NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

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townman
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NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by townman »

Sids first big day out and a derby to start with, the injuries seem to be huge with only Dermot Mooney the only back fit from last years championship team, so there will be alot of new faces on sunday so.
but its a chance for the likes of Brian Watkins, Niall Wynne, Dan Kellegher, Connor Doughan, to get a run in the side.

should have a good forward line to pick from with the Thomas and Peter Geraghty, Bergin,Currams, Brian Carroll, Connolly,Sean Cleary,Mahon, Colin Egan, midfield has been a problem area for offaly with
Kevin Brady again doing his hurling here along with Gary Connelly, and Cathal Parlon the last few games
throw in Damien Kilmartin and Barry Harding along with Mahon who can hurl there we will be well cover.

laois also seem to have their problems with players out hurt and Zane Keenan and Geroid Burke the camross two have left the panel along with Cahir Healy who has also left the panel from last year.
but this still will be a tricky game, as laois will see this as we say there all ireland and will put everything into getting a win here, and with us missing so many defenders it will be close, add in Dooley and Hanniffy also out it will be up to the new players to stand up and be counted on sunday.

i think we will have the forwards to get the win on sunday, the likes of Bergin,Currams,Carroll, and the Geraghtys twins and maybe Stephen Quirke and Kevin Connolly off the bench to give us the win
Offaly by 5 points.

with so many missing its hard to name a team but i think it might go on the lines of this
1 james Dempsey
2 Niall Wynne
3 Dan Kellegher
4 Dermot Mooney
5 Barry Harding
6 Brian Watkins
7 Connor Doughan
8 kevin Brady
9 Gary Connelly
10. Sean Cleary
11. Dan Currams
12 peter Geraghty
13 Brian Carroll
14 Joe Bergin
15 Thomas Geraghty

subs 16 conor slevin
17 mick cleary
18 sean Gardiner
19 sean coughlan
20 tommy carroll
21 damien kilmartin
22 cathal parlon
23 kevin connolly
24 steven Quirke
25 sean Ryan
26 Chris McDonald
27 Colin Egan

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townman
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by townman »

team picked for sunday

1 J.Dempsey
2 N.Wynne
3 D.Kellegher
4 J.Rigney
5 C.Doughan
6 B.Watkins
7 D.Mooney
8 K.Brady
9 C.Parlon
10 P.Geraghty
11 J.Bergin
12 C.Egan
13 K.Connolly
14 S.Gardiner
15 B.Carroll

good to see James Rigney back fit, 5 lads making their first start young side to. best of luck to them.

hawksforever
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by hawksforever »

Yes a young team with new management and perhaps a little pressure been a home game. Best of luck to all especially those 5 lads making their debut.
Will be interesting to see what support turns up on Sunday hopefully a good home crowd after Loughnanes outburst today, does anyone think he might try to wriggle out of this if he is on TV this weekend.

Toxicity234
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by Toxicity234 »

Looking forward to tomorrow.
its an interesting team.
Brian Carroll at no 15 is good. I was sick of look at playing out of position. Now it up to him to product. If doesn't Dan Currims will have his spot in a flash.
N. Wynne and Kellegher have be great in the pre season. Watkins and Doughan in the half back line new to the level. its a big step up for them. They are both are very good Hurlers. Brady and Parlon in Midfield are very important. If brady can drop to help the half back we have a great platform to push the tempo of the game.
Parlon must be playing well in training because i have seen him play twice this year and he be poor(poor is an understatement). he has to put in a performance or Damien Kilmartin or Gary Connellly will be on.
Peter Geraghty is a massive plus to an forward line. His hard work and ability to turn over ball is a huge plus. Bergin and Egan are as good half forward to win ball as there around.
Connolly is a players, he wouldn't win his own ball and we have make sure that we deliver good ball into him. If we give him the ball he and Carroll get is the scores.
Again Gardiner is a super hurler and he work his sock off. He still learning how to play at full forward.

i don't want to see tomorrow. i don't want to see anytime in the 1st half Wynne and Doughan playing on the same side. They two young lad stepping up to the grade and Doughan hasn't play an Walsh cup games. So let keep rigney behind Doughan and Mooney ahead of wynne. The first round against Dublin last year we spend the 1st half with King and Gardiner on one side of our defense. It was unfair to the two lads.

