Offaly V Monaghan, SFC qualifier, 25/6/2011

[walshisland]

After the heart brake of cork,
this saved the day.
best i seen us play in 10years!

roll on the draw!

[Kevin]

Great win.

Perhaps Wexford was under-rated coming in for the first game.

Sounded like we roared out of the gates in the second half and left them for dead. The radio was obliged to check in on Tipp/Laois and Westmeath Minor Hurlers so coverage was a bit patchy.

Let's hope we can get another big performance in the next round.

WELL DONE LADS!!

[brian fantana]

niall darby is fine. just a few stiches. offaly were very good. but dont get carried away folks, monaghen were brutal. but well done lads

[uibhfaillian]

Away to Limerick in next round.

[Lone Shark]

I do think that Monaghan weren't quite geared up for the scale of challenge that faced them in Tullamore last night, however there were a lot of positive aspects to that display which shouldn't be trivialised by simply writing off the calibre of opponent. That's still a division one county this year, who lost to Tyrone by two points due to a shockingly bad red card decision, and Offaly cut through them very well.

The Offaly back line held the Monaghan forwards to three scores from play, Joe Quinn played a particularly key role at full back, and the two lads in the corners were excellent. Sean Pender was marking a fine young forward in Conor McManus and he definitely got the upper hand, while Brian Darby was completely on top throughout the game and made some outstanding supporting runs forward as well. I actually thought it was perhaps his best game in an Offaly jersey.

The Monaghan people around me were remarking on what we all know - that Ciarán McManus is a phenomenal athlete and we are blessed to have him. He was excellent again yesterday, took his frees very well and once again covered acres of ground. Monaghan could have put us under a lot of pressure at the start of the second half if they got some early scores and little things like his pressurising of Darren Hughes to make the Monaghan captain shoot wide for the first chance of the second half were crucial, almost as much as his point before half time.

Above all however, a tipped hat to Richie Dalton, who came in for a lot of criticism after the Wexford match but really stepped up with a top class display yesterday. Again, best display in an Offaly jersey and it was a testament to the man that he produced such a performance under a fair amount of pressure. His support play was good, he used the ball really well when in possession and his scores were crucial. He is the perfect foil for a natural fielding midfielder and if he can keep this form going, he'll turn into a natural leader of this team very soon. One of my concerns with regard to Offaly football is the absence of a natural leader to step up when players like Brady/Slattery/McManus retire and if Richie can play like this on a regular basis, he could find himself wearing the captain's armband within a year or two.

Overall the team tackled and pressured their opponents really well, and any questions about their fitness were answered. They opened the game at a high tempo, and they forced Monaghan to empty the tank midway through the second half, which meant that Offaly were cruising in the closing stages.

If I was to criticise, it would be two aspects - why in the name of God did nobody kill the play with an injury or something when Monaghan were on a burst in the first half, and sometimes I still think we can do too much foostering in front of goals. There were a couple of times when we had ten players inside the Monaghan 50, and the ball was going side to side. Though we didn't actually concede too many bad turnovers in this game, I always end up just praying for a wide ball in these situations because more often than not it's the opponents that end up getting a score.

Other than that, it's all good. Well done lads, ye did us proud, and I'm really looking forward to the game against Limerick.

[Long John]

Yes hats off to the squad on a good win. Some very good performances especially from Scott Brady, the full back line and both Macs.

The biggest suprise was the performance of Dalton. He had a fine game. With the type of players Offaly have and the way Cribben wants them to play it is vital our midfield are on top. That happened Saturday evening and I think that is why they won the game. The diamond of 6, 8, 9 and 11 were on top and always had Monaghan on the back foot as a result.

I do still worry when they start to struggle in Midfield. Our wing backs are not natural defenders and I think they will struggle against a side thats controlling midfield. They had good games on Saturday but the platform was there for them just to get up and support.

Had a few friends from Monaghan on during the week and they said Monaghan were in a pretty poor state but I hadnt read much into it. They have really fallen apart since a few players emigrated.

