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Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 4:58 pm
by Kevin
Odds on Paddy Power:
Offaly 4/6
Laois 6/4
Draw 9/1
Handicap Betting - Offaly giving 1 point.

Difficult to rely on head to head results here (or anywhere else) in early season GAA, but the fact remains that we had a tough day against Westmeath where Laois was able to get by them and retain their 1B status. We beat them head to head last day out, but with all that has been swirling since then it seems like a lifetime ago.

Would obviously be good to get the win here and get ourselves out of this Round Robin deal. In any event, hopefully the Round Robin 'experience' has enabled us to learn and work out some kinks.

Good luck to the team, management and all involved. While they are looking for a new order 2 in a row against us in championship - we owe them. It may take time for us the become the team that everyone wants to avoid come championship time again. A win on Sunday does not designate a definite step in that direction, but it won't do anything to hurt matters.

Let's go git 'em!!!!

COME ON OFFALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarterfinal

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 12:29 pm
by kaiserchief
Paddypowers decision to have Offaly as odds on favourites is a little mind boggling, especially based on Offaly's last 3 games.

They must see home advantage as the tipping edge for Offaly.. Personally feel it is a 50/50 game!!

Hopefully the sun will be out, a huge crowd in attendance and we will celebrate victory with a few large bottles in the sun!! What championship is all about!!

Best of luck lads!!!

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarterfinal

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 2:22 pm
by Bord na Mona man
The 3 games are a benefit. Leix had that over us last year.
Though there isn't a significant or obvious upward swing Offaly's graph from game 1 to 3. Once the Westmeath game was lost, it was about surviving after that.
Can Offaly afford another slow start where the opposition fire over 4 or 5 opening points? I think the backs need to contest the early balls a bit more aggressively rather than sitting off their men.

Home advantage is a bigger swing factor when there is an underdog or breakthrough seeking team in the mix.
Take last year, Offaly went ahead. Leix came back into it, suddenly their crowd woke up and smelled an upset. Every Leix score or Offaly mistake was magnified by the crowd's reaction.
Offaly weren't in great shape, but the home town factor contributed to Offaly wilting tamely when the squeeze was on. This time around I don't think the crowd is as much of factor. Most people expect an even contest.

There still some selection issues in the balance. At the moment I'm leaning towards a 8 cans of Devil's Bit for the terrace. On special for €10.

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarterfinal

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 7:17 pm
by kingscounty
Big chance of revenge here , not going to be easy but two wins in a row and good result from under 21s can only be positive for this bunch . Best of luck to all involved , il go for Offaly 3-14 Laois 1-17 .

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarterfinal

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 10:17 pm
by suckindiesel
laois have a much weaker back line than in 2016 and at least one passenger at midfield(as bad as ryan who should be no where near an offaly senior team).
we have lost solid backs with experience, john a Delaney, joe fitz, butch, and tom del. on top of that keenan, tommy fitz and joe campion are also gone........what is replacing them are in the main not up to inter county standard.

the only consolation, is that offaly are not much better....between the two of us, we would struggle to muster a team to test Kilkenny.

it may be a close call, the fact that the laois half back line looks so weak, may twist it towards offaly.


for supporters of both counties, the sad truth is that in 2016 we have fallen further off the pace, and the reality will merely hit home when we encounter a munster outfit in the qualifiers. I suppose this game in effect is a mini all Ireland for the local bragging rights, nothing more.

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarterfinal

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 2:54 pm
by Plain of the Herbs
Always hard to know. But this time it’s harder than usual.

Offaly have been a team under terrible pressure during the round robin stage and it has shown in their performances. Westmeath was Westmeath, while they were aided by neither Carlow or Kerry having forwards. Westmeath had forwards – and a plan. And had Westmeath not got a win over Kerry in Tralee, it is likely Offaly's year would be over by now.

Offaly don’t tend to do well against opposition who bring plans – teams who line out with anything other than an orthodox formation, with personnel who operate any further that 20 yards beyond their position on the programme. Just not capable of dealing with nasty surprises.

Laois will bring a plan to Tullamore on Sunday. Having lost three of their key defenders sine last year (Delaney, Stapleton & Fitzpatrick) causes difficulty for them. Still, they will certainly play with a seventh defender on Sunday and will work the ball up the flanks, as you would expect from any Ger Cunningham coached team. Worth noting that, of the replacements, really only Dwane Palmer was a panellist last year while Leigh Bergin, Ryan Mullaney, Colm Stapleton and John Lennon were not on the match day panel last year.

And so Laois have named the same 15 that lined out in their NHL playoff against Westmeath. With so many changes since last year, there is probably not much room for manoeuvre in terms of switching things further. Yet, worth recalling that last year, Plunkett made four changes to his announced starting 15, and that only three of those changes were announced to the public, with the call up of Enda Reilly to the goals kept a closely guarded secret. Given that he would have had to submit Sunday’s lineout to the Offaly Board for publication in the Offaly-produced programme, we can take it the lineout as announced is a cock and bull story. As is Plunkett’s right.

Zane Keenan is obviously a loss to the visitors but Neil Foyle’s return is a welcome one, the Borris in Ossory-Kilcotton man having missed last year’s campaign.

