League & Championship hurling 2022

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
Dunga
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by Dunga »

KK by 6 and I hope I'm wrong.

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bracknaghboy
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by bracknaghboy »

We have the dream final.
Two teams utilisng big units on the edge of the square.
At one end it's Ciaran 'The Giant' Cleary and at the other we have Ger 'Cannonball' Healion.
God willing the balls will rained down on both of them for the hour and we'll see a bit action.
The 'modernists' might have to sit this one out :lol:

Fairplayalways
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by Fairplayalways »

should be interesting alright, experience will be a big thing with Healion but Shinrone will have a younger man I think and that will be critical, I dont think the whole game will swing on these battles somehow, they will be crucial nonetheless though. Hope the wet weather doesnt ruin the pitch and game.

Plain of the Herbs
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Random thoughts on Sunday's novel Senior final

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

Kilcormac-Killoughey will naturally beg to differ, but Sunday’s final is all about Shinrone. Refreshing to have a new finalist (a position Kilcormac-Killoughey found themselves in 20 years ago). It might well have been Belmont, but Shinrone it is.

A lot of parallels too, Kilcormac-Killoughey’ breakthrough was a long time in the making, though at least they were reaching semi-finals on a consistent basis before reaching 2002’s final with an ageing team. And finals were lost in 2007 and ’09 before the Rubicon was eventually crossed a decade ago.

Older Shinrone folk will recall 1960, one that got away, denied the services of their centre half-back and a corner back in the most bizarre (the words grotesque, unbelievable and unprecedented also spring to mind) circumstances, allowing a battle hardened Drumcullen a three goal start, then taking the lead before being caught at the death, a free that wasn’t given, the referee with the fly in his eye, all will be recalled.

The team need to avoid all that stuff – they can’t win 1960’s final and they can’t win last year’s, or any other one. The focus must be on Sunday and on Kilcormac-Killoughey at 4pm. The day will pass by in a blur, they will leave home early on Sunday afternoon and before they know it, they will be back in Shinrone either showing off the cup or harbouring regrets.

Which is where Trevor Fletcher comes in. No stranger to the struggle to make a breakthrough, Fletcher was part of the rise and ultimate success of K-K. His knowledge of what it takes to break new ground and of the club with whom he played and the one he currently coaches could make the difference.

Uncharacteristic for Shinrone to win matches they should have lost, to win knockout matches, to win without hurling well, as they have been doing in recent weeks. Which in a contradictory way is to their advantage now. That, and to reach the final without Conor and Dan Doughan, two who have led the team for a decade. While understandably the anticipation in Shinrone will be at fever pitch this week and nobody in the Village will sleep well on Saturday night. “If ye play like ye did the last day, ye’ll win” is an oft-pedalled line that has weakened the resolve of countless hurlers down the years, though is something no Shinrone hurler will be hearing this week. Though I’m not sure their bringing lads back onto the panel in county final week to be in line for medals says much for being properly focussed.

Puckouts, as always, will be crucial. Kilcormac drop their half-forwards deep on the opposition puckouts, and while Birr were criticised for their puckouts, the reality is that when Brian Mullins looked for his targets, all he saw was Mahon, Kiely and Kiely in the way. An imposing vista. But Éamonn Cleary’s strike is probably 15 metres longer than Mullins’ – will K-K drop their half-forwards even deeper if Cleary goes longer?

On the other hand, Shinrone prospered in the final quarter in both quarter-final and semi-final when their opposition conceded the short puckout. That enabled the Shinrone defender, from a position 30-35 metres from his own goal, to reach Ciarán Cleary, something that was crucial in the final analysis. Indeed, the decision to go ‘route 1’ for the quarter-final turned Shinrone’s season around.

The Shinrone’s target man’s striking needs some work, but if the Reds can get someone close to the breaking ball they could be in business. With Cillian Kiely dropping deep, there won’t be much room for the roaming Adrian Cleary to prosper between the attacking ’65 and ‘45 – playing him close to Ciarán Cleary to feed off breaks might be a good plan. And unlike in the semi-final, Shinrone should keep Adrian Cleary on the field until the final whistle. They should keep Declan Cleary on the field too – a hard worker, his influence will be crucial.

Kilcormac-Killoughey themselves went ‘route 1’ in the semi-final, Ger Healion’s ball winning yielded a goal, with the Kavanaghs scoring 1-3. Meaning the finalists’ respective preparations will involve dealing with long deliveries. Nothing worse for a full-back than to spend a year dealing with a low, placed, ball, only for the opposition to drop ‘bombs’ from the sky on the big day. And while Enda Grogan may be at a height disadvantage, no better man for challenging an attacker in possession or for a loose ball. Darren Crean and Darren O’Meara have been around for a long time, and while they will have a disadvantage on pace (and all three Shinrone full-backs could be exposed if isolated one-to-one), Kilcormac will require quick ball. And they could do without Cillian Kiely sending spulative, low percentage, shots high and wide.