The trip to Limerick now. A game Offaly should win. Limerick are very bad this year and I think if they had to travel they would have fallen apart altogether. However a battle it will be down in the gaelic grounds, If our lads knuckle down and they should win with a bit to spare but they have to get serious straight away. Theres a chance of another few rounds (with a favourable draw) if they put in a decent effort.

[TheManFromFerbane]

Above all however, a tipped hat to Richie Dalton... he could find himself wearing the captain's armband within a year or two.

Have to say I'm disappointed with the Sun like commentary here. I personally don't think Richie's good enough for the Offaly team, I have nothing against the lad, don't know him personally from Adam, so on a purely football basis I don't think he's good enough. You, along with many others have been giving him criticism for basically as long as he's been in the Offaly jersey, yours has been balanced I know, but a lot of it from most other people hasn’t been.

But to then come out and say after one really good Championship performance that he could be captain within two years is a crazy statement and puts him under unfair pressure as far as I'm concerned. One swallow doesn't make a summer, he'll need to walk before he runs and for me one game doesn't change my opinion on him just yet.

I genuinely wish him the best and hope he does continue this form (for county at least!) for the rest of his career but I think it's a bit rich to be calling for his head one week and then looking to crown it after one really good Championship game. I'd expect that from the plebs, not from you

And that point goes on the rest of the team as well, I have always said there is talent in that team, solid workers too, but they just deliver on it enough and if they think that nailing Michael Duignan's comments to the door and then demolishing a Division 1 side now means they've proved everyone wrong, it doesn't. It proves to me that they can do and more often-than-not don't do it, when more-often-than-not they should do it.

I hope they enjoyed their win, I hope they had a few pints on Saturday night to celebrate, and I hope they realise that most of the lads that are patting them on the back were stabbing them there after the Wexford game. But most importantly I hope they realised that there is plenty more to do before the daemons of the last few years have been exorcised.

[azoffaly]

Great result, delighted with it. It does make those occasions when Offaly don't turn up even more frustrating though. The lads have to kick on from here, not think they've achieved. I know practically everyone in the county wishes them well, and would love Offaly to be a force in football (and hurling) again. Sometimes that desire tends to spark vitriolic comments, however the players need to know that comes, in the majority of cases, from a passionate desire to see Offaly at the top table. If people see, or sense, that the lads are not putting in the required effort, or are not doing the things you need to do on the pitch or the sideline, then it drives them mad. I'm not sure about the 'stabbing in the back' comment by the MFF, but I know what he's saying.

Results, and performances, like this will get the bandwagon going, and I'm sure Offaly people would like nothing better than to have a team they feel they can really get behind.

Well done lads, but lets kick on.

[Lone Shark]

Above all however, a tipped hat to Richie Dalton... he could find himself wearing the captain's armband within a year or two.

Have to say I'm disappointed with the Sun like commentary here. I personally don't think Richie's good enough for the Offaly team, I have nothing against the lad, don't know him personally from Adam, so on a purely football basis I don't think he's good enough. You, along with many others have been giving him criticism for basically as long as he's been in the Offaly jersey, yours has been balanced I know, but a lot of it from most other people hasn’t been.

But to then come out and say after one really good Championship performance that he could be captain within two years is a crazy statement and puts him under unfair pressure as far as I'm concerned. One swallow doesn't make a summer, he'll need to walk before he runs and for me one game doesn't change my opinion on him just yet.

I genuinely wish him the best and hope he does continue this form (for county at least!) for the rest of his career but I think it's a bit rich to be calling for his head one week and then looking to crown it after one really good Championship game. I'd expect that from the plebs, not from you

And that point goes on the rest of the team as well, I have always said there is talent in that team, solid workers too, but they just deliver on it enough and if they think that nailing Michael Duignan's comments to the door and then demolishing a Division 1 side now means they've proved everyone wrong, it doesn't. It proves to me that they can do and more often-than-not don't do it, when more-often-than-not they should do it.

