Kilcormac/Killoughey V. Oulart The Ballagh

[alltheway]

This coming Sunday represents a huge day for this Kilcormac/Killoughey team. Since the end of this years club championships, I have said that if KK win Leinster again,
I will be mightily impressed. The ball is still in their court, and they are well equipped to do so. Having won last years Leinster final where they had built up some head of steam after their maiden county final took some doing. They were the surprise package, and they grew and matured every step of the way. They answered any questions of them in retaining their county title, and they know enter the business end of this Leinster campaign a different animal.

I firmly believe that they only team that stop them between now and making an All-Ireland final reappearance are Oulart. Oulart for all their failings, still remain one of the best club hurling teams in Leinster, and year on year they will fell that they 'deserve' one. You got very little for what you deserve and I'm sure KK will have no sympathy for them. For Oulart to win on Sunday they will have to do what no team has done the last two years, break KK's resolve, belief and sheer confidence in their own ability that the team will triumph on the day and they wont wilt. People will say Kilcormac/Killoughey haven't improved any great deal since last year. Looking at their results closely, they havent had to, and any hurling man worth his salt will know that they have got through all their games in the end with relative ease, and looking like a horse that hacked up on the bridle with so much more left in the tank if needed. They tend to win the majority of their games in the 15 minutes immediately after half-time where alot of their goals usually come from that lifts the team, take the 1-6 scored immediately after half-time where Camross failed to score in that period as an example.

For Oulart, they need Eoin Moore and particulary Darren Stamp to line out on Sunday, I am unaware what chance they have. But a Moore-Stamp-Prendergast looks a lot more solid on paper than what lined out against Clara, against arguably KK's stronest line in Gerathy-Mahon-Slevin. Also, allowing for Michael Jacob, who didnt line out in this game last year, to partner David Redmond in midfield and all of a sudden you have a relatively strong axis to try and match Kilcormac/Killougheys diamond. If Stam returns however injury free or not he is, Conor Mahon can match him physically under all puckouts. Where Mahon can gain the upper hand is running directly at a wounded Stamp and making him ineffective, which is exactly what Mahon is capable of doing. Ciaran Slevin showed Moore the whole of Nowlan Park last year, and even if Moore does line out and pick up Slevin I would hold no weight in that. Many of the 'critics' this year have said Slevin hasn't reached the dizzying heights of last year. As captain Slevin remains nearly the most vital player on KK's pitch. On the back of lat years run, every club team has earmarked Slevin to be man marked, and that suits him, he is a very hard worker, unselfish on the ball, and he plays a much deeper working role which allows space in front of either Gerathy or Gorman's corner, and a direct line to play in Dan Currams into space. It is a role he has thrived in, and sacrificing some of his individual scores for the greater good of the team epitomises what a captains role working within a team is.

Alan McConville was very economical in what ball he allowed Rory Jacob to see last year. McConville having suffered a bad injury this year hasnt yet broken back onto the team so I would expect Con Mahon to marshall him Sunday. Mahon is a good ball player, exceptionally quick and should rise to the challenge. How his full back deals with Garret Sinnot will play a big part on the match result. Sinnot is well able to hurl, he's rangey, can strike well of both sides and is a powerful man running with the ball. Where Ger Healion has struggled at times this year in parts, take Padraig Guinan form Drumcullen, Paddy Mullins from Birr who seemed to have good games on Healion, they are small, low centre of gravity players who drop the shoulder and run at you and normally win frees, sometimes easily. Sinnot is a big man, and Healion has always been able to handle the bigger man, but this is a huge test on sunday. Midfield is a huge battle, both Damien Kilmartin and Killian Leonard easily came on top versus Camross and both scored two points from play, but Redmond and Jacob form an extremely well balanced and experienced midfield unit, and with both players well able to take a score from range, and Redmond in particular, a very strong direct runner through the middle, one or both of the KK midfielders will have to sacrifice their own forward playing game here and marshall the middle of the park here, win the dirty ball and generally not allow Redmond to pop up in places unnoticed and chip in with 3 or 4 points, which he is well capable of doing. Kilmartin came of age in this game last year and has been the talisman of this KK team since, he'll need his finest hour again Sunday, and he'll need Killian Leonard working his socks off for the hour.

As experienced a defender as Rossiter is, he has his weaknesses, he dosent like space in front of him, and can be known to foul quite a lot, he could have easily got the line the last day. If Currams gets an early supply of ball and heads for goal as he does, Oulart could easily have their full-back walking on eggshells for the rest of them game, the key here is to allow Currams get that space. Gorman had a field day in the first half last year, and is another man who could easily run riot again. For all the negativity about Gorman, he still is exceptionally strong in the air, can take a score and could be the man to take Rossiter out of the game again if needs be, allowing Currams more space in the corner. Probably wont happen, but the option is still there.

