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Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 2:52 pm
by fifitrixiebelle
Bord na Mona man wrote: Had we got the rub of the green in a few places, I think we could have came out on top."
if anyone knows wat drugs flanagan is on give me a shout becos there obviosly powerful...'rub of the green'??? when they got one of the flukiest goals i ever saw just b4 haftime??? its a total massage of the green hes lookin for

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:32 pm
by jimbob17
Need to beat sligo well to have chance of staying up due to poor points difference. Need two good wins in upcoming games.. If we lose we are gone for definite as our points difference will see us in bottom 2 even if we beat Laois! 5 points won't be enough for us with score difference. Our only blessing is that we play a struggling team in final game while Longford play Antrim - one of them will also go down with either ourselves or Laois. Must also bare in mind tomorrow is also huge game for sligo as if they lose they are also in relegation danger if results go against them. A win however and they are in mix for promotion.

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 11:32 pm
by Slieve Bloom Man
Huge game against Sligo tomorrow - best of luck to all involved! Results tonight mean - if Offaly win tomorrow and it is between Offaly/Laois and Longford/Antrim ( & possibly Sligo ) to be relegated. Will be tough game in Sligo tomorrow first.

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 7:42 pm
by Exiled in Connacht
I went to Sligo today more in hope than expectation.

Huge win for the lads and in the end they deserved it.

In the first half the teams were fairly evenly matched. Ruairi McNamee was picked to start but Cian Donoghue played instead.As has happened all through the league Offaly depended on Bernard Allen and Nigel Dunne for scores.Terrible mix up between James lawlor and Sean Pender for the first Sligo goal. It resulted in Sean Pender picking up an injury and he ended up having to go off after only 25 mins. I don't think James Lawlor is tight enough to play full back. He if a tall athletic guy and in the second half as he moved out the field and looked more comfortable I thought. We went in 1-7 to 1-4 up at half time.

Second half almost turned against us in a two minute period. First of all Nigel Dunne played a great ball in and either Sean Doyle or Bernard Allen scored but the ref disallowed it for some reason. About 90 seconds later Sligo played a ball in and Alan Mulhall took man and ball and gave away a penalty and got a black card for his troubles. Ken Garry came on but had no chance with the penalty. It was now Offaly 1-10, Sligo 2-6 after about 45 mins played and it looked like we were in trouble.

However Offaly showed fantastic heart. Eoin O'Carroll kicked a great point, Joey O'Connor won great ball and David O'Hanlon was every where. We out fought Sligo and then David Hanlon scored a cracker of a goal.In the end we looked comfortable and composed. Sligo were a bit of a rabble in the last 10 mins and were in disciplined giving away frees and black cards.

In the end we were good value for the win. 2-14 to 2-10.

Great performances from David Hanlon, Nigel Dunne, Graham Guilfoyle, Eoin Carroll. Brian Darby covered a lot of ground and even kicked a point.

They have showed great spirit since the debacle in Armagh. They all gathered together in a circle after the match and you could see that Pat spoke to them with great passion. They went off looking like a very happy bunch as away wins do not come easy in this division.I admire Pat for hanging in there.

So its now down to the Laois game and it's all in our hands. A repeat of today's performance would be enough I think to get the win. It would be a huge boost to stay in division 3. Hope a good crowd turns up next Sunday to cheer the lads on. Staying up and at the same time relegating Laois should be a big enough incentive for everyone.

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:57 pm
by first_touch
Great post, Exiled in Connacht. Good recovery by Offaly following the Armagh debacle. All roads lead to O'Connor Park next Sunday!

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:26 pm
by Bord na Mona man
Offaly absolutely had to win this and they delivered. I'd say Pat Flanagan's insight on Sligo helped too.
Apart from the Armagh blowout, Offaly have been competitive in all the games, but up until today have been edged out in the second half of most of them.
Following the game from afar I had a worry they could fade again, so it was great to see the lads dug in.
Next week against Leix will be a proper good encounter!

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 10:15 am
by Bord na Mona man
Flanagan marks return to Sligo with triumph
Offaly 2-14 Sligo 2-10

Offaly native Pat Flanagan returned to Sligo, the county where he spent a year in charge in 2014, but the home fans won't begrudge how his beleaguered Offaly, who are battling to avoid relegation, determinedly took the spoils at Markievicz Park in a four-point win.
Aside from Sligo's enterprising phase in the opening quarter, which saw them lead 1-3 to 0-3 by the 17th minute, and a second-half penalty that reduced the visitors' lead to a point, Offaly were the better side, as wing-back David Hanlon's goal on 54 minutes proved the decisive score in the match.
The winners featured two of the game's best attackers, Nigel Dunne and Bernard Allen, while their midfielders Eoin Carroll and Joseph O'Connor also fared particularly well.

Dunne's goal on 24 minutes, from O'Connor's assist, put Offaly on course for a 1-7 to 1-4 interval lead, while three of their seven first-half points came from the lively Allen.
Sligo, who were boosted early on through Niall Murphy's excellent goal finish to a fine 17th-minute move, appeared to have rediscovered the grit that saw them produce recoveries at home against Armagh and Laois when Adrian Marren hit the net from a 45th-minute penalty.