I hope they enjoyed their win, I hope they had a few pints on Saturday night to celebrate, and I hope they realise that most of the lads that are patting them on the back were stabbing them there after the Wexford game. But most importantly I hope they realised that there is plenty more to do before the daemons of the last few years have been exorcised.

Just to clarify on this, Richie to my mind has been a hugely talented player since he was an under 14, and the problem was that he didn't necessarily develop as he should have, whether due to coasting on the strength of being bigger than everyone else up along or whatever.

Due to the talent, i would have had him in any squad of mine, but I agree that some of his performances didn't cut it up to now. Yesterday's did, and saw him focus and concentrate for an entire game in a way that he hasn't usually done.

I don't suddenly think that he's going to be an automatic selection for years to come or anything, however when McManus/Slattery/Scott Brady all step aside, somebody has to take over and provide leadership, and for the life of me I couldn't pick out too many candidates in that dressing room among the 22-26 year old vintage. Alan Mulhall is the only one that jumps out at me anyway. If Richie can turn into that guy, and yesterday the verdict from within was that he did, then he'll have added another serious string to his bow, and that's why I say the captaincy could be his soon.

I didn't say that an automatic starting place would go with it - hope that clears it up a little.

[High School Musical]

I’d like to extend my deepest contrafibularities to the Offaly players & management from last Saturday night. It was a great performance typified by the spirit which was embiggined throughout the side right down to the smallest man.

[The Magpie]

Blistering starts to the first and second halves brought a deserved win for Offaly in a half-empty O'Connor Park on Saturday evening. In both halves, establishing 5-6 point cushions put Monaghan under enormous pressure to find their own purple-patch. Though they found one just before half-time, which was turbo-charged by each of their wing-backs and centre-forward, they couldn't find another in the second-half, ensuring Offaly had little to do to see the game out.

Key points in the game were:

- Niall Slattery's hit on Dick Clerkin causing a turn-over of ball and leaving Niall McNamee to do that thing right into the corner of the net that usually gives me that sinking feeling. As an aside, how a man this small (Slattery) continues to go around measuring guys so much bigger than him is extraordinary.

- Niall Smith's excellent fielding. The Gracefield man is an expert - to the point that I'm a little surprised somebody in the AFL hasn't looked at him. Is he too small?

- Offaly's defensive efforts, which pretty much included every player with the (rightful) exception of Niall McNamee and Bernard Allen. The full-back line had a great evening.

- The ageless limbs of Ciaran McManus

- Richie Dalton's 3 points from play at Midfield

- Monaghans dependency on 3-4 players

For Offaly, this was a very impressive performance - but Monaghan were poor. Their over-reliance on Conor McManus and Paul Finlay for scores - and very often poorly distributed ball into those two - was to be their undoing. However, the shape of the Offaly team is starting to resemble something that contains balance and this too influenced the game that Monaghan played. Tom Cribben and his selectors at last seem to have realised that static team-sheets rarely work.

Lesson Number 1 was starting Scott Brady at Centre-Half Back. Brady's strengths were there for all to see on Saturday evening - holding his position well, physically imposing, piecing things together as Offaly brought the ball out of defense and making vital interceptions. For a short-period during Monaghans late first-half drive, his man saw a little too much of the ball - but Offaly were shaken all over for a 7-8 minute spell, so it's hard to single him out.

Lesson Number 2 was starting Joe Quinn at full-back. Quinn was perfectly suited to Finlay, picking his pocket and catching the ball over his head a couple of times. Finlay's frustration showed in the second half when he was coming back as far as his own 45 to win the ball.

Lesson Number 3 was starting Niall Darby in the half-back line - he was excellent defensively and going forward (both of the Darby's were) and I think would be a far more effective club-player in the same position, where Rhode are not awash with other options. The side-effect of this was that Niall Slattery played as a wing-forward (or generally, somewhere along the half-forward line). I'm not sure how effective this was in isolation, but the combination of the switch of these two certainly did work.

