2016 National League Div 3

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
Exiled in Connacht
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Exiled in Connacht »

First Touch - head to head kicks in if 2 teams finish on same points. Scoring difference kicks in if more than 2 teams finish level on points.

This has been confirmed across in the hurling thread where thankfully things seemed to have moved on from the Tullamore/Birr nonsense !

On the football front our scoring difference is not great. Two big wins in Mullingar and Limerick are needed I think.

jimbob17
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by jimbob17 »

Buttons wrote:Looking at table and fixtures
Kildare 8 pts, Tipp away and then home to Clare
Clare 6 pts, Longford home and then kildare away
Longford 6pts, Clare away and westmeath home
Tipperary 6pts, Kildare home and sligo away
Offaly 6pts, Westmeath and limerick away
Sligo 4pts, Limerick and tipp home
Westmeath 3pts, offaly home and longford away
Limerick 1pt, sligo away and offaly home

I wouldnt like to call it now, shame our point difference isnt great as well
Great win today and well deserved. Thought Eoin Carroll was excellent and Gethings was very good for a new player at this level, as were all of the backs. Niall had a quiet day and was well marshalled but Guilfoyle was excellent today and was in hard luck to be taken off. Lets hope Panda Allen gets back soon and is OK. Had a right good game today.

It is a fierce tight division with little or nothing between most teams - Limerick aside. Everyone bar Kildare can still be relegated and everyone bar Limerick can still be promoted technically, though it is most unlikely for Westmeath. The fact that Westmeath need to win the next day changes the whole dynamic for our game with them. If they lose they could be gone if Sligo beat Limerick which is quite likely.

As it stands, Clare lie in second due to score difference. A head to head will only count when there are 2 teams on same points. If there are 3 on same points eg Tipperary Clare & Offaly, Tipp would top it seen as they beat the other 2 teams. However, if it were Tipp Longford and Offaly level on points for example it would be points difference as they have all beaten each other. At this stage Clare are well ahead of other 3 teams on points difference, but that wont count if they lose again as either Tipp or Offaly will top them with 8 points on the board.

It is most likely that Tipp and Clare will drop points to Kildare yet which puts them on max of 8 points if they win other game. Bare in mind that Kildare must win these games as if they lose to Tipp or Clare, they are behind Tipperary or Clare on head to head on 8 points with either Clare or Longford also joining on 8 points after the next game - barring a draw of course.

So it is all to play for. Beat Westmeath and I reckon we are in great position to get promotion with one game left against a relegated Limerick - unless they beat Sligo in next game of course! Lot of permutations and All to play for!
jimbob

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Brazil winner shows 'this Offaly team doesn't down tools any more'
Offaly 0-15 Clare 1-11
Brian Lowry

A point deep in stoppage-time from Michael Brazil ensured Offaly kept their promotion hopes alive at O'Connor Park as they kept their 100pc home record intact.

Offaly had led by three points with normal time just up but after two fine saves earlier in the sequence from Faithful keeper Alan Mulhall, Eoin Cleary did find the net for Clare to level.

There were seven minutes of injury-time, owing largely to a lengthy stoppage for a head injury to Bernard Allen, and with five of those minutes elapsed, Brazil went on a fine run and kicked the winning point.

Up to the time of the Clare goal, Offaly had been in control and rock solid value for their lead.

They were three points ahead at half-time, having blown some excellent goal chances, and they kicked on in the third quarter as Graham Guilfoyle, Brazil and Nigel Dunne all added superb points from play.
Knuckled

Clare knuckled down and got up a head of steam with three scores in a row but points from Joe Maher and Anton Sullivan left Offaly sitting on a three point lead before Cleary struck for the late goal.

Brazil then kicked the winner and a vital one at that, with Westmeath, Longford and Sligo all winning their games, setting up an interesting final two rounds of action over the next two weekends.

Offaly boss Pat Flanagan was delighted to see his side come through another close encounter.

"We're the most tested team in the country at this stage when it comes to character" said the Clara native, before going on to further praise his players for keeping their promotion dream alive.

"Another team would have downed tools after conceding a score like that but this team doesn't down tools any more.