However, Sligo only managed to get within a point of their opponents as, despite the energy provided by substitute Cian Breheny, they failed to trouble Offaly.
Instead they hurt themselves with three second-half black cards and a red, with Ross Donovan getting a second yellow three minutes from full-time.

Scorers - Offaly: Nigel Dunne 1-3 (3f); Bernard Allen 0-5 (1f); David Hanlon 1-0; Graham Guilfoyle, Eoin Carroll (1f) 0-2; Brian Darby, Cian Donoghue 0-1 each. Sligo: Niall Murphy 1-2 (1f); Adrian Marren 1-0 (1-0 pen), Mark Breheny 0-3 (3f); Aidan Devaney 0-2 (2f), Stephen Coen 0-2; Neil Ewing 0-1.
Offaly: A Mulhall 6; B Darby 6, J Lawlor 7, S Pender 6; N Darby 6, P Cunningham 6, D Hanlon 6; E Carroll 7, J O'Connor 7; S Nally 5, G Guilfoyle 6, C Donoghue 6, S Doyle 6, N Dunne 8, B Allen 8. Subs: D Brady 6 for S Pender (25), K Garry 5 for A Mulhall (45 -black card), J Maloney 4 for S Doyle (63)

Sligo: A Devaney 6; R Donovan 6, K McDonnell 5, N Gaughan 5; C Harrison 5, N Ewing 5, K Cawley 6; S Gilmartin 5, A McIntyre 7; E McHugh 5, N Murphy 5, J Kelly 6; S Coen 7, P Hughes 5, A Marren 5. Subs: M Breheny 5 for K McDonnell (h-t); C Breheny 7 for S Gilmartin (44), B Egan 4 for K Cawley (48 - black card), C Davey 4 for Egan (58 - black card), C Henry for Kelly (64 -black card)
Ref: James Molloy (Galway)

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic- ... 67196.html

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:12 pm
by Kevin
Away win at Sligo. Nice job!

Laois seems to have been all over the place in this league campaign. Can't imagine any lack of focus for this next one though.

Amazing grouping - 4 teams on the same amount of points and 5 teams with 2 wins (Sligo w a draw also).

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:55 pm
by ryot
Delighted with the win.. Have not been able to get to games so far this year but Sunday is a must attend job !!!

Well done Pat & the lads.......

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:35 am
by NewEra
Great to see Jonny Maloney get a few minutes at the end on Sunday. Badly needed addition. He has been one of our most consistent performers in the last few years. Laois match probably a bit too early for him still

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:14 am
by Kevin
This is so or die vs Laois right unless I'm missing something. We win and we stay in Division 3 (?) I know we have a scoring difference issue, but is that now moot given the current win loss records and the possible results of pairings from Round 7?

Looks like the only team with nothing to play for is Louth.

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:59 am
by Lone Shark
Kevin wrote:This is so or die vs Laois right unless I'm missing something. We win and we stay in Division 3 (?) I know we have a scoring difference issue, but is that now moot given the current win loss records and the possible results of pairings from Round 7?

Looks like the only team with nothing to play for is Louth.
It's not moot in the sense that if we were to draw, we will definitely go down, whereas a better scoring difference would mean that either a draw in the Londford vs Antrim tie or a win for Louth over Sligo would have saved us otherwise.

However given where we were a week ago, to be in a situation where our fate is in our own hands in a home game is not a bad place to be - albeit O'Connor Park is not exactly a long trek, or an unfamiliar venue, for Laois.

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 12:59 pm
by Kevin
Thx for that LS.

Please, not a draw!

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 4:20 pm
by Kevin
Laois coming to Tullamore with expectations and a favorites tag of about 4/9.

The scoreboard will have all the numbers we are interested in at the final whistle.

Good luck to all involved and lets give 'em hell for the full 70+.

COME ON OFFALY!!!!!

Re: Football league 3 2017

Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 8:02 pm
by Buttons
First of all a very satisfying 2 results against Sligo and then Laois today, how we let 2 leads go i dont know. in complete control from about the 10th to the 30th minute with a 1-9 to a 0-3 lead to being 1-9 to 1-6 up at half time must have been very demorolising considering the control they had. Getting Doyles goal within 20 seconds of the restart should have settled the team but every go we had a 4-6 point lead up went the high ball to Kingston who single handidly brought them back in to the game.

What annoyed me the most was with a 6 point lead when Laois went down to 14 the extra man sat in the full back line and wasnt used effectively, the second which was criminal was in the 73rd minute to win a free to shoot, keep the ball play it around ans see the game out, Stewart obviously ran over and told him to kill the ball which he did but we allowed them to kick short and build up unopposed not putting pressure on until they entered Offalys half. It was hearts in mouth when the corner back did shoot.

A huge credit to team and management to win these 2 games and hopefully we build up confidence for the Westmeath game, a lot of good perfomances today and great to see a big crowd there too