Offaly Hurling Championships 2014

[townman]

Should be two very good semils on sunday, Coolderry and K/K Should be some battle and it should go to the wire might need a replay they are that close, if Brian Carroll hits form they might nick it so to K/K if Currams and Mahon hit form.

the second semil i'd have to go for Clareen they just seem to have that little bit more about them than Rynaghs this year. Gary Connelly will be a lost to them and i can't see what defender Rynaghs would have to keep Bergin out of the game if he hits form they could win well along with Mulrooney,Tommy Carroll, Adrian Hynes, the backs with Murphy the Coughlans, should see them through, Rynaghs have fail the last few years at the semil final stage and i wonder is this going to be a step to far again for the Shannonsiders , but they could win in to if things go right for them. they need Stephen Quirke to have the game of his life if so, i don't know Shannonbanks14 i think your putting your hopes to much on Ger Rafferty to win it on sunday i think either Enna Murphy or Sean Coughlan will be well able for him i can't see where he has came that good all of a sudden been around the block a while.

so if i was to call in Clareen K/K final and K/K just about i think Kiely and Dylan Murray stepping up from the minor grade just might make the differ come sunday.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Thanks for the kind comments, both of ye. Enjoy the semi-finals on Sunday.

Terrible to be sayin it on a Friday gettin ready to finish up for the week but i can't wait untill sunday i hope the weather doesn't make a f*** of it now well wrote POTH

good preview of the semi plain of the herbs

[Plain of the Herbs]

I am aware that the subtlety of the point will be lost on you, but there is a world of difference between 'writing off' a team on the one hand, which is to dismiss their challenge entirely, and the other hand which is to give due consideration to the relative strengths and weaknesses of both teams before making a hesitant one-word shout as to who'll win it.

Great to see Rynaghs been written off in so many circles especially in local media. One expert has backed their opposition in practically every single game this year. Franny Forde has this team the best prepared in years and it wont be Clareen that will stop them thats for sure. Hold Joe Bergin and you hold Clareen. Rafferty will plough through them at his ease and Rynaghs will be back for another county final.

[Toxicity234]

I have had my in laws over this week and put up a few thousand of Km on the Car drive around showing them the sites.
They heading to the Airport for a flight at 7 in the morning so I have to be up at 4 or earlier to drive them.
So I don't think i'm going to make Moytown for 11.30 my bed will be calling.
But best of luck to Drumcullen.

The Semi Finals I should be kind of awake for.
Clareen Vs Rynagh's. I feel this will be very close. Rynagh are far from the finish article but if it come to a fight they'll win. Rafferty for everything he not, he is a fine team player and a great work horse (the kind of worker ever team needs). who ever mark him tomorrow will have their hand full and more. if Wynne and Quirke can feed off him they have a great chance.
Joe Bergin and Hynes on the other side are excellent hurlers that will be trying to feed of Clareen great work horse Cris Connors.
To me Connors and Rafferty are the key players in this game tomorrow. Which everyone breaks and wins the most ball for the forwards around them will win the game.

Kilcormac Killoughey vs Coolderry. Coolderry are an excellent team and Kilcormac Killoughey have struggle (if struggle is beat everyone) with injury's.
again I except a very close game. I think this game come down to which half back line get on top and if Kilcormac Killoughey line out with Grogan, P Healion and B. Leonard and there fit I think they win. but it will be a good contest

[kingscounty]

The junior championship is a strange one. It is one we can not look into until the semi final stage. The 4 teams in the semi finals came from the same group. The majority of the teams from the other group got easily disposed of in the quarter final apart from the mighty KK who are always going to be a challenge all the time. At this point in time i dont think anyone can call the winners of the semi finals just because nobody can read how each team really perfomed in the group or quarter finals. Should be an interesting one when the time comes around.

Well killeighman were you at the game today? I couldn't make it due to work , ballinamere had a big win 1-16 to 1-05 I think or something like that, what way did the game go? Clara and Clareen ended level 1-08 to 0-11 , Ballinameres to lose by the looks of things now.

