intermediate football champ

[offalyman]

quarter finals:
Raheen v Doon
Birr v Tullamore
semi-finals
walsh island
st. brigids
just wondering lads who ye think is goin to win it from here,now that were in the business end,Raheen came from nowhere to get threw...and i think they could shock Doon,and i also think Birr should be to strong for Tullamore...as for brigids they havent been really tested yet,but do look very strong and walsh island just did what they had to do in there group in what was the weakest group of the three

[naasmanxrhode]

Can't see beyond Croghan alias St. Brigids. It's their's to lose (like Rhode in the senior) They both should be too strong.

[True Red]

I wouldnt write off Doon or Walsh Island as easy as that. Both would have big ambitions to go Senior.

[offalyman]

im not writing either of them off,i expect walsh island to have a big say in the outcome of the champ,with players like gary comerford,alan mulhall and the connor's at there disposal..how could the be far away...as for doon of course the have a chance to james coughlan,trevor phlean,hunt,donie ryan you cant write off them off either,all i was saying is that i expect raheen to give them a good rattle..they seem to at last have got there year going at last..they could be the dark horse

[theman]

Raheen wont have a say in this years championship im afraid. They beat a very very poor bracknagh team(worst ive seen them in the last 10 years). Ive seen raheen a few times this year,even played against them once and they werent great. Think doon or brigids will win it but brigids lack of real challenge could cost them where as doon had 3 tough enough games as with walsh island. Birr could be dark houses - but only if sean ryan is on fire.
Does any one know what way the regelation in each championship is played off?

[talent spotter]

intermediate relegation 3 way play-off, ballyfore, kilcormac, bracknagh. First game sat 13th sept kilcormac vs bracknagh.

[Oceans 15]

Although I havn't seen Doon yet I think Croghan will win it. Walsh Island think they are a cross between Dublin & Real Madrid or someone like that, any team who has a stereo blaring in the dressing room before the game I would be worried about.

[ahhreff]

It looks all the way as if it is Brigids to lose alright, but take out one or two of their main men an you wouldn know?
Walsh Island should be their again with a young team but one or two weak spots could be exposed and there are still doubts about whether they are bottlers? Maybe they just weren good enough over the last number of years? Doon down now a while can be there again if Coughlan is on fire,,, if not can they get scores elsewhere.? I think they are a one man show! Raheen looked a very poor side all year and especially against brigids. Its hard to see them getting back to a county final this year. Still a young team, could upset Doon. realistically, Birr and tulamore are just making up the numbers in that champ. everyone wants that draw in the semi final.

[Silken Thomas]

This is most definitly a three horse race.
Obviously after seeing the draw you would expect a St. Brigids vs Walsh Island finale.

Doon now have to beat Raheen and the two aforementioned to make senior ranks! A task that will almost definitly prove elusive.

St. Brigids would be favourites me thinks. The beat on the street was that Croghan spent some of the darkest days of the year cycling to improve stamina and have been beating and in some cases trashing Division 1 opposition in the league whilst at the same time being extremely competitive in all matches. As Rhode, Ferbane, Gracefield Shannonbridge could testify.

Walsh Island likewise have been more than holding their own in Division 1 too but will probably have to wait one more year. Unfortunatly for them William Mulhall will be subjected to a sort of toxic intensity he will find impossible to thrive in. The only question being who will provide this intensity Paul Heavin or Anthony Foy.

Doon despite their flair will fall short I presume. Their inability to win dirty ball against the likes of the Connors and Alan Mulhall or James Carroll, David Egan and Séan Casey should put paid to their hopes not to mention their terrible draw. I only presume that their bonding sessions in the Slieve Bloom mountains will add to the forthcoming disapointment.

My odds for the title;

St. Brigids 10/11
Walsh Island 9/4
Doon 6/1

[Lone Shark]

I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that Doon automatically would have to beat Raheen plus the other big two - is the Intermediate draw different to the senior where the WI and Brigids are seeded or something?

Having said that I'd fancy Croghan myself. They're winning with plenty to spare, and while I'd give Doon much more of a chance than WI of tunring them over, I still think they're not lining themselves out properly at all. Trevor Phelan needs to be running at goal, and he's not doing that from corner forward. That and I don't think Doon can afford not to do whatever it takes to get Damien Hunt on board. There are issues on both sides in that whole debate, but for an intermediate club not to have a guy who was on the county team only three years ago (and is still as fit as ever) on board is criminal waste.

Allow me to join in the chorus dismissing the other three - I'll be stunned if any of them beat any of the fancied teams.

[sIR bIFFSALOT]

I think Lone Shark that the winners of 2 groups(group 1 and 3 I think) go straight into the semis and the 2nd place team in group A and B and the top 2 in group C go into a quarter final. So as illustrated above WI and Croghan play each other in the semi and it's Raheen V. Doon in one quarter and Tullamore V. Birr in the other quarter. It's interesting to look at the tables on the Offaly GAA website, Croghan's points difference from their group matches is +45 compared to +22 for Doon and +29 for WIsland. According to you guys Croghan are hot favourites and Doon 2nd favourites but I'm not so sure cos Walsh Island have very talented forwards. I know they are quite weak defensively and a bit tactically inept but if they hit form against Brigids it could easily be an upset. I haven't seen much of Doon this year but I'm sure they will put up a great fight with whoever they meet. Still though, realistically you'd have to say Brigid's to win, WI would be my second ranked team slightly edging out Doon.

[ahhreff]

IFC Quarter Finals on this weekend

Doon v Raheen......... Raheen
Birr v Tulamore........ Birr

I'll tip Raheen to cause an upset in O Connor park at the weekend. They just might have enough fire power to win by three or four points.
And if Sean Ryan is on form for Birr I say they will just edge out Tulamore.

Can anyone clarify for certain whether there is an open draw for the Semi Finals?
As far as I'm aware it is an open draw!

[sIR bIFFSALOT]

What do you mean an open draw for semi-final? It's Island V Brigids in one semi and winners of the 2 quarter finals in the other semi, where's the confusion??

[doobane man]

The semi-finals draw in IFC is an open draw; same as senior and junior championships. Draw will be held after the SFC semi-final on Sun evening next.

[sIR bIFFSALOT]

St. Brigid's to meet Walsh Island in the final. Brigid's gave Doon a sound beating on Sunday. Do Walsh Island have any chance in the final? They are a good team but their easy run to the final won't do them any favours.