Outside of Sinnot, Des Mythen and Darren Nolan are both talented score getters who have flirted with the Wexford senior team for many a year, there relevance on Sunday could prove vital. While Jacob and Sinnot are the first two to be nailed down to man-mark, isolating Mythen on Chris Guinan, who is a good corner back but tends to give away 3-4 frees per game could be vital if Oulart are to twart KK. The more hurling Brian Leonard and Kevin Grogan do across the half back-line the better, thus allowing Peter Healion to drop back and sit behind his own 45m line will work in KK's favour, it will force Oulart to try bombard aerial ball over KK's half-back line and with Peter closer in front of his twin Ger, they will be very hard to break down. Peter won a site of ball all through the second half last year and steadied the ship from half-time to the end of the game. Kilcormac/Killoughey's inside full forward line hold the aces up their sleeve to win this. Man for man, I fell KK have better hurlers than the three in the full backline, and working hard from there back sets the tone for the afternoon, and Thomas Gerathy has been exemplary in that role this year, him and his brother Peter turn over possesion time and time again creating scoring opportunities for themselves and the rest of the team. A resurgent and hungry Gorman too and I feel given the right supply of ball they could make serious inroads here. If KK can shade the battle in midfield and break down Oulart's half backline I feel the half the hurlers and the workers to see them through. Make no mistake though, this will be their bigget battle to date, Oulart were shocked last year, they'l come in as underdogs this year. They will like that too, and they can express themselves without any fear of being wary of not upholding the favorite tag. They are a wounded animal hellbent on revenge, expect a mighty battle in O'Connor Park Sunday.

If i was to put my head on the line, Ill use the head and call a KK win, by up to 3 or 4 points, but at that stage I will have expected them to have raised two green flags.
If Kilcormac/Killoughey do get over this one, we could be about to see the beginning of dominance on the club scene not only in Offaly...

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Excellent preview alltheway
You raise some great discussion points.

[Plain of the Herbs]

You coming home for it, lad?

Excellent preview alltheway
You raise some great discussion points.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Thanks to alltheway for a brilliant preview piece. Covers practically everything, is evidently well thought out and it cries out – BRING ON SUNDAY.

I agree Oulart will pose a stiff challenge. I wonder how the venue will alter O-TB’s approach. I don’t believe in home or away venue being worth x points to a team but factor this. In the last two years O-TB beat Kilkenny opposition and faced the Offaly champions at Kilkenny. On both occasions O-TB, decently complacent, persisted with taking pot shots from all distances and angles, and as the match progressed, said pot shots ended up further and further wide. Such complacency will not be an issue on Sunday (despite beating another Kilkenny champion) and I wonder might O-TB be more inclined to develop the play rather than shooting on sight.

And while you couldn’t quantify home venue, I’d still prefer K-K be playing this in Tullamore. Oulart were stung by K-K last year – they were expecting a typical Offaly team of lads who were 5’10” in height. Instead they got K-K. Quite possible if this match was in Wexford that Oulart would start a row in typical ‘welcome to Wexford Park’ fashion. Ask Ger Oakley. Anyway, if the match turns out to be evenly balanced in the closing stages, the strength of your own resolve is what is going to get you through.

Alltheway notes the Darren Stamp and Eoin Moore injury situation. I don’t know anything as to their availability but because this is do-or-die for Oulart they may well be tempted to start them if they are any way right at all. And a lad would need to be in full health if he were to face Conor Maon at close quarters. They may also have decided pre-match to introduce either at a particular stage of the second half, as they did with Stephen Nolan against Coolderry two years ago. That, though, was done in a complacent air, a wind that will not, should not, prevail on Sunday.

Not picking holes or anything, but I’m not aware of anyone criticising Ciarán Slevin’s input, though maybe that is the feeling locally. In that case, people need to get a grip. For the record, Slevin scored 1-22 from play in this year’s domestic campaign, as opposed to 1-14 in the equivalent matches last year. I also think his work rate and positioning show a real intelligence.

