Offaly Senior Football Club Championship 2011

[Long John]

County board have given Shamrocks 2 championship games in 3 days as well to really bury the boot into them. Coolderry on Sunday and Walsh Island on Tuesday. Really ridiculous. Just not possible for any dual club and especially this one pulling the bare 15 together

This craic of mid-week Championship games is ridiculous, especially when we've had two bank holidays one after the other. There are lads working and studying all around the country who want to stay playing with their parish and their club (something the GAA is supposed to be about) and the county board are expecting these players to take half days to come back for these games. In the times we're in, where lads are worrying about their jobs and managers are expected to make targets with fewer resources, saying to your manager that you have to take a half day because you have a football match is ludicrous, never mind having to do it twice.

Either the county board don't realise this, in which case it shows complete tunnel vision or else they don't care, in which case it shows complete contempt for the people who are sacrificing most to play for their own clubs. Livid.

TMFF has really hit the nail on the head. I for one am sick of the way the county board goes about fixture setting. Shamrocks schedule for next week is only an example. I am sure alot of other clubs have been given similar ridiculous fixtures. Playing two championship games in 3 days and then nothing for two months. Where is the sense. Are we trying to keep players interested or trying to push them away.

[extrafree]

Anybody got the team sheets and scorers from last nights game? Have to say im a bit suprised by the result. Thought Ferbane would give it a good shot this year and Tubber would be a game they would get a win in. Tubber have had the better of Ferbane in a few championships now.

Ferbane have some good footballers, why are they struggling?

TUBBER: Alan Kinahan; Brendan Heavin, Michael Grennan, Lee Colgan; Kenneth Keegan, Lorcan Allen, Ciarán Farrell; Ciarán McManus (0-2, 0-1 free), Eddie Kavanagh; Keith Rafferty, Joe Higgins, Jonathan Rooney (0-6, 0-4 frees); Brian Kelly (0-1), Bernard Allen (0-6), Aaron Farrell (0-2, frees).
Subs.: None

FERBANE: Declan Nugent; Gary Rigney, Paddy Moore, Joe Butler; Gerry Grehan, Colm Gavin (0-1), John Mollen (0-1); James Grennan, Kieran McManus; Declan Cooney, Aidan Keenaghan (0-2), Aaron McDonagh (1-0); Ronan Daly (0-3, 0-2 frees), Declan Killian, Paddy Connolly (0-4, 0-2 frees).
Subs.: Colin Egan for Gary Rigney

Tubber were very good here, this was never anything other than a 50/50 game as far as I was concerned (anyone who read my posts earlier this week would have seen what I think of Tubber right now) and I remain of the view that if anyone other than Rhode or Clara wins this championship, Tubber are the best of the rest.

There was something of a lack of imagination from Ferbane last night and there weren't too many of our lads who would come away from that game thinking they did well, but I don't want that to read as downplaying the quality of Tubber's win. They were very good, we were a good bit short of them and a larger margin probably wouldn't have been unfair really.

[extrafree]

TUBBER: Alan Kinahan; Brendan Heavin, Michael Grennan, Lee Colgan; Kenneth Keegan, Lorcan Allen, Ciarán Farrell; Ciarán McManus (0-2, 0-1 free), Eddie Kavanagh; Keith Rafferty, Joe Higgins, Jonathan Rooney (0-6, 0-4 frees); Brian Kelly (0-1), Bernard Allen (0-6), Aaron Farrell (0-4, frees).
Subs.: None

FERBANE: Declan Nugent; Gary Rigney, Paddy Moore, Joe Butler; Gerry Grehan, Colm Gavin (0-1), John Mollen (0-1); James Grennan, Kieran McManus; Declan Cooney, Aidan Keenaghan (0-2), Aaron McDonagh (1-0); Ronan Daly (0-3, 0-2 frees), Declan Killian, Paddy Connolly (0-4, 0-2 frees).
Subs.: Colin Egan for Gary Rigney

Lone shark these are the correct scorers . Tubber won 17 pts to 1-11

[faithfullad]

@extrafree, you do realise you have Tubber down for 19 points when you add up all the scorers?

[Offaly2010]

Gracefield 1-10 - 0-8 Clara.

Fantastic win for Gracefield in Killeigh this evening, surely the shock of the Championship. Clara just simply weren't up to scratch today, Rhode will be licking their lips when this result filters through to 'The Village.'

As far Gracefield, this will do their confidence the world of good and will surely push on from here now and claim a quarter-final place.

Pairc de Gras Abu!

[townman]

Gracefield 1-10 - 0-8 Clara.

Fantastic win for Gracefield in Killeigh this evening, surely the shock of the Championship. Clara just simply weren't up to scratch today, Rhode will be licking their lips when this result filters through to 'The Village.'

As far Gracefield, this will do their confidence the world of good and will surely push on from here now and claim a quarter-final place.

Pairc de Gras Abu!

funny i tipp them to beat clara bye 2 points on the new facetheball.com because they have a good record again clara down the years

[The Magpie]

Gracefield were full value for their win here. They got off to a great start against a strong wind and I think they led by 0-5 to 0-1 - this was the cushion that was to stand to them later in the game.