I think the management should consider having a pre-arrange rest for Brady. i think that after20 or 25 mins Brady should put in a full forward for 5 mins as full forward isn't as hard on the legs as midfield and Gardiner is a good hurler and would enjoy the few mins freedom of midfield. when Brady legs go. Offaly normally fall away.
“Common sense is not so common.”

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townman
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by townman »

good points toxicity when Bradys legs go its the bench he should go to, cost us again Galway in the walsh cup. Kilmartin,Mahon, or Conneely should come on.

Killeighman
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by Killeighman »

Doughan is a good player and i would like to see him around the middle of the field. He can catch high ball and he has legs to run. I dont think experience is a problem. He has done it for the minors last year and shinrone seniors too. I think he would be well able for it.

Toxicity234
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by Toxicity234 »

Limerick and Cork was a draw tonight.
“Common sense is not so common.”

Toxicity234
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by Toxicity234 »

Laois 1-9 offaly 0-7
Lucky to be so close. Laois were miles ahead of us
“Common sense is not so common.”

kingscounty
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by kingscounty »

In serious trouble in the group now, looks like a relegation battle ahead now.

DAF
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by DAF »

Terrible performance.Our touch was woeful , the team weren't sharp and were continually beaten to the ball by their opponents. Laois always seemed to have an extra man both in defence and attack and for some reason number 5 from Laois was let catch a load of short puckouts and nothing was done about it.I don't think we caught one puckout cleanly in our half forward line today.The 2 goals at the end put a gloss on the scoreline but Laois were a good deal better than us today and they missed a load of chances.Our chances for promotion are effectively gone now.

jimbob17
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by jimbob17 »

Ah lads, where do we go from here.... we were totally outplayed..... I fear that this could be the year where years of mismanagement at underage finally catches up with us..... looking at the highlights, we wont get within 5 of either cork or limerick..... This leaves us in a position where we have to beat wexford and antrim to be in contention to stay out of relegation..... dont fancy wexford away and wouldnt back us at this stage.... therefore looks like a possible play off for relegation....... And looking out there today, Ger Loughnane wasnt too far off the mark with his comments.... we were slower, heavier and not as well conditioned as Laoise, a team we would generally look down on.....

There are serious issues that need to be resolved in Offaly hurling starting at the very bottom.......we havent been competitive in underage competitions for a good number of years now..... if these issues aren't addressed, then we are going nowhere fast.... I felt for some of the older players today.... we were more than just beaten today... we were outclassed.....
jimbob

Killeighman
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by Killeighman »

I counted kevin brady picking the ball clean off the ground 3 times in the game. The man has lost whatever hurling he had. Parlon may aswell have been sitting at home. Geraghty was off form. Kelleher and rigney played as well as they could have. They is plenty of game time left in stephen quirke.

allstar2010
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by allstar2010 »

With so many lads making their debuts this was always going to be a potential banana skin and even with Laois missing their top players like Keenan and Cahir Healy they were always going to put it up to us. You'd have to question management decision not to start more regulars. This was a crucial game and now relegation from this division is starring us in the face.

As a previous poster mentioned years of terrible preparation with our underage set up is now filtering into the senior set up.
Not good. Bitterly disappointed.

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Slieve Bloom Man
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by Slieve Bloom Man »

What a shambles of a display today. There was no way we deserved to be within 2 pts of Laois at the end of this game. At the Galway walsh cup game I was pleased with the endeavour and some of the hurling was good- with general first touch not being bad. However at that Walsh Cup game I was worried about the aimless ball we were hitting into the forwards and how we fell away in the end of the game. Well things were a hundred times worse today all over the field.

Laois players showed greater endeavour, seemed fitter, their touch was better, they passed the ball better and their management won the tactical battle hands down. Offaly players were dropping balls (no touch), conceding crazy frees, hitting aimless balls, ran into poor positions and were bunching which suited the Laois backs.