[Killeighman]

I did make it down to the game. Yeah Ballinamere can only lose the championship from here on in. Killeigh got the lead through a Mark Egan goal just before half time but Killeigh would need to be up by 10 points at half time to have any hope of surviving the Ballinamere. The introduction of Emmett Molloy for Ballinamere made a huge difference. I think he scored 1-3 when he came in. At the end of the day it came down to the hungrier team and Ballinamere wanted it more. Just a mention to the Killeigh lads they have trained hard over the year and hurled well in challenge matches lately but i think they got caught on the hop yesterday. They didn't hurl to their potential but taking nothing away from Ballinamere, they fully deserve to be in the position they lie in now

[townman]

Rynaghs K/K final, must say i thought todays games were abit flat and Clareen fell apart after half time but in saying that Rynaghs played the best hurling out of the four teams today they looked a team played a nice brand of hurling and found their men with most of their pasts, Stephen and Paul Quirke done well up front, James O'Sullivan and Aidan Treacy won midfield, Dermot Shortt and Simon og Lyons and Daniel Maloney hurl well at the back, as for Clareen well most of there team stayed at home only Sean Coughlan who hurl a great game Joe Bergin in patches and Eanna Murphy can be happy with their days work, how Billy Dooley looked at Christopher Connors at centre forward for most of the game was a mystery, Barry Bergin, Adrian Hynes never got a puck of it today and Kevin Murray and Donal Coughlan got the run around by the Quirke brothers, James Mulrooney two pucks of it 2 goals he scored but was poor.


as for the battle of the Lenister club champions of 2011 and 2012 this game was build up to be one to watch but in my opinion it was a brutal poor match only coming to life in the last 5 minutes when Kevin Teehan got Coolderrys goal, the shooting by both teams was shocking bar in mind you had at least 7 forwards on show who played in the forward line with offaly for the county. Coolderry look a team that have came to the end of its time, with Joe Brady, Brendan O'Meara Barry Teehan, Cathal Parlon the two Corcorans Alan and Trevor all poor, along with Kevin Connolly and Eoin Ryan . Brian Carroll even doe he missed a lot was the only forward Coolderry has and along with Kevin Brady who held his own hurl well for Coolderry, K/K played poor but still won well a sign of a good team the two Healions held their own along with Con Mahon in the corner who was my M.O.T.M , Kilmartin and Killian Leonard won midfield, Jame Gorman was the pick of the forwards i think he scored 4 points from play, and set up a few and won frees, Conor Mahon was poor even doe Joe Brady his man was also poor and went fullforward for the last 10 minutes says it all, Slevin from frees that was about it with Currams and Geraghy very quiet today, young Kiely was in and out of it scored a nice point but can do alot better than he done today, but as i said sign of a good team that wins when not hurling at their best.


The county final i hope will be alot better than what was on show today god knows we need a good county final after the summer we had with the county teams.

[kingscounty]

Rynaghs K/K final, must say i thought todays games were abit flat and Clareen fell apart after half time but in saying that Rynaghs played the best hurling out of the four teams today they looked a team played a nice brand of hurling and found their men with most of their pasts, Stephen and Paul Quirke done well up front, James O'Sullivan and Aidan Treacy won midfield, Dermot Shortt and Simon og Lyons and Daniel Maloney hurl well at the back, as for Clareen well most of there team stayed at home only Sean Coughlan who hurl a great game Joe Bergin in patches and Eanna Murphy can be happy with their days work, how Billy Dooley looked at Christopher Connors at centre forward for most of the game was a mystery, Barry Bergin, Adrian Hynes never got a puck of it today and Kevin Murray and Donal Coughlan got the run around by the Quirke brothers, James Mulrooney two pucks of it 2 goals he scored but was poor.


