Round 1 Qualifiers: Offaly v Wicklow

[Lean Times]

Draw for the first round of qualifiers was this morning.

Not the worst draw for the footballers seeing as Derry were also in the pot. Anybody know why the draw was plit into two??

Offaly I beleive are away to Wicklow for this so a trek to Aughrim awaits.

[townman]

hard to see them get a win in Aughrim.

[allstar2010]

hard to see them get a win in Aughrim.

Good man, positive as ever!!

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

This is the perfect draw, this team needs to grind out a win somewhere, and would hope that we can make it over the line in this one.

However, if our players have phoned in since the last round, well... this will be exposed too.

Good luck to the lads!

[Kevin]

This is the perfect draw, this team needs to grind out a win somewhere, and would hope that we can make it over the line in this one.

However, if our players have phoned in since the last round, well... this will be exposed too.

Good luck to the lads!

Fully concur. This is as good a draw as we could expect.

[townman]

hard to see them get a win in Aughrim.

Good man, positive as ever!!

they haven't won a game all year Aughrim is a hard place to get a win

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Bit easier that Derry!
We havnt played Wicklow for a while in the Championship, 97 the last time.

Of course it will be difficult, but if we have worked hard since the Longford game, this must be classed as a winnable game.

Have we a full hand to pick from, anyone know?

[kingscounty]

Didn't hear any reports of injuries so hopefully we have full squad . We put up good show against a Longford team that was at home . I think Hanlon might be available to , thought I heard his red card couldn't stand because the linesman shouldn't have been aloud tell the ref to award red card , I could be wrong . There isn't much news on how the lads are going in training and I think that's a good thing, keep the heads down and train hard and hopefully we can pull off a badly needed win .

[True Red]

Travelled to Longford and will travel to this to get behind the lads.

Hopefully a good positive hard working performance will bring a decent result.

[summerindublin]

Ken Casey is gone from the squad.

[Kevin]

Ken Casey is gone from the squad.

Any idea why?

Too bad regardless.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Hard to get a win in Aughrim? Let’s look at the evidence.

Offaly have played a Leinster championship game just once in Aughrim, Offaly forcing a draw before winning the replay in Tellamore.

As for the league, Offaly have played Wicklow in Aughrim eight times in all, where Offaly have won five and lost three. Moreso, Wicklow won the first three ties between the counties in Aughrim (their last back in 1956). Since then Offaly have won the last five NHL ties played at Aughrim since 1959, most recently in 2008. Offaly have also won the three NFL games played elsewhere in Wicklow, winning twice in Baltinglass, once in Blessington.

Much of the myth of Aughrim was built around Leix making a show of themselves there in 1986 and forcing the Gardaí to draw batons to quieten the visitors who turned to violence after fellas were sent off for striking and/or fighting.

[timber]

Great opportunity to get a win here. If the game was fixed for Tullamore we would be saying we should win this. The venue is just another pitch. Same players, same ball. If they are focused and training hard, I cant see why a win is not very posssible.

Would like to see Anton Sullivan on the inside line. Think its a waste of time having him out the field. The opposition would be delighted in fact to see him out there. The danger he causes is when he is close to goal.

[fifitrixiebelle]

id say I speak with a bit more authority on this one than most here...and dats unusual with so many rale clever lads on this site. the tipp team that stormed out of D4 (hey townman!) were beaten once...by wickla. but dats only part of the story. tipp had qualified, fielded a weakened team, brought on 5 subs during the game and had Acheson blackcarded. they were still winning well until a tipp inj left them a man down & wickla hit them for 3 goals in a couple of mins to win. wickla had to win to be in with a whiff of D3. didn't matter becos the banner bet antrim.
townman is too pessimistic. this wickla team are no great shakes at all & theres no reason ye cant bate them. if tipp had fielded a full team id be confident enuf they would have bet them in rathnew. so no reason the biffs cant pull it off in aughrim. one thing...they have great support, brought a very vocal crowd to semple.

but my bobs are on the biffs. onward the land of El Sid!!

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Thats it so Fifi, you think we can win, putting in me order now for a hape a hang with the local shop, (the rail stuff, not your aul shite in packets) and we'll load her up next Saturday.
Jayz now if we win, you can saunter on here and tell us ya told us Wickla were shite!!! Your are a nasty little man!