rhode)

24 Paul McPadden (Rhode)

25 Keith McGuinness (Edenderry)

26 Joe Maher (Ferbane)

[DAF]

Thats the best team that has been named so far this year for Offaly although going on previous form there will probably be 3 or 4 changes just before throw in.Its a big blow to have,Anton missing for such a long period.

Hopefully we play with a more positive attitude on sunday and from now on by the looks of the half forward line there seems to be a slight change in attitude from the management.

[the veteran]

not overly impressed wit that team .a few players on d panel a while get chances again .why not have a look at verney or allen something new.usually doesnt start named team so might be surprised .i believe half forw is cunninghams best position his direct running style suits he can get bottled up inside

[DAF]

not overly impressed wit that team .a few players on d panel a while get chances again .why not have a look at verney or allen something new.usually doesnt start named team so might be surprised .i believe half forw is cunninghams best position his direct running style suits he can get bottled up inside

I'd say Verney and Ruari allen will get a chance later on in the year but as they are only coming back from injury I doub he wants to throw them in straight away.Cunningham and Willie Mulhall might switch positions

[jimbob17]

1 Alan Mulhall (Walsh Island)

2 Brian Darby (Rhode)
3 Paul McConway (Tullamore)

4 Eoin Rigney (Rhode)
5 Graham Guilfoyle (Clara)
6 John Moloney (Tullamore)
7 Michael Brazil (Tullamore)
8 Brian Connor (Walsh Island)

9 Alan McNamee (Rhode)

10 Derek Kelly (Edenderry)

11 Willie Mulhall (Walsh Island)

12 Eoin Carroll (Cappincur)

13 Bernard Allen (Tubber)
14 Niall McNamee Capt. (Rhode)

15 Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh)



Subs

16 Gavin Sheil (Killeigh)

17 Matthew Mitchell (Clara)

18 Sean Pender (Edenderry)

19 Richie Dalton (Edenderry)
20 Ross Brady (Clara)
21 Ruairi Allen (Gracefield)

22 Michael Verney (Birr)

23 James McPadden (Rhode)

24 Paul McPadden (Rhode)

25 Keith McGuinness (Edenderry)

26 Joe Maher (Ferbane)

Agree, Cunningham is at his best as a wing forward running at defences....Interesting to see Mulhall at centre forward given that he has played very little in the games to date.....

Just as a matter of interest, would many have noticed the volume of players from the Edenderry / Rhode area on the team under the new management. While I am not knocking what is been done and am more than happy to see the progress that has been made in relation to our competitiveness, id be conscious that a high volume of them would have gone through the school in St Mary's or be from that area at the expense of those in west and mid Offaly outside of Tullamore and Clara and that talent is not being fully harnessed......

While this is not necessarily a bad thing, and many counties would have such situations, the obvious lack or volume of players from mid and west offaly is notable. Joe Maher is only a young lad and while he may prove to be a good one in future, there are more qualified senior footballers from the Ferbane /Tubber/ Doon / Ballycumber / Erin Rovers/ Bal Durrow area. Surely Shamrocks would have one player good enough to represent a county level squad if not team. not trying to nit pick but there are definitely more than one or two questionable choices of panel member from this list!!!!

[the veteran]

not disagreeing wit u jimbob but who are these players u think cud improve d panel

[townman]

offaly 2-5 Clare 0-13 the wheels have came off big time in the past month

[DAF]

Terrible performace from Offaly.Sadly it looks like we are getting worse as each league match passes.The good results in the O'Byrne cup look to be more due to the oppositions incompetence rather than our good play.

We have no midfield and to top it off we have no kickout strategy and our kickouts take far too long to be taken.

2 frees from 20 yards out at a slight angle were missed today.Clare marched through the middle loads of times and only for their lack of accuracy in front of goal the defeat would have been much worse.We are making far too many simple mistake Graham Guilfoyle kicked 2 frees from our half back line direct to Clare men 10 yards away from him, this is bad enough but the fact that both frees were taken withing about 5 minutes of each other is annoying and the players are contiually making individual errors and they don't seem to be learning from their mistakes.

At half time they had a score on the scoreboard as Offaly 1-2.I am almost certain we scored 3 points ion the first half.One from an Alan Mulhall free and 2 from play from Niall McNamee.