Lesson Number 4 was starting Ross Brady at right-half forward. Tom Cribben clearly wants Ross Brady in his team. I can only guess that he was previously picking him at number 6 to resource the diamond that Long John has referred to with big strong, physically imposing men. That's fine in theory, and while you can get away with a certain amount at 8,9 & 11, you generally need a wealth of experience or to be a complete natural centre-half back to play at 6. Cribben was doing Ross Brady no favours picking him at 6. By naming Brady in the half-forward line, Cribben may not achieve the symmetry of the perfect diamond, but he retains that physical presence that he seems to crave. Brady did well on Saturday evening and will be happy with his contribution. He kicked a couple of poor wides but he covered a lot of ground, linked-up well and kicks like a mule, transforming defense into attack in seconds. Much of this also applies to Ciaran McManus. For most of the game on Saturday, when the ball was being kicked-out, it was hard to tell who was playing in the middle of the field for Offaly - Dalton, Smith, McManus, Brady? With guys this big and mobile, Offaly will win more than their share of ball. They also made for heavy traffic in the middle of the field, forcing Monaghan to kick-long (and poorly) on several occasions. The only catch in this plan is this: When Monaghan blitzed Offaly for a short-period in the first-half, the Monaghan wing-backs were surging up the pitch and making things happen. I personally think playing these big men in this formation can work, but you can't leave the back-door open.

Lesson Number 5 was Horses for Courses. When big Bennie McKenna was introduced at full-forward for the obvious combination of physical and fielding abilities (remember him in 2007?), Scott Brady was moved to full-back to mark him. At last, we seem to be playing to peoples strengths.

With respect to Richie Dalton, I too agree that he had his best day for Offaly, but I wouldn't be tipping him for Captaincy off the back of it (even by default). His support running was great, he kicked three points from the middle of the field and generally did really well on Dick Clerkin. Also, his forward-facing distribution was good. For a midfielder, he has yet to show real proficiency in actually fielding the ball, but perhaps we'll see more of that now with buoyed confidence.

We look forward to Limerick now, who although clearly not at the levels of previous years, will be a little bit tricky. Overall, I'm optimistic about Offaly having a little bit of a campaign here with a far better balance to the team. However the overall strength of the panel is a concern - it could yet prove to be a problem.

Finally, to the guys that I haven't explicitly named:

- Alan Mulhall: Very assured under a couple of high-balls

- Sean Pender: Superb man-marking. I don't think he put a foot wrong really. Even recovered from a clear push in the back in the first-half to get a hand to the ball.

- Stephen Lonergan: Very strong and kicked a couple of points himself.

- Bernard Allen: Saw an awful lot of the ball and is a seriously cool customer. Based on the amount of ball, I think he'll feel like he could've done a little better overall, but his quality is clear to see. Monaghan fans around me commented on himself and Niall Mc as the obvious target-men.

- Ken Casey: Kicked a good opening point, but hesitated a couple of times when he could've driven on. Certainly should keep his place.

[True Red]

As the final whistle went i looked for the reaction of the players to a victory which by then,was assured with 10 mins to go.

The clenched fists and and the exhalation of "yes" through gritted teeth by scorer in chief Niall McNamee told me all I needed to know. This victory was all about restoring pride in that fabled jersey and by heck did those boys do it on Saturday evening.

One of the key moments for me involved Karol Slattery.For any of ye interested go and watch the Sunday Game highlights on the RTE player to see the slap Slatts gave Dick Clerkin in the first 15 mins. Slatts would have been giving up maybe a stone, stone and half to Clerkin, but he hit him with everything as Clerkin was collecting a ball out of his own defence. Not only did he force a turnover, which was collected by Dalton, who slipped it into McNamee to score the goal, but I believe he knocked Clerkin out and as you can see from the replay, Clerkin doesnt know where he is and it more than likely resulted in him been replaced at half time.

Traditionally that is Offaly football in a nutshell, no nonsense, hard hitting and pacy football. Tactically Cribbin got it spot on as well, when Offaly defended they defended in numbers and when the turnover was forced, they attacked with serious gas.