Laois’ relationship with Offaly is a curious one, for it dominates their thinking. 52 Sundays ago was their big day, the day all their targets seemed to be achieved. That was instantly reflected in their performance two weeks later against Galway when they barely wanted to know. Their target was achieved, they had scaled their Everest and their appetite was sated. Where else was there to go? Still, they will come to Tullamore with the mindset that they have a great chance to bury Offaly hurling for good and for ever.

Weatherwise, Sunday will be extemely hot, with temperatures likely to reach 24 degrees.

Recent weeks have shown Joseph Bergin and Shane Dooley coming into form. And I was impressed with James Mulrooney against Kerry. And the Offaly defence is starting to settle. Other hand, Offaly turn over too much possession for their own good.

For Offaly, the consequences of not winning are considerable. Remaining in the round robin is one thing, but facing away trips to both Antrim (who will probably win promotion on Saturday) and Kerry is a logistic nightmare. That won’t help to ease Sunday’s pressure though Offaly can only focus on Laois and the challenge they will present. That pressure won’t ease until the next day.

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarterfinal

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 2:56 pm
by Plain of the Herbs
Did you see that, Seán Ryan? The Laois crowd think you should be nowhere near an Offaly Senior team. What do you think of that, Sean? Only one way to answer that!
suckindiesel wrote:laois have a much weaker back line than in 2016 and at least one passenger at midfield(as bad as ryan who should be no where near an offaly senior team).

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:53 pm
by ditchhurler
I feel the key for Offaly is to play what Laois give them. In the first 20 mins last year Offaly used the shot puckouts, worked the ball up and took their scores. The Laois crowd were getting on their back and things weren't looking too bad. For some reason this stopped and Offaly went fro 10-6 up to 14-10 down in 10 mins. Then in the second half hit every ball into the 2 Laois sweepers and the rest is historave the

We need to do what Galway did to them last year. If Laois have 1 in the full forward line, use the 2 corner backs for the short puckouts, have them carry the ball and drive it over the sweeper. Dooley and Bergin will have the beating of their men in the air so lets use this advantange. We also must use intelligent heads up hurling. None of this blindly driving the ball like is our style. Head up, pick a man and pass it. And we shouldn't be afraid to shoot from long range. We have the hurlers to score from range. This will be a game of few goals chances but if we get a sniff we should be going for the jugular. Goals will be worth more than 3 points in this one.

I think we will win, but it will be tight. Cheddars team announced will be nothing like the one that starts. We must hurl to our strengths and that's get the ball to Shane and Joe inside as they are in good form. I think it will be something like a 1-21 to 0-20 win for Offaly. Heres hoping

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:55 pm
by sam88885a
i think we should win on sunday manly because laois are weaker than last year.
i have seem offaly 5 times this year and j bergin is the only player that i honestly think is hurling much better than last year .
S Dooley is impressive as always from placed balls but from play he is poor . A number of the players are selfish in my opinion .
Against kerry the half forward line was terrible .The midfield and half back line are incapable of giving a long decent ball that is to a forwards advantage . Balls that B Whelahan gave or even K Grogan gives for kk .Quality
Our defence is far from water tight but J demsey is incredible in goals .

Offaly are fit and their workrate is good but sunday we need guys to show a bit of quality .
I think E Kelly knows he has fuck up and is left with a weak team as a result .
The harm is done now .
.
Sunday i hope offaly hurl to the best of their ability and that is enough to get us the win .
i think we will win and ocp is worth a few points to us .

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:15 pm
by ditchhurler
I can't agree with Dooley been poor from play. He single handily won us the Carlow and Laois game with his contributions from play and he set up both Bergins goals the last day.

I also feel u are been hard on our half back line and midfield. Gardiner and Ryan have plenty of good ball in the last day while the likes King and Camon got through a lot of work too. If player give everything they have then that's all we can ask for

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 12:11 am
by sam88885a
fair enough i feel we are an honest team but lack quality or a real style of play .

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:50 am
by sam88885a
Just saw the team ,look ok .
i think J Bergin at centre forward will bring a bit of quality to a line that was terrible the last day .
i wouldnt have dropped Kiely ,i think he should be in midfield ahead of P Camon .
D Mooney and J Mulrooney are lucky to get another start in my opinion neither are good enough.
Hope we can get the win .

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 12:05 pm
by SearingDrive
sam88885a wrote:Just saw the team ,look ok .
i think J Bergin at centre forward will bring a bit of quality to a line that was terrible the last day .
i wouldnt have dropped Kiely ,i think he should be in midfield ahead of P Camon .
D Mooney and J Mulrooney are lucky to get another start in my opinion neither are good enough.
Hope we can get the win .
When was the team published? Can you give us the line out.

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 12:33 pm
by sam88885a
SearingDrive


Team was named last night and the only change is K Connolly is in for C Kiely

Re: Offaly v Laois LSHC Quarter-final, Sunday 5th June

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 12:47 pm
by Sharp Eye
Very Strange club representation on the Offaly Senior Team Brosna Gaels have a member on the team, Kinnitty have 3 members on the team, Seir Kieran have 3 members on the team. The strongest club in Offaly Kilcormac/Killoughey have just 2 subs.