The Kilcormac team has been in a state of flux since their last win in 2017. Only Conor Slevin, Damien Kilmartin, Conor Mahon and Ger Healion straddle the 2012 breakthrough and this year’s semi-final win, though James Gorman of that vintage came on in the semi-final and played an influential role. A word on Conor Mahon. Much maligned during his Offaly days, his contribution to K-K’s scoresheet goes unheralded. During 2020’s championship he scored 0-14 from play in 5 games, in 2021 it was 2-12 in six games, while so far this year he has clocked up 0-10 in five games.

At the other end of the spectrum, five of K-K’s front eight have yet to win a Senior final. Alex Kavanagh and Colin Spain (both still in school) have graduated from 2021’s Minor team, and while Cathal Kiely and Lochlann Kavanagh are still youthful, they have seen a few year’s Senior service. So has Jack Screeney, if he is fit and regains his place.

James Gorman regraded to Senior B in 2020 and was in scoring form for his club’s second team this year with tallies of 1-4, 1-7 and 0-5. There must be a temptation to start him. They’d still have Thomas Geraghty, Charlie Mitchell and Dylan Murray in reserve.

K-K’s schedule this year has split their championship year into two parts. Three rounds in June/July, a four week gap to St Rynagh’s in mid August, followed by another four week gap to mid September’s semi-final. And while it meant they could afford to time their run to peak in September, it’s not exactly ideal.

So who is trusted to deliver on Sunday? Kilcormac’s fade out against Birr might have been costly on another day. Shinrone have been quietly efficient, or lulling the opposition into a false sense of security, whatever you’re having yourself. It’s still hard to have faith in Shinrone to get over the line, whereas I’d have more faith in, say, Belmont since 2018 or Clareen’s 2011-2017 vintage to make the breakthrough, all other things being equal. Take Kilcormac to start the better while dominating Shinrone’s puckouts. Take Shinrone to respond as Kilcormac concede short puckouts but ultimately leave it too late. Regrets, they’ll have a few. Something like Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-19 Shinrone 1-15.

Finally, while Sunday is the final day of the championship, it’s also one of the Board’s main fundraisers. Try and go to the match anyway, if you can.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Dunga
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by Dunga »

Edenderry to play Ballinamere in junior A final.

private joker
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by private joker »

Great to see edenderry in a final in hurling. Be great to see a first team win the final.

frankthetank
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by frankthetank »

Edenderry reached the Junior A hurling final as recently as 2013. Crinkle won that final which was played in Killurin.

Hasselhoff
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by Hasselhoff »

Great to see Edenderry in the final

DannyBoyCane
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by DannyBoyCane »

Great to see Edenderry.

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bracknaghboy
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by bracknaghboy »

frankthetank wrote: Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:55 pm Edenderry reached the Junior A hurling final as recently as 2013. Crinkle won that final which was played in Killurin.
And either the following year or year after they had no team for 6 seasons so it's was very encouraging to see then win the Junior B in their first year back in 2020 and now in the A final.
See Birr are in the Junior B football semi this Friday and again would be nice to see them win it out....Birr had a very capable team in the 90's and 00's winning a couple of Junior A'

kingscounty
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by kingscounty »

private joker wrote: Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:37 pm Great to see edenderry in a final in hurling. Be great to see a first team win the final.
Probably about 3rd or 4th on the roll of honour, last winning it in 1998 and beaten in 2003 in a replay by Shinrone, and as Bracknagh said 2013, in a lot of semi finals over the years narrowly beaten

Fairplayalways
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by Fairplayalways »

Started reading one post and had to stop as ide miss the County final itself 😁

Plain of the Herbs
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

In fairness, you weren't the target audience for that one, just as I'm aware I'm not the target audience for your observations.
But come back this evening and give us a review of the radio commentary.
Fairplayalways wrote: Sun Oct 02, 2022 1:39 am Started reading one post and had to stop as ide miss the County final itself 😁
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Hasselhoff
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by Hasselhoff »

Great day for it today.
All of shinrone will be there I'd say.
Despite all the rain, it looks like a dry day ahead.

faithfulfanatic
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Re: League & Championship hurling 2022

Post by faithfulfanatic »

Great preview above POTH. fairplayalways, what’s the problem with his preview being lengthy? Great piece that could well be from a national paper. Would you rather we all just roll out the usual cliches?

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