A pity about Alan McConville’s injury too. Still, this is not the place to throw him back in, so best stick with Con Mahon. Successfully marking Rory Jacob would be the making of him, as it was with McConville last year when Rory Jacob did what Rory Jacob does (that phrase of Lone Shark’s sticks in the mind almost a year on – I’ll complete it for ye after the match!). Ger Healion will man the square and leave any roving forward to be picked up by the twin – it’s worked before, no point changing now. Up to K-K’s outfield players to force the opposition to drive the ball blindly, under pressure, down the middle channel and not be picking passes to a player in space.

Much was made after beating Clara of Garrett Sinnott’s contribution, of how the great bearded one was Wexford’s lost All-star. Then there was that final point, over the shoulder from the sideline on the 13m line. All of Oulart awaits lightening striking that same spot. Sinnott’s radar is as likely to be off than on. Though nominally centre half-forward, Sinnott will hurl from the wings which will require concentration from Kevin Grogan, Damien Kilmartin, Brian Leonard and Killian Leonard. The K-K wing forwards dropping back will eradicate space and O-TB overlaps too.

The one concern for me is David Redmond who drove Oulart from midfield against Clara. It may be necessary for Damien Kilmartin to switch sides, though I suppose I wouldn’t fear for Killian Leonard either.

I noted that Keith Rossiter, grand hurler and all that he is, seemed bothered under the dropping ball against Clara. I’d be tempted to place James Gorman at full-forward to capitalise on such hesitancy, while placing Daniel Currams at top-of-the-right. Gorman breaking the ball with Currams coming in from the right on his favoured left side would pay dividends, I feel.

For those who doubt if K-K have progressed since last year – the Geraghtys. Both are an important part of the K-K attack now. There would be a big gap to fill were either to be unavailable. Thomas (or is it Tomás?) wasn’t a regular starter and didn’t start until November last year. Other hand, I’m not so sure K-K have a game-changer to come off the bench. Still, this game will be lost (though not necessarily won) during the early sorting-out stage when the respective mindsets become evident.

It will be a great game.

[KillougheyGoBragh]

You coming home for it, lad?

Excellent preview alltheway
You raise some great discussion points.

sadly not, raging as I have a flight booked for Saturday morning......swear word here!

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Interesting
Meet The Oulart players a video posted today on youtube by Wexford GAA.
Link here

[Plain of the Herbs]

Not a very exciting bunch. Cripes, they make Lar Corbett appear exciting.

The one significant thing is the way they pronounce 'The Ballagh' as 'The Ballock'. This makes sense given the Gaeilge is 'An Bealach' and the English pronounciation would be derived from the Gaeilge.

Interesting
Meet The Oulart players a video posted today on youtube by Wexford GAA.

[onthefence]

Looking forward to the match on Sunday and some great posts here.
I fancy KK by 5 or 6 points but expect a very tough match. Talking to lads from Wexford, not OTB lads, but they keep saying that they were complacent last year and they wont get caught this year but I don't think they are giving KK enough credit for being a very good team and this hopefully will be the rock they perish on again!

[Lone Shark]

Unfortunately, the O'Connor Park revamp has come back to bite me on the behind yet again. The nature of my work means that I never end up covering games that are on TV, so I'll be in Longford on Sunday and will have to make do with a recording of this one. It's a real shame, because this has the potential to be the best game of the rest of the year, football or hurling.

The lengthier posts above are excellent and would really whet one's appetite for this clash. I'm going both ways on it myself, but my initial conviction was that Oulart-the-Ballagh have been consistent over the past few years - they're good enough to get to a certain level, but then they top out. KK proved last year that at their best, they are a bit above that and so if both teams perform, I'd fancy a home win by a couple of points.

Certainly you couldn't say that Oulart are any better than they were this time last year and in some cases, they may actually have regressed a step. This time last year David Redmond was one of the most in-form midfielders in Ireland, while this year he's played at midfield, centre forward and wing forward. I don't understand this - these are very different roles and it seems odd to make a nomad out of such a good hurler, particularly one who is so ideally suited to controlling the game at midfield. Equally I was surprised in the posts above that no mention was made of Nicky Cashin. I certainly would rate him at least as highly as Mythen, and at this stage, far higher than Jacob. Sinnott is a different type of hurler but in fairness, I'd say if Ger Healion was ever custom built to suit marking a particular hurler, then Sinnott is that man. Of course where it might get interesting would be if Sinnott is switched out to wing forward and somebody like Jacob is left inside, though here you'd hope that the good covering work by Peter Healion would close off the space in front.

