Under 21 hurling - Offaly v Wexford

[athlumneyboy]

AZ fianl fixed for Wednesday the 16th July in Birr. Dublin play KK in Parnell park tonight at 7.30pm . Dublin have six Senior players picked to play this excludes Alan McCrabbe. As i am based in Dublin i might head over to have a look

[Treasurer]

Do we know when the final is fixed for? dublin and Kilkenny have still to play their semi final...

16th July. THe other semi is on tonight.

[Lone Shark]

AZ final fixed for Wednesday the 16th July in Birr.

Unfortunately it appears that it's not that simple - we're at home, but that's subject to the ground having a suitable capacity. St. Brendan's Park has an official capacity of 3,500 according to Health and Safety rules which would scarcely cover it. It's the Leinster Council who get to decide and they'll want it in Tullamore.

I'd say if it turns out to be Kilkenny there'd be a chance of Birr - they won't bring a huge crowd. If it's the Dubs on the other hand it'll certainly be Tullamore - they'd bring 4,000 or so themselves I'd say.

[Loughers]

I hope it's in Birr but I doubt it. The pitch looked excellent last night. Agree with a previous poster, Hernon's forst touch was brutal. Wakkie was very good and we did use the extra man very well. Thank f*ck Francie got the goal because Wexford were on a roll. He was very poor apart from that. Coughlan is a good free taker but didn't get much change from open play. Delighted with the result, but big improvement needed to win silverware.

[athlumneyboy]

hope its in Birr Lone Shark Offaly hurl better their also a bit longer for the Dubs to travel.

I have a funny feeling KK might beat them even though the Dubs are stronger was talking to one of my friends in KK there now and they are quietly confident.

Loughers i agree with your statements but on Coughlan he is a small man and the balls that were coming to him Joe Bergin on Stilts wouldnt have caught them

[Lone Shark]

hope its in Birr Lone Shark Offaly hurl better their also a bit longer for the Dubs to travel.

I hope so too but that decision isn't Offaly's to take. It's the Leinster council's gate money and if they deem that they'd get 7,000 in Tullamore and only 3,500 in Birr then it will be very hard to convince them otherwise.

[athlumneyboy]

your right the size off the crowd will dictate but maybe Offaly should have considered hurling the game in Tullamore last night if they knew this situation could arise. Dublin will look to hurl in Tullamore either way the pitch is bigger and will suit them.

[Plain of the Herbs]

That was a relief to get that result. Phew. I didn’t think it was a convincing display but I suppose the pressure was really on to get a win last night and as they say a win is a win.

I thought the match against Carlow stood to Offaly. Wexford made the kind of half time reshuffle you’d expect from a team in their first match together.

I’d always prefer to hurl with the wind in the second half and we could have been in for a nailbiting finish if Wexford got a bit of momentum going. This threat was stifled due to the number of second half stoppages and Francis Kerrigan’s well taken goal.

That Offaly struggled to win their own puckout in that second half is a cause of concern. Wexford enjoyed the lion’s share of possession during that second half with their half back line well on top and Offaly’s half forward line at sea. The second half was well on before Offaly’s first point of the half, and any possession they got came from clearances from defence, mainly from Brian Watkins’ reading of the game, which found their way to a player in space.

Both Offaly’s goals were perfectly timed but the goal of the match was the Wexford goal from an overhead pull, a dying art in the game nowadays.

Francis Kerrigan’s departure with what looked like a recurrence of his hamstring injury is a worry with the final three weeks away. A big improvement is needed if a Leinster title is to be harvested.

That said, Offaly hurled a superb semi-final in Nowlan Park last year and flopped in the final, leaving their semi-final form behind them that evening. That final comes four day after the senior qualifier against Cork or Limerick. This would give Kilkenny a distinct advantage though Dublin would be in the same boat as Offaly.

[athlumneyboy]

What's the story with the qualifiers who do we play if we lose? I think full cooperation should be given to the u21 team they lads should train with u21's until final now.

I thought Offaly played fast hurling in first half the movement of the forwards were very good near the end of the game i would have liked to see Paul Bermingham get a run i think he has a lot to offer.

As plain of Herbs said Brian Watkins reading off the game was brillant but i dont think fullback is his position he should be centre back as Brian Leonard is not the answer in that posititon.

[royalblue]

What changes would ye make for the next days lads who impressed ye lastnight i didnt get to the game?

[uibhfhaili]

KK hammered the sh1te out of Dublin

[faithful till I die]

According to the programme notes the final is scheduled for Wednesday 16th July, with Offaly having home advantage.

[Treasurer]

Final is in Tullamore.

[Plain of the Herbs]

A pity that, but we'll have to live with it now. At least it's still a home venue.

Final is in Tullamore.

[gutless08]

first of all i think its a disgrace any decider is played at home< i know croke park is home for dublin but its headquarters>.i thought it was wrong when dublin got to play the final in parnell park last year,its wrong that its been held in tullamore this year.
however im thrilled it is at home and i think we have a great chance in the final. i urge lone shark to encourage the great people of offaly to come out in force, to hype up this game through the media ,to get every man ,woman and child out in colour that night.
i think we have the making of a good u21 team and i think they will have belief to go on and beat this kilkenny team.
more variation of puckout is needed, i predicted 100% of puckout direction in the second half alone, just from the keepers position , who had a good solid game may i add.
also young coughlan received some flak for his performance, but offaly drove alot of high ball his direction, which did suit bergin but they need to keep it down in the corners.
finally horan is turning into a great hurler and leader on the field and his use of ball is so impressive and beyond his years.

so come on the faithful is the roar, lets get out in force everybody.