as for the battle of the Lenister club champions of 2011 and 2012 this game was build up to be one to watch but in my opinion it was a brutal poor match only coming to life in the last 5 minutes when Kevin Teehan got Coolderrys goal, the shooting by both teams was shocking bar in mind you had at least 7 forwards on show who played in the forward line with offaly for the county. Coolderry look a team that have came to the end of its time, with Joe Brady, Brendan O'Meara Barry Teehan, Cathal Parlon the two Corcorans Alan and Trevor all poor, along with Kevin Connolly and Eoin Ryan . Brian Carroll even doe he missed a lot was the only forward Coolderry has and along with Kevin Brady who held his own hurl well for Coolderry, K/K played poor but still won well a sign of a good team the two Healions held their own along with Con Mahon in the corner who was my M.O.T.M , Kilmartin and Killian Leonard won midfield, Jame Gorman was the pick of the forwards i think he scored 4 points from play, and set up a few and won frees, Conor Mahon was poor even doe Joe Brady his man was also poor and went fullforward for the last 10 minutes says it all, Slevin from frees that was about it with Currams and Geraghy very quiet today, young Kiely was in and out of it scored a nice point but can do alot better than he done today, but as i said sign of a good team that wins when not hurling at their best.


The county final i hope will be alot better than what was on show today god knows we need a good county final after the summer we had with the county teams.

100% agree with all this , my god the games today were poor , the second game was shocking poor , no life in it at all. Going by the two semi finals I would fancy Rynaghs to cause an upset and beat KK. The two Quirkes were excellent today .

[ryot]

Delighted that Brosna Gaels held on even as most gave them little chance against a traditional power................

[sam88885a]

i agree two poor games today .the wind didnt help especially in the second game .
i thought seir kierans were terrible .their use of possesion and their workrate off the ball was poor . no team work .
st rynaghs hurled well as a team , moved for each other passed the ball to each other and work hard off the ball . they have a game plan and they stick to it . very well coached.
deserved winners .
the kk v coolderry watch was flat .
i thought coolderry would have tested kk today especially with kk having so many players not fully match fit . kk seemed to be in second gear all day and still went 7 points up and when coolderry goaled it left it tight to the end . kk won playing badly without using any subs better than playing great and lossing.
for kk to get back to the final this year with all their injuries shows what great champions the are.

that game will help g healion b leonard k grogan c slevin to get back match fitness . i thought the ref was hard on kk today .
should make for an intresting final .
both teams with high work rates and both hurl as a unit but completely different styles .

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Would agree with most of what was said, but you have to hand it to KK though. They played against a storm in the second half, but dug in during the time you traditionally put on the burners, just after half time. 6 pts on a row and total domination killed Coolderry. To me this is KKs form and with the full game behind them, I think they are certainties to win the final.

Rynaghs were impressive enough, but I think the KK backs will tie up the 2 Quirkes and Rafferty handy enough. Conneely, will he be back? But I liked the type of hurling Rynaghs were trying to play. Clareen were shocking bad, handling, aimless clearances, and no cohesion in attack.

[shannonbanks14]

I agree with Sam, although Clareen were bad because they have some very average hurlers and were put under pressure all the time. Rynaghs are coming and they won't be making up the numbers in the final. In fact they will be very confident, as they have a very good game plan thanks to Franny Forde who has made all the difference. Their movement and keeping possession will trouble kk big time in the final and the healions definitely are there for the taking with their lack of pace.kk not the team of the last two years and two more weeks wont change them much.

[sam88885a]

shannonbanks i agree rynaghs wont be making up numbers in the final but neither will kk .three in a row will drive them . i think kk have been doing enough but if the peak for the final and hurl to their potental , rynagh will have to be very very good to beat them.
they healions may lack pace but that all they lack ,real warriers . hard to see the healions, kilmartain, conor mahon , d currams k grogan, b leonard , j gorman been bullied by anyone . in winter hurling size is a plus and kk have that .
rynagh will have to expose kk lack of pace they wont out muscle kk

[shannonbanks14]

Thats what I was sayin Sam they will have to outpace them and thats what the system they play is all about. Rynaghs are super fit and they'll need to be, all year they've been workin on keepin possession and makin the right runs in the right areas at the right times, and the wide spaces of ocp are exactly what they need to win this co final.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Good to see 'Rynagh's looking forward to hurling in Tellamore. Three SHC wins from three for them at the venue already this year, which augers well.

Thats what I was sayin Sam they will have to outpace them and thats what the system they play is all about. Rynaghs are super fit and they'll need to be, all year they've been workin on keepin possession and makin the right runs in the right areas at the right times, and the wide spaces of ocp are exactly what they need to win this co final.