Offaly Vs Kilkenny Leinster Hurling Championship

[joe bloggs]

We have drawn Waterford and home in the qualifiers.

Of all the names in the hat they were the biggest, but at least we have them at home.

[My Left Foot]

Yeah, we always seem to get a tough draw in qualifiers but at least we are at home which makes a change ( or so it seems), we will have to match yesterdays 1st half intensity for the full match to come through this and we will need goals again too.
i hope the panel stick at it and realise that a win next time opens up the summer
Solid performanace yesterday with room to grow and improve all over so lets get stuck in again next time and get that win

[Bord na Mona man]

A few random thoughts from yesterday.

Offaly may in reflection rue using a bit of timber early on. Once the ref decided to put a stop to it and book Kevin Brady, he spent the middle section of the game whistling Offaly off the park and bringing Kilkenny back into it. Once Kilkenny copped this, they knew to go down easily and get the handy free. Only 2 Kilkenny players scored more than a point from play, the frees won them this game. Offaly need to a bit cuter, the loss was bigger than any gain in this instance.

It was strange to see an Offaly team take the field with an obvious size advantage over Kilkenny. 14 years the Cody revolution began with a serious injection of power and size into Kilkenny's play and Offaly were one of the quickest teams to be steamrolled by it.

For all the good effort we still conceded 26 points. In the first half Offaly were able to outnumber Kilkenny at every ruck forcing them into pressure plays. It's had to sustain this. In the 2nd half with a bit more time, KK moved the ball around the pitch and Offaly weren't man marking particularly well.

Colin Egan's technique under the high ball was interesting when up against Tommy Walsh. He didn't stand under it and allow the little rascal to unleash his bag of tricks. Instead timing a run and jump to outfield. The one time he was under it waiting, Walsh (possibly frustrated) shoved him square in the back for an Offaly free.

Good show from Chris McDonald. He always struck me as a corner back who uses his head. Tries to play heads up hurling instead of just blindly lashing it away as too many Offaly corner backs have done in the past.

As for Kilkenny. several stalwarts of their defence is now the wrong side of 30 and might be showing creaking signs. Their new keeper conceded 4 (not all his fault) and did his best to throw in another one. The ease at which they upped it in the 2nd half suggests they are still ahead of the rest. Tipperary's defeat shows just how disorganised the chasing pack is.

[fifitrixiebelle]

well done to offaly yesterday didn't take to the field already beaten & as has been said cud have been a lot closer with a bit of cuteness. but big amount of pride restored and that's the main requirement. dose of you who taut my offaly-limerick bet was off the wall.....

[The Biff]

Plenty of pride restored in the Faithful County again this week. Well done to our fine band of Hurling brothers. It cant be easy to go into a match like that where nobody outside the county gives you a chance. No matter how many times a manager tells you that you are not beaten before taking the field, these lads are not stupid and they know themselves what History and Logic and Statistics is telling them.

Despite this, they can produce the fire and drive that saw us fight to the very end. Great performance against great opponents.

'MAWN THE FAITHFUL.

[kingscounty]

I think drawing Waterford at home is a great draw for us, it will be another stern test and if we could manage to win it, it would bring us on great and give a bit of confidence to the team letting them know they can beat the bigger named teams. If we got through this game its a game away to London or Westmeath in the following round but focus now has to be totally on the Waterford game and I hope the lads keep up the hard work and give us another great day out in O Connor Park. When do Tipp and the losers of Cork/Clare, Galway / Laois come into the draw does anyone know?

[jimbob17]

Thought Offaly did quite well yesterday and could have even been closer at the finish. Offaly could and should have been further ahead at half time. KK scored 3 points in the last few minutes before the break while OY missed 2 scores in the same period. That was a 5 point swing. If they had just broke even here and gone in 4 up, KK would probably still have won but theyd have had to fight harder for it.

There was also a goal incident that wasnt awarded. i am not it was a cert as the sunday game coverage was inconclusive but it was damn close as to whether it was over the line or not. Also, If the players had a little more confidence going in to the game instead of being knocked from pillar to post then maybe we'd have had a better chance....

Still all in all, they gave us hurling supporters back a bit of pride and respect that we seem to have lost for them for a while. They also showed other teams how KK can be got at and showed Davy Fitz and all the other pushers of this ugly short passing game that traditional but intelligent use of long ball always works and will always work in the game of hurling.....
I am sure the likes of Anthony Daly, Liam Dunne and Eamonn O Se would have taken note.....

[Plain of the Herbs]

Those seven counties drawn this morning play off until there are two left (one being Offaly/Waterford/London/Westmeath, the other being Dublin/Wexford/Carlow/Antrim) over the course of what is called Preliminary Phase and Phase 1. The pair still standing advance to Phase 3.
The four beaten provincial semi-finalists are drawn against each other in Phase 2 (with the proviso that Munster teams are not drawn against each other - can't have Munster teams knocking each other out at this early stage) and advance to Stage 3.

