Offaly v Leix Round 3 Qualifier

[Fairplayalways]

RTE are billing Mayo and Armagh and Tyrone V Kildare as ties of the round...I suppose they are right...but commenting on those two games and not even discussing the possible outcomes of Offaly V Laois and Westmeath & Clare...Offaly couldn't have asked for too much more of a bettr draw...regardless of opposition, we have run up 2 decent tallies (a while since we scored 3-17 against anyone!) so peg back a few scores off that tally and we should be there or there abouts with Laois, and if we are, I think we have a bit of belief and will to win and fitness now in the team that can make us push all the way and even get over the line in this game, regardless of venue...great IF we could make it to round 4 of the qualifers..I know we are getting greedy!!

[Kevin]

RTE are billing Mayo and Armagh and Tyrone V Kildare as ties of the round...I suppose they are right...but commenting on those two games and not even discussing the possible outcomes of Offaly V Laois and Westmeath & Clare...Offaly couldn't have asked for too much more of a bettr draw...regardless of opposition, we have run up 2 decent tallies (a while since we scored 3-17 against anyone!) so peg back a few scores off that tally and we should be there or there abouts with Laois, and if we are, I think we have a bit of belief and will to win and fitness now in the team that can make us push all the way and even get over the line in this game, regardless of venue...great IF we could make it to round 4 of the qualifers..I know we are getting greedy!!

Need to be greedy. Both teams should be excited for this draw.

Best of luck to our gang!!!!

[LooseCannon]

Midfield appears to be somewhat of an issue for Leix from what I’ve read anyway.
With Mangan at WF, there’s scope for us to aerially dominate.

I don’t believe Begley played the last day either due to injury. Irrespective of who plays at CHB for them, we need to run at them.

[LooseCannon]

Offaly remain unchanged:
1. Patrick Dunican (Shamrocks)
2. Declan Hogan (Tullamore)
3. Eoin Rigney (Rhode)
4. David Dempsey (Ballycommon)
5. Cian Donohue (St Brigid’s)
6. Johnny Moloney (Tullamore)
7. Niall Darby (Rhode)
8. Eoin Carroll (Cappincur)
9. Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh)
10. Shane Horan (Kilmacud Crokes)
11. Anton Sullivan (Rhode)
12. Cathal Mangan (Kilclonfert)
13. Bernard Allen (Tubber)
14. Niall McNamee (Rhode)
15. Ruairí McNamee (Rhode)

[LooseCannon]

Best of luck to our footballers tomorrow. Here’s hoping for a continuation of a good week.
I’ll let Roy Malone’s words take it from here: “Every single Offaly football supporter start making arrangements to get your ass to Portlaoise on Saturday evening #GAA”.

[Buttons]

I think at half time when it was 10 points apiece that unless offaly scored goals they wouldn't win and so was the case.

I had watched Laois play westmeath in tullamore and they dominated the middle of the field then and are big strong men. Offaly were lucky if they won 4-5 balls around the middle today and for me that is why we were on the wrong side of the score line.

For his first year in goals Paddy Dunican did well with all but 1-2 kick outs going to his own men, I feel he has to be the number 1 free taker too, he hit 3/3 today and why he wasn't called to take the free to make it a 3 point game with 2 minutes plus the 5 minutes injury time I don't know.

The foundation is there for a few younger players to come in next year and strengthen this team. I think we need lads that can break the tackle and win the ball in the middle too.

[SearingDrive]

I think at half time when it was 10 points apiece that unless offaly scored goals they wouldn't win and so was the case.

I had watched Laois play westmeath in tullamore and they dominated the middle of the field then and are big strong men. Offaly were lucky if they won 4-5 balls around the middle today and for me that is why we were on the wrong side of the score line.

For his first year in goals Paddy Dunican did well with all but 1-2 kick outs going to his own men, I feel he has to be the number 1 free taker too, he hit 3/3 today and why he wasn't called to take the free to make it a 3 point game with 2 minutes plus the 5 minutes injury time I don't know.