Laois played an extra man in defence leaving Offaly with 6 backs against 5 Laois forwards but those 5 forwards caused all sorts of problems in first half and we were lucky they missed so many scoring chances. James Rigney was extra man in defence and didn't do a great job. He was trying hard but his touch was poor. He improved as game went on. Niall Wynne did okay. Kelleher wasn't too bad - altho he looks like one of those lads Ger Loughnane was talking about during the week. Our half back line was very poor. I know obviously Conor Doughan was nervous making his debut but he had a nightmare first half- how they left him on - I don't know. He was better in the 2nd half. Watkins was poor at centre back. Mooney found it tough going on Laois best forward - Stephen Maher but he was best of the 3 on half back line. Midfield was an absolute disaster. Parlon was worse than Brady but my God for 2 experienced players - they played like headless chickens. Joe Bergin was accurate with frees in 1st half missing 1 but he fell apart on them in 2nd half and Brian Carroll took over free taking. Bergin threatened to do things from play but he never got going. The two wing forwards Colin Egan and Peter Gerathy both played badly. Egan substituted at half-time and Gerathy in 2nd half. Corner forward Kevin Connolly was replaced by Daniel Currams during 1st half. Connolly never got into it but don't think he really was the worse player out there in first 20 mins. Anyway we were sending terrible ball into him. All that said Connolly has skill but he'll need to be stronger on the ball. CAN WE PLEASE NOW STOP THE SEAN GARDINER IN FORWARDS EXPERIMENT?-DEFINITELY NOT WORKING. God knows we needed him on the half back line today anyway. Brian Carroll got a couple pts from play and a couple of frees. He wasn't too bad but he got knocked off ball way too easily as well - criminal for an experienced player. Daniel Currams never really got into the game when he came on - was lucky enough that his goal went in- Laois goalie would have to be disappointed with it. Stephen Quirke looked lively when he came on at start of 2nd half- made good runs- at least he looked like he wanted the ball and was trying. Sean Clery did well too when he came on - should have come on much earlier- or actually he should have started. In the last 10 mins Conor Doughan became free man and moved out to midfield attack but this move was too late at that stage.

How did we not bring on 5 subs when our starting 15 were so bad? Currams came on for Kevin Con, Quirke for Colin E and Clery for Geragthy. Kilmartin for Parlon. (Chris McDonald was blood sub for few mins in 1st half).

Look I do know that when things start to go wrong it can be very hard to get back into a game especially when Offaly were such hot favourites. When players are complacent - it is very difficult to save the game. What worries me is our touch was so poor- thought at least Sid would do a good job on this and we are still sending aimless balls into our forwards.

Where was the expected backlash from Loughnane comments? Let's be honest - there was some truth in his comments based on Offaly in 2013. We had a few players that were overweight for intercounty hurling. Look Loughnane did go over top but so was Offaly response in media. The Offaly response should have been on the field of play. Actually Loughnane complimented us on our skill and potential - he might change his mind after today.

Barry Kelly was also terrible today - he was blowing for frees that weren't there. He didn't allow any flow to develop. He was keeping Offaly in game in 1st half with frees- gave Laois few soft frees in 2nd half and then few more for Offaly at end of game.

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bracknaghboy
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Re: NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

Post by bracknaghboy »

The Laois and Antrim matches were must win games in order to avoid relegation battle and ensure a 1/4 final spot. So why oh why when faced with numerous injuries did management decide to line out with a team with a number of fringe players with so many experienced and better players on the side line. Chris McDonald was the player of 2013.....but all he got was a few mins blood sub. Sean Cleary put in mighty displays in the Walsh Cup but only came on late in the game. Sean Gardiner is simply not a forward. It was a very disappointing performance from our sideline. Surely securing 2 points today was the only goal and therefore the team should have lined out something like this below:

1. James Dempsey
2. Chris McDonald
3. Dan Kelliher
4. James Rigney
5. Sean Gardner
6. Kevin Brady
7. Dermot Mooney
8. Brian Carroll
9. Connor Mahon
10. Sean Clery
11. Joe Bergin
12. Colin Egan
13. Stephen Quirke
14. Dan Currams
15. Cathal Parlon


If Sid wanted to give Geragthy, Connolly and Doughan game time then the Cork and Limerick games were the ones to do it in.......but the team should have been set up to ensure both Laois and Antrim were put away.
By the way full credit to Laois....their touch and speed at which they moved the ball was way better than any of us would have expected for this time of year.
God only knows what they would have done to us with a fully fit Hyland and if Healy and Keenan had remained on board their panel this year.

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