Clara then dominated a large portion of the game, from about 15 minutes into the first half to around 10 minutes into the second half, but despite having an awful lot of the ball, didn't make good use of it. Their passing, decision making and shooting was poor - I think they dropped 6-7 efforts straight into the keepers hands. There was a couple of half-goal chances, but that was all - Gracefield also had a (much better) goal chance themselves that they should've done better with. This period in the game was characterised by two things - Gracefield had a savage number of bodies behind the ball and the Clara forwards continued to make for the fringes of the pitch, carrying the ball to the end-line countless times and losing posession.

Anyway, despite this, Clara turned the score around and were leading 0-7 to 0-5 into the second half. I thought they might kick-on from here, but Gracefield kept it very congested at the back and Clara made trivial mistakes. Gracefield got down the field to score a point and with the minimum between them, one of the Gracefield half-forwards slipped inside very easily and scored a very good goal. Clara started to panic a little bit and soon enough it was curtains - Gracefield got a penalty and had the luxury of tipping it over the bar.

Clara will be disappointed. I think you have to go back to the Tullamore Quarter-Final in 2008 to find a game where they scored so poorly. However, it could be the very tonic they need. In fact, it could be the tonic that the Senior Football Championship needs, as the crowds at games are very small, possibly reflecting the growing belief that there's only two teams competing in Offaly.

Gracefield have improved massively from last year. They appeared to be playing something like the Dublin gameplan with probably 12 men behind the ball for most of the game. Surprisingly, they mix this with a long-ball game, which full-back lines don't like too much. The fact that they have a gameplan and it's working means that they shouldn't be taken lightly for the remainder of the championship - they'll be looking forward to the knock-out stages for the first time now in a couple of years. Honestly, I don't think they have the footballers to win the Dowling Cup, but it's great to see a team that has been mixed-up in relegation battles for a couple of years kicking-on.

[High School Musical]

Edenderry beating Tubber is surely a minor shock too. Tubber were dreadful. It was a terrible game. The strong & unpredictable wind didnt help things but teams at this level should be well used to dealing with the elements by now.
For all the good vibes I've been hearing out of Tubber, people saying they were now the 3rd best side in the championship, well thats proven to be a load of rubbish!

[Monday Manager]

Just a quick comment re fixture setting and not re the day of the week although that is a farce in itself. Killeigh seems to be flavour of the month at the minute while Daingean also got a game on Sunday. While it is commendable to spread games around and it is not a knock on the clubs, surley punters deserve at least some shelter (preferably a stand) when they hand over their cash at the turnstiles. Was in Daingean last night and got nicely wet and was nearly blown away. Could have been worse and probably will be looking outside now for those going to Killeigh later in the week....

[faithfullad]

Tubber vs Edenderry was painful to watch. Dreadful conditons, dreadful game. Neither team played well(Tubber in particular were awful). Edenderry adapted better and showed more fight to grind out the win. Tubber will have to become more consistent if they are to be a force in Offaly football. They were very impressive last week beating Ferbane and scoring 17 points but they fell completely and totally flat on Sunday. There is a lot of talent there but they need to develop more mental toughness if they are to achieve success.

[Fargo Boyle]

Jaysus lads, Daingean get a senior championship game for the first time in donkey's years and ye are knocking it already. I could never understand why Daingean never gets more games. The surface is good, plenty of parking and accessible for many clubs. Has something changed recently that Daingean got this game or was it a last minute decision?

In terms of having a stand etc, I think that we shouldn't be worried about stands etc and instead looking at playing surfaces. Daingean has a reasonable playing surface but when you look at Ballinagar's pitch and the amount of high profile matches it gets, it would leave you scrathing your head. You wouldn't put cattle out on it for fear of losing them!!

[High School Musical]

Daingean could've done with keeping them big trees they had around the pitch years ago. God its awful exposed now. The wind the other evening nearly cut me in two.
Other than a good playing pitch and possibly being the best location (neutral for more matchups than I can count) for senior/intermediate championship matches, it has nothing to offer facilities wise. Daingean need to get their house in order and then they'll get all the matches they want!

[sidelineview]

As a neutral I was at the game and yes Tubber were bad but I think "Sean Pender ,Offalys best man marker" was the reason Edenderry beat Tubber . As far as it been an awful game I dont think that there are teams in the county that could play good football in them conditions just look at Clara game

[lostinjuniora]

What high profile matches are you talking about FB? Ohh you must mean the division 3 matches! Must admit Daingean pitch is in great shape but i agree thats its very exposed, but that sometimes makes a game more exciting if a team is playing with the wind and chasing a result.

[kingscounty]

daingean pitch was in super order.edenderry and tubber were like the weather, brutal.fair enough the wind was bad but the standard was poor.edenderry played 7 men in defence and this seems to be their tactic as they did it against rovers,which i think is just total negative play.neither team will be a treat to rhode,who it seems are once again red hot to win it this year again!!