As for individuals, McManus played well and worked himself into the ground, while using the ball intelligently. McNamee was classy and took his scores well. Bernard Allen showed well all evening and won the majority of ball directed his way. His one sided-ness comes against him and for him to develop he will have to utilise his right foot at least a little bit. He has time on his side.

I was impressed with the strength that Joe Quinn showed on and off the ball, and his assurdness in posession had a calming effect on the whole backline. Pender and Darby were typical, tigerish corner backs in the conventional way. The half back line as a unit did the necessary.

As regards midfield the partnership came out on top and between Smith and Dalton it is a nice mix as they both compliment each others game. As reagrds previous comments about Richie it was pleasing to see him play as well as the people here in Edenderry know he can, and 3 points from play is delightful return from any inter county midfielder.

All roads lead to Limerick and here's hoping this Offaly squad can build on Saturday evenings performance and maintain the same level of heart warming intensity and desire against the Limerick men. if they do, I have no doubt they will be in the next round of the qualifiers.

[kingscounty]

have to agree with man from ferbane,you cant say that a lad that played one good game all of a sudden he will be captain etc within a year.leave the lad be and let him develop now and see where he is at the end of the season and the next season and then see what level he is at.dont forget everyone was giving out about him a few weeks ago against wexford.let them enjoy the win,get back to hard training over next 2 weeks and let them do their talking on the pitch.

[jimbob17]

A badly needed win for the offaly boys and some pride has been restored at last. delighted to hear the reports as i didnt go to the game. sometimes it takes just a change in attitude to win a game and Duignans comments obviously stirred up some motivation amongst these players. Remember, there are some great leaders in that dressing room such as the two macs, scott brady and Karl Slattery. I am sure that once the younger lads stepped up to the plate and took on these leadership qualities, it helped their performance, ie Dalton who appeared to have a fine game.

Some of these younger players just need to bring this intensity, leadership and work rate to their game all of the time when they play for offaly as we will always have good footballers on the pitch, better than a lot of counties in fact i believe. The younger players now need to realise why they won against monaghan and and why they played so well in comparison to other games. I think that it has been the general acceptance of defeat, lack of fight and players tendency to leave it up to someone else that has been the main reason for all the negativity towards the team in the past few years. If the players can make this workmanlike attitude central to their game, then this team can go places and make improvements.

It must also be borne in mind that this was a poor monaghan team and that they are not operating at the same level they were at two years ago with many of their better lads abroad due to immigration, Rory Woods and Tommy Freeman amongst others. In Fact the general feeling in monaghan before the game was that they would be very lucky to win given the lack of strength of their team. To my surprise, this was even suggested to me over a month ago in monaghan before we ever drew them. That is not to take away from our good performance, just putting things in context. the same could be said of the fermanagh team that lost to london compared to the good fermanagh team of a few years ago.

Looking ahead to the limerick game, we can be confident once the players bring that same passion and intensity to their play, but be warned.... Limerick are no mugs and will be delighted to have drawn offaly and see us as very takeable. They have a much better record than us in the qualifiers and are a professional well prepared, extremely fit and well drilled outfit, with lesser footballers than offaly. So OY need to hold on to the good things about the last day and bring them to play again and if we do this we will win, if not we will get beaten.

If there are any players reading this, the last day was won, but a lot more is needed to restore the pride that has been lost in the last few years. It is a perfect opportunity to make another step in this recovery and show people that we can be proud of ye again. it is also an opportunity to show the people of offaly and a few naysayers that not all of ye are the drinkers and wasters that the rumour mill makes ye out to be. Bring with ye the right attitude and will to work hard and there is no reason why we cant progress to the next round...

[Phoenix]

The Karol Slattery collision reminded me of Sean Grennan turnovers that led to one or both of the early goals in the 1997 Leinster final against Meath. Tommy Lyons drew attention to Grennan's role in the goals afterwards with the players - sometimes the turnover gets forgotten!