The foundation is there for a few younger players to come in next year and strengthen this team. I think we need lads that can break the tackle and win the ball in the middle too.

Good summary Button. Laois won the game in the third quarter, I think Offaly only had scored a point by the 20th minute, but they added a few scores late on.
There is a bit of interest again in Offaly football, with a few new players next year, things can improve. I would like to see John Maughan stay on.

[greenairfield]

Great game of Football if our shooting was as tidy as Laois the last five minutes could of been a little bit different.

Dunican was excellent and if he had more options for kick outs we would of had more chances to attack.

Rigney done okay on Kingston considering the pressure he was under.
Dempsey was brilliant and Moloney also.
Donoghue was okay while I thought Hogan and Darby could of had better games.
Midfielders were poor overall the winning game for Laois was here...Cunningham might be better in the half forward line.
Half forward line struggled for alot of the game needed to put more pressure on the backs Mangan for me was th best out of the three.
Inside Niall needed more ball but then missed 2 very good chances.
While the other two caused problems but also could of picked better options at times.

Decent year if we get a couple of more players next year could be interesting.

[italia90]

Yea good summary but button. We tried very hard and had some good moments but just fell to the better team. I had to que up for 15 mins to get a ticket and was never as happy to do so. There was a right buzz about which is badly needed. And good Offaly crowd. Hope theres a good crowd for the under 20s next week too. We are in building mode and our next step football wise is to be more competitive in division 3 and hopefully challenge for promotion.

[kingscounty]

It is vital that Maughan is nailed on for next year, he has brought this team on so much. He stayed at the start of the year he asked lads to play and they declined, he said he was disappointed but that he was happy to work with lads that want to play with Offaly and wear the jersey with pride. The lads could easily have got promoted, and have don’t this county proud over the summer. Well done lads and stay with the cause for next year

[kingscounty]

One thing that was disappointing was the easy frees Niall missed especially when we have such a very good dead ball taker in Paddy. His kick outs were very accurate and he slotted over 3 sweet frees. Niall is not a free taker and really should have left them for Paddy. Any word on the attendance numbers, it felt like we had huge support when the lads went off the field at half time

[Buttons]

6735 was the attendance

[LooseCannon]

Midfield appears to be somewhat of an issue for Leix from what I’ve read anyway.
With Mangan at WF, there’s scope for us to aerially dominate.

I don’t believe Begley played the last day either due to injury. Irrespective of who plays at CHB for them, we need to run at them.

I hold my hands up.
Well, I was very wrong on that front. After the first few long ones(kick outs), I thought that we’d do a Galway on it and stack one side with the two midfielders and Mangan, with space aplenty on the other wing, or else Leix would have gone zonal and we’d have an extra man on the stacked side.
On the midfield battle, I really thought that our lads would overrun theirs, with Mangan providing us with a third body, playing more as a third midfielder than as a wing forward. A similar view was held by the couple of Leix supporters that I was chatting around me.

The missed frees killed us, I think we missed three at least. I’d agree with bringing Dunican up to hit them, although it’s hard to credit that we’ve no 10/10 free taker.

One Leix man beside me couldn’t get over how we didn’t try to isolate Booth with pace.

With us 5 minutes to play, surely we should have pushed up. I acknowledge the risk that it would bring, but at that stage it should have been go for it. Instead, we’d McConway sweeping up, while simultaneously, Leix were winning their own kick outs by going short.
I know that Carroll and Cunningham were taken off, with the latter being reintroduced, but I think we should have chanced Johnny Moloney inside and just launch balls in on top of him.


All in all, not a bad year given the slowish start with the 3 club sides in Leinster action, as well as the exodus of players.

There’s potential to seriously challenge for division three next year. Hopefully we’ll get some of our u20s involved, as well as some from last year. I think Rohan, the sub keeper is the only 20 from last year on this year’s panel.

Anyway, the club championships are around the corner, so club players have chances aplenty to showcase themselves, particularly because the management team are staying on(3 year term).
Hopefully a good club championship ensues from Senior A to Junior. I for one look forward to going to various games and seeing the talent that we have.

Anyway, here’s to next year.