"To be fair to our lads and the work they've been putting in, they deserve to be on six points, possibly a little bit more. But it's still in our hands to get to ten points and if we can do that, who knows?"
Scorers - Offaly: B Allen 0-4 (2fs), N Dunne 0-3, G Guilfoyle, M Brazil 0-2 each, J O'Connor, C McNamee, J Maher (f), A Sullivan 0-1 each. Clare: D Tubridy 0-4 (3fs), E Cleary 1-1, J Malone 0-2, G Brennan, S Collins, E Coughlan, P Burke 0-1 each.
OFFALY - A Mulhall 8; E Rigney 6, S Pender 9, B Darby 7; N Darby 6, J Moloney 8, J O'Connor 9; E Carroll 8, J Gethings 7; C McNamee 6, N Dunne 7, M Brazil 8; N McNamee 6, B Allen 7, G Guilfoyle 6. Subs: J Maher 7 for Allen (46), A Sullivan 7 for Guilfoyle (56), S Doyle for C McNamee (70), R McNamee for N McNamee (70+6)
CLARE - J Hayes 7; S Malone 6, K Hartnett 6, M McMahon 8; J Malone 8, G Kelly 7, C O'Dea 6; G Brennan 8, C O'Connor 6; S Collins 6, S McGrath 5, P Lillis 5; E Cleary 7, D Tubridy 7, E Coughlan 6. Subs: D Ryan 7 for Lillis (29), K Sexton 6 for McGrath (h-t), P Burke 7 for Collins (BC, 38), G Kelly 6 for Coughlan (60), S Haugh for J Malone (70+6).
Ref - B Cawley (Kildare)

Indo Sport

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic- ... 36766.html

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Offaly keep composure in dramatic finale

Kevin Egan

Offaly 0-15 Clare 1-11: Offaly added their name to the shortlist of Division 3 promotion candidates yesterday when they overcame the concession of a late Eoin Cleary goal to snatch the last score of an entertaining contest against Clare at O’Connor Park.

“We’d have to give credit to Offaly, over the course of the 70 minutes they edged it,” conceded Clare manager Colm Collins afterwards, though his side must have fancied their chances after the St Joseph’s corner-forward slammed the ball to the roof of the net with one minute of normal time still to play.

Seven minutes of injury-time were added by referee Brendan Cawley due to a lengthy stoppage for a head injury to Offaly’s Bernard Allen. But while supporters on both sides were hugely relieved to see Allen make his way off the field with assistance after he lay motionless for over four minutes, the enforced break turned out to be hugely helpful to the Clare cause.

Up to that point, Offaly were the dominant side and fully worthy of their five-point lead. They led by three at the interval having failed to convert a couple of clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, while they kicked on again in the third quarter as Graham Guilfoyle, Michael Brazil and Nigel Dunne all added superb points from play.
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Clare rallied with three scores in a row and while Offaly again steadied the ship with scores from substitutes Joe Maher and Anton Sullivan, the match was blown wide open when Cleary found the net at the third attempt, having twice been blocked by goalkeeper Alan Mulhall only to collect the rebound in each instance.

A fine run and score from centre-forward Michael Brazil pushed the Faithful County back in front however and while Eoin Carroll received a second yellow card in added time, Pat Flanagan’s side kept their composure to record a third home win in this campaign, with all three victories secured by very narrow margins.

“We’re the most tested team in the country at this stage when it comes to character,” said the Clara native afterwards, before going on to further praise his players for keeping their promotion dream alive.

“Another team would have downed tools after conceding a score like that but this team doesn’t down tools any more. To be fair to our lads and the work they’ve been putting in, they deserve to be on six points, possibly a little bit more. But it’s still in our hands to get to ten points and if we can do that, who knows?”

Scorers for Offaly:

B Allen 0-4 (0-2f), N Dunne 0-3, G Guilfoyle & M Brazil 0-2 each, J O’Connor, C McNamee, J Maher (f) & A Sullivan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clare:

D Tubridy 0-4 (0-3f), E Cleary 1-1, J Malone 0-2, G Brennan, S Collins, E Coughlan, P Burke 0-1 each.

OFFALY:

A Mulhall; E Rigney, S Pender, B Darby; N Darby, J Moloney, J O’Connor; E Carroll, J Gethings; C McNamee, N Dunne, M Brazil; N McNamee, B Allen, G Guilfoyle.

Subs:

J Maher for Allen (46), A Sullivan for Guilfoyle (56), S Doyle for C McNamee (70), R McNamee for N McNamee (70+6)

CLARE:

J Hayes; S Malone, K Hartnett, M McMahon; J Malone, G Kelly, C O’Dea; G Brennan, C O’Connor; S Collins, S McGrath, P Lillis; E Cleary, D Tubridy, E Coughlan.