The two winners of Phase 1 play the two winners of Phase 2 meet in Phase 3 with the next stage being the quarter-finals.

When do Tipp and the losers of Cork/Clare, Galway / Laois come into the draw does anyone know?

[first_touch]

Well done to Offaly on a very good performance. I was one of those critical of Baker but yesterday he had the team very well prepared. We started out with a gameplan, matched Kilkenny physically, never let them settle of the ball, and competed well in the air. Chris McDonald and Colin Egan were superb and it was great to see Brian Carroll run at Kilkenny every chance he got. It's a pity we blew some chances, or would have been better playing the ball into the full forward line, towards the end of the first half which allowed Kilkenny to take the initiative. But we battled right to the end and showed great pride.

When you consider this in many ways was a makeshift team, especially in defence, it makes Offaly's display all the more impressive.

It shows the lunacy of the current League structure with teams operating in the second division (or Division 1B as the powers-that-be bizarrely call it) being denied an opportunity to play the top teams in preparation for championship action. I've no doubt Offaly would have run Kilkenny closer had the original League format been retained. Let's hope it doesn't make the difference between victory and defeat against Waterford. In a tight intense battle such disadvantages can be critical.

Having said that, if Dooley and Mahon up their game the next day and Paul Cleary is back, I think we will take Waterford. Home advantage will help us. Will Del be back?

[Killeighman]

Del will be tight for time to come back for waterford. He is just off the crutches in the last few days

[kingscounty]

Those seven counties drawn this morning play off until there are two left (one being Offaly/Waterford/London/Westmeath, the other being Dublin/Wexford/Carlow/Antrim) over the course of what is called Preliminary Phase and Phase 1. The pair still standing advance to Phase 3.
The four beaten provincial semi-finalists are drawn against each other in Phase 2 (with the proviso that Munster teams are not drawn against each other - can't have Munster teams knocking each other out at this early stage) and advance to Stage 3.

The two winners of Phase 1 play the two winners of Phase 2 meet in Phase 3 with the next stage being the quarter-finals.

When do Tipp and the losers of Cork/Clare, Galway / Laois come into the draw does anyone know?

sound that clears things up

[Sharp Eye]

It is very clear that the Offaly Master Fixtures Plan was not designed to allow club-players schedule holidays etc with any confidence. The next round of the Senior Hurling Championship is fixed for the weekend of June 22nd/June 23rd when Offaly Seniors will be hurling in the championship. This round will be postponed and then imposed on club players, some of whom will probably have to cancel their holidays. Surely fixing a round of the Club-Championship in the "Master-Fixtures List" on the weekend in which the County-Senior Team are playing should not have happened. Club players should be able to book their holidays, etc with confidence. A number of years ago, the August Bank-Holiday weekend was kept free. In recent years this peak-holiday weekend of the year has been used to fix a round of the hurling & a round of the football championship. Club-Players who sit around for the summer, while the Managers of the County Senior Teams call the shots, deserve better.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Have to agree with you there. Offaly would have been hurling on the w/e 23rd june whether they won or lost to Kilkenny yesterday. That's one thing.

The other thing is that now no-one knows when Round 2 of the SHC/IHC will be played. Naturally it won't be until Offaly have exited the championship. After that happens the club players will be playing championship every fortnight until their club is eliminated.

From reviewing the Master List, it appears the author gambled that Offaly would be the team awarded the bye to Phase 1.

It is very clear that the Offaly Master Fixtures Plan was not designed to allow club-players schedule holidays etc with any confidence. The next round of the Senior Hurling Championship is fixed for the weekend of June 22nd/June 23rd when Offaly Seniors will be hurling in the championship. This round will be postponed and then imposed on club players, some of whom will probably have to cancel their holidays. Surely fixing a round of the Club-Championship in the "Master-Fixtures List" on the weekend in which the County-Senior Team are playing should not have happened. Club players should be able to book their holidays, etc with confidence. A number of years ago, the August Bank-Holiday weekend was kept free. In recent years this peak-holiday weekend of the year has been used to fix a round of the hurling & a round of the football championship. Club-Players who sit around for the summer, while the Managers of the County Senior Teams call the shots, deserve better.

[Sharp Eye]

I hear that the Ferbane v Tullamore Senior Football Championship game is being brought forward to Saturday because of Senior Hurling qualifier. The Clara v St Rynaghs game is still fixed for Sunday. Have St Rynaghs not got any players on the County Senior Hurling Panel?.

[Killeighman]

Im not sure of pat camon or stephen quirke are on the panel but they are the only players from St Rynaghs who would be on it