Minor League match vs Kildare

[Lone Shark]

(Once again apologies for the local-esque spiel, but I'm damned if I'm re-writing it!!)

Kildare 1-12 Offaly 1-8

With no wins and only one point from two games coming into this Minor League match against Kildare, Offaly needed a win against their neighbours to the east on Saturday in Walsh Island to have any chance of prolonging their interest in the competition beyond the round robin stage. With games against Dublin and Laois to follow after this, this match looked like being Offaly’s best chance of taking maximum points from any of the remaining games in this competition, as those two sides have looked very strong in games to date, and were the Leinster flag bearers in the 2004 championship. Unfortunately on the strength of this display the Offaly team will have to find a lot of improvement just to perform competitively in those matches, as here they battled bravely, but generally were just overpowered and outplayed in too many key areas to really look like they deserved any positive result.

As would be expected most of those in attendance would have been Offaly followers, and as such would not have been very familiar with many of the players on the Kildare side. From the throw in however it became apparent who was to be their star turn and main danger on the day, as John Fogarty fielded the first ball and delivered a good ball into his forwards. The Offaly backline successfully dealt with this first incursion into their territory, but within a few moments Fogarty had won another ball, ran to the Offaly 45, and struck over a delightful point with his right foot to open the scoring. A Ross Brady free levelled matters within a minute, but it was one of Offaly’s few positive moments in a half dominated by Kildare. They kicked four points between the fifth and the fifteenth minutes; a Mark O Sullivan free, a Max Bradley finish from close range after a great ball in from Joey Cocoman, a handpassed score from Alan Smith and another from the rampaging Fogarty combining to leave them very much in the ascendant. The game could have been put almost beyond Offaly’s reach even at this early stage as another run from Fogarty ended in a thunderous shot from 25 yards which fizzed just past Dean Bracken’s right hand post. A Willie Mulhall free from thirty metres was merely a brief respite of calm in a storm of Kildare pressure, as further points from Smith, corner back Darren Barker and a monstrous 50m free from off the ground by Mark O’Sullivan left Offaly six points adrift at the break, trailing by 0-8 to 0-2. Certainly the backline can take credit for limiting the damage as they did, as one fine Dean Bracken save and several timely interceptions and clearances from Diarmuid Horan prevented the visitors from doing any more damage.

The start of the second half saw the introduction of David Kavanagh in midfield and Gerry Grehan in the backline, and these changes paid instant dividends as the game showed signs of becoming much more competitive. With barely two minutes of the half played, Kavanagh won a free, and drove a long ball into Ken Casey who fielded brilliantly, turned past his man and put a great shot past David Fahy into the Kildare goal to leave just three between the sides. He followed this with another run and score to narrow this deficit even further. However this was as close as Offaly was to get for the remainder of the game, as Kildare continued to pick off scores regularly. Points from Smith from play, and O’Sullivan from a free pushed Kildare further on, before Gerry Treacy responded for the home team with a score. Fogarty, coming from midfield after another fine catch, drew out the Offaly defence, laid the ball off leaving Brian Lally with a simple score, before Treacy kicked his second, a glorious shot from forty metres off his preferred left foot. Willie Mulhall and Brian Lally traded scores before Rory Connor’s first score of the game left just two in it with a little under ten minutes remaining, and you felt that the home side could sneak a result. This hope lasted around two more minutes before the ball was played into Kieran Kelly, hitherto the quietest of the Kildare forwards, and he ran in at pace and shot low to the keeper’s left to extinguish any hopes of a revival. One last free from Mulhall to leave the deficit at four turned out to be only a footnote on a disappointing day for the faithful players.

In review, Offaly can at least point to a fine display from Bracken in goals, and Diarmuid Horan, Stephen Egan, and once he came on, Gerry Grehan in defence looked assured and solid. Richie Dalton worked tirelessly around the middle, and up front Ken Casey and in the second half Gerry Treacy showed that they can trouble any defence and take scores. Kildare however had a much better balance all over the pitch, with half backs Hugh McGrillian and Declan Brennan and half forwards Alan Smith and Joey Cocoman all proving comfortable along the ball and generally setting up the platform for players such as Fogarty and O’Sullivan to show their class. It remains to be seen whether their poor show against Laois last time out was just a bad day on the part of Kildare, or a demonstration of how good the Laois team of 2005 are. Offaly will get the chance to see for themselves over the next couple of weeks, and one suspects that either they have a lot more in them than they showed in this match or they will find themselves facing another uphill struggle.

Scorers:
Kildare: Mark O’Sulllivan 0-3 (2f), Alan Smith 0-3, Kieran Kelly 1-0, John Fogarty 0-2, Brian Lally 0-2, Max Bradley 0-1, Darren Barker 0-1

Offaly: Ken Casey 1-1, Willie Mulhall 0-3 (3f), Ger Treacy 0-2, Ross Brady 0-1 (1f), Rory Connor 0-1

Teams:
Kildare: David Fahey; Darren Barker, Declan McInerney, Mick McDonald; Declan Brennan, Hugh McGrillian, Alan McAndrew; John Fogarty, Gary White; Max Bradley, Alan Smith, Joey Cocoman; Brian Lally, Mark O’Sullivan, Kieran Kelly.
Subs: John Browne for Bradley, Cormac Sullivan for McAndrew.

Offaly: Dean Bracken; Stephen Egan, Diarmuid Horan, Kyle Kavanagh; Keith Higgins, John Knight, Niall Derby; Richie Dalton, Paul Deehan; Ger Treacy, David O’Neill, Ross Brady; Willie Mulhall, Rory Connor, Ken Casey.
Subs: David Kavanagh for Deehan, Gerry Grehan for Kyle Kavanagh, James Gorman for O’Neill, Alan Lynam for Brady

[Bord na Mona man]

How close to the championship team was the one that lined out on Saturday?
It's pointless trying to judge form, but seeing Wastemeath (who we drew with) getting hammered by Leix is not a good omen.

[Lone Shark]

To be honest I'd have little or no expectation for this team at all. Only Richie Dalton around the diamond is really good enough, and although there's a few nice peripheral players that might develop, they will get overpowered this summer.

In terms of who else is to come in, I'm not sure what the story is with the Shannonbridge contingent - the Flannerys and Paul Deeley - whether or not they're underage, and if they're available. Ciaran Flannery in particular would be a big addition, as Deeley would be if he kept the head. Which is far from a given.

Beyond that, there's a dude from Shamrocks whose name escapes me who could play around the middle either (Derek Something??), but to be honest it's a team with a good full back line, a solid keeper and two or at a push three good forwards.

If I'm not mistaken they play Laois next. That should be fun.