Subs:

D Ryan for Lillis (29), K Sexton for McGrath (HT), P Burke for Collins (38 – bc), G Kelly for Coughlan (60), S Haugh for J Malone (70+6)

Referee:
B Cawley (Kildare)

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/ ... 87257.html

ryot
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by ryot »

Does anyone have a clue as to why Clare's Sean Collins got the Black Card ?

Now their number 20 pushed hard to get a Red one but other than that there were no real foul play...............

Buttons
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Buttons »

Nearly sure he got the black for a pull back, that number 20 was very lucky alright, he got a yellow and got away with a bit

tothepoint
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by tothepoint »

It's a little simpler than people make out out if Kildare win both and offaly win both they both get promoted because the only teams that can hit 10 pints will be longford which offaly have on the head to head. So all to play for..
Sunday

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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Lone Shark »

tothepoint wrote:It's a little simpler than people make out out if Kildare win both and offaly win both they both get promoted because the only teams that can hit 10 pints will be longford which offaly have on the head to head. So all to play for..
Sunday
Wouldn't like to be dependent on Kildare winning - Tipp seem to be trying to ensure that they struggle to find the right venue this weekend and either way, Tipp at full strength would be a decent match for Kildare.

Still, the equation for Offaly is simple - win both games, and the prospects are bright. No point worrying about what other teams do.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

kingscounty
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by kingscounty »

As I said before just go out and win both games , win is all that should be in the mind . Best of luck to the lads in Mullingar , might buy a slab of scrumpy jack in dunnes when I'm passing by , rumour has it you can get into the match for free if you show your dunnes club card !!

Exiled in Connacht
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Exiled in Connacht »

Big win for Kildare today - Kildare 2-13 Tipperary 1-05

Not good for Tipp's scoring average which has now gone from +2 to -9. Could be important if we finish level with them in a 3 way tie. On a straight head to head they have the advantage of course having beaten us earlier.

We still need to win our last two games so good luck to the lads tomorrow. Seán Moran in Irish Times today thinks Westmeath's quality in attack gives them the edge over us. Lets hope he is wrong.

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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Buttons »

Tipp losing was a good result for us today, their points difference also took a battering and is worse than ours, will be hoping Clare beat Longford as they have Kildare away to finish with as opposed to Longford who could be playing an already relegated Westmeath.

With the tightness of this group you can look forward but also have to be looking over your shoulder, we havent won away and i havent travelled to any away game so cant comment. To the team that sneaks second the gulf between division 2 and 3 looks big with some of the teams that will be in division 2.

Exiled in Connacht
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Exiled in Connacht »

I agree about the gulf in class between divisions 2 and 3.

Meath, Laois and Armagh are all struggling and two of those could be relegated. Shows how poor Leinster football is. Next season there might be only two teams from Leinster in top two divisions ( Dublin and Kildare ).

Toxicity234
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Toxicity234 »

Best of luck to the footballer tomorrow
“Common sense is not so common.”

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Bord na Mona man »

No motivational team talk required tomorrow.
The chance to banish the maroon goons to Division 4 is delicious.
They'll be fighting for their lives though.

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Buttons
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Re: 2016 National League Div 3

Post by Buttons »

Feel this is one that got away, to start with the management got it wrong, 24 minutes before Anton came on and in the 11 first half minutes he played he contributed more than some did in the whole game. He tackled hard and ran at pace at westmeath often winning frees and got a point too i think, secondly we all know that Niall Smith is one of our best fielders and he wasnt introduced until second half, we were getting beaten at midfield and often Mulhall had no one to go to but Carroll who had a great game. Now the day that was in with the strong wind i think these two lads would have been better starting than sitting on bench, i am not sure of Smiths circumstances after getting married and i think Anton was up with the army in Dublin earlier in day.

The goal Westmeath got late in first half was a killer as to go in a point down playing into that wind must have been great for them, five or six point lead would have been needed. The only good thing was Heslin getting the black card as he would have been worth a few points extra.

Overall the backs were excellent, Pender had a great game in particular and Darby not far behind, Carroll did well in midfield and Anton when he came on, none of the forwards were great, Naill Mc was lucky not to have come off, he lost a lot of ball and kicked an easy one short even if going into the wind but the thing is he has it and can produce a moment of magic.

The Cork ref hadnt his best of days and some decisions very strange for both teams with a good bit of inconsistancy too. As i mentioned in a previous post a big gulf between division 2 and 3 and another season here might be good, as for out neighbours they are in no great shape so cant see a summer like last year for them.

Hopefully a win against Limerick and a good summer with a win in the Leinster for us

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