My concern for KK is that they are leaking goals this year. This time last year, Conor Slevin was in the middle of a great run of clean sheets - now he's conceded ten in the last six games. Of course that's a small sample size and a little bit of luck can go a long way, however this is the one aspect of KK's play this year that worries me. On the other side of the coin, as was pointed out above, the Geraghtys are no longer a couple of young lads who are playing bit parts out on the fringes of the team. They are both playing huge parts in KK success and you could now legitimately argue that all six of KK's forwards are capable of being match winners on a given day. Admittedly all in different ways, but that's good too.

It should be a great clash and I'm really disappointed I won't be there - but hopefully there will be another day against either Mount Leinster or Ballyboden to come.

[Toxicity234]

Looking forward to Sunday
Heading to Ballinamere for 1 o'clock. for their Semi Final. Eire Og from Wicklow
Know not much about Eire Og but they put up a good score in the last round against the Louth team. they scored 2-21 and it was a bad day so that a very good scoreline.
but Ballinamere should have too much class for Eire Og, If Ballinamere keep their on on the ball they should be in the lenister final.


and back to O'Connor Park for 2.30. This should be a good game. Kilcormac Killoughey has being in second gear so far this year. they only step it up for small parts of games. On Sunday they up against a very good team. Oulart The Ballagh have being trying for a long time to make the break through. There forwards are excellent.

There defender are good but the big weakness in Oulart The Ballagh is the way they get the ball from the defence to the attack. When their Defender are under pressure they hit and hope.

If the Kilcormac Killoughey Forward work hard and slow the ball coming out of the Oulart The Ballagh defence the Oulart The Ballagh forwards will not get enough of the ball to win the match.


The middle of November and we could be seen two Offaly team head into Lenister finals.

[townman]

just going through some of the papers on line yesterday, and most go for an Oulart win
this i can't understand and they put k/ks win down to luck or fluke last year.

nothing about Coolderrys win over them the year before, or that Kilcormac/Killoughey went
on and in my eyes bet a far better side in Thurles Sarsfields in the all ireland semil.
so i hope Danny owens has it pin to the dressing room door today what most think
of their run last year, and put it to bed once and for all that they are a force in club hurling.

anyway best of luck to k/k today and i am sure if they hit there best a win by 4 points or more
will be the outcome today.

[Lone Shark]

If I thought for one second that KK needed the motivation of proving random journalists wrong, or that such a trivial thing was likely to be pinned to the dressing room wall, I'd genuinely fear for their chances. They're playing just a few miles from their home in front of a largely home crowd, and Oulart are the most likely team to prevent them from getting back to the All Ireland final in March. They've done themselves and Offaly proud and keeping that going will drive them on, not disproving some random scribblers who possibly gave these "previews" five minutes of thought, if that.

..... in my eyes bet a far better side in Thurles Sarsfields in the all ireland semi.

Wouldn't agree with that at all. Munster club teams have been muck for the last decade in an All Ireland context. De la Salle hurled well the year they lost to Clarinbridge, every other team since Newtownshandrum in 2003 was poor. They've lost every time to Leinster/Galway opposition and their record against Ulster teams is a one point win over Ballygalget, an ET win over Cushendall and an ET defeat to Loughgiel. I'm not really sure why this is because at county level, Munster definitely regained the ascendancy this year and they've always had an edge over Offaly/Wexford/Dublin in that time - but you can't argue with those results and nothing that we've seen so far this year from anyone suggests that this year will be any different.

If Oulart were in Munster for the last few years I suspect they'd have picked up a title or two by now.

[KillougheyGoBragh]

This is where we are at, games are hard, conditions are difficult, skill level is gone up a notch or two and the lights are on!
This is what every club craves, we are lucky enough to experience these times.
These our heroes, that go onto a pitch, wearing our colours, proudly, representing us, owing us nothing!
What entertainment they have given us is immeasurable!
The "seeds" they have planted and continue to plant in the minds of every youngster in K/K will be their greatest gift to us as a community and club. This is our K/K, enjoy!

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Congratulations Oulart The Ballagh.
Great game had everything in it.
Tough luck K/K

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Commiserations KK.

Oularts performance during the first 15 minutes of the second half was exemplary. A six point deficit after KK's opening score of the half was turned into a five point lead following the next fourteen minutes of what was fantasy hurling from the Wexford Champions.


Although disappointing for KK there are silver linings.
Firstly, the loss provides the new Offaly management with all players available to them for the 2014 campaign as of tomorrow. Valuable time to get the formula right.
And secondly, not unlike when Coolderry got the All-Ireland final in 2012, KK's recent (deserved) successes as a team had some commentators way over calling the individual ability of some of their players and their potential value to inter-county hurling. Perhaps today, like Coolderry's All-Ireland defeat, will offer some realism.