Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July 2nd

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Wing Back
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Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July 2nd

Post by Wing Back »

Away to Wexford it is.

Not the worst draw in the world. I think Eamon Kelly will be happy with that considering the result against them in the league. Wexford seem to be on a pretty low ebb at the moment. They looked totally off the pace against Dublin in Croke Park. Wexford will still be strong favourites but there is room for optimism here I feel.

Offaly started very well against Galway and if we can carry that forward it would be great. Egan getting sent off was a real sucker punch. It's hard not to feel hard done by considering what was going on between Dooley and Burke. But in spite of that I thought Offaly finished out the 1st half reasonably well by only conceding 2 more points and sticking over one of their own. Galway swept through us for the 1st 15 mins of the 2nd half and there was a danger of a whitewash. But in fairness to the lads they never gave up and gained a foot hold in the game again with 14 men and got the gap back to 6 points before Galway had a man sent off. I was disappointed that we couldn't make use of the initiative we gained from the goal and then being back 14 V 14 but Galway turned on the burners then again to ensure victory and their quality showed when they needed scores to put the result beyond doubt. I don't normally give out much about referees but there were some pretty harsh decisions yesterday I felt, particularly against Offaly.

There were definite positives to draw from yesterday all the same despite of a 10 point defeat. Offaly have done an awful lot of Hurling this year playing 14 games between Walsh Cup, League and Championship so far, which is great and will stand us in good stead for next year I feel. We have blooded a lot of players and given them some very tough hard games that will bring them on a lot.

Emmet Nolan coming on yesterday was good to see and I know some lads will not agree with him, Kevin Connolly, King and Kiely coming back into the setup because they weren't there from the start, but if they have genuine reasons and have demonstrated to Eamon Kelly that they are committed and that he is happy with that, and as long as they have been doing the best they can away from the squad, then I'm more than happy to have them on board to add more quality to our squad. I think Kelly himself has learned a lot and is seeing the best positions for his players also with every game. Bergin on the edge of the square is where he needs to be and I believe Kinsella and Murphy are improving with every game.

I really think we can trouble Wexford and lets hope that the year isn't over yet.

Esto Fidelis
'Babs keating 'resigned' as coach because of illness and fatigue. The players were sick and tired of him'

Buttons
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by Buttons »

Saturday at 3.30, rte are showing the game live.

Toxicity234
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by Toxicity234 »

Colin Egan is suspended for sat after his appeal failed.
“Common sense is not so common.”

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by Bord na Mona man »

This will be a tricky one. Wexford Park is a bleak place to visit for a number of reasons.
We're not without hope though. Any opposition team managed by Liam Dunne gives you extra cause for optimism. The home crowd will be less in numbers and less in belief than previous years, so it'll hardly be hostile.
Memories of the league win down there is Spring are sure to help Offaly's mindset.

The Offaly players having put in more work this year are more battle ready. In other years when the spirit isn't as good, you don't look forward to these trips. You expect a capitulation at some point when it starts to get tough.
The key is not to let Wexford get build up any sort of a lead. If it stays close for the first 50 minutes, I think Offaly have better hurlers and should pull away.

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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by sam88885a »

I think we have a chance , the presure is on Wexford , their expected to win , at home and after winning 3 u21 in a row, whereas everything is a bonus for this young Offaly team . We dont have any reason to fear Wexford ,pity C Egan misses out and C Doughan and C Kiely are injured .
I think they 4 games we have already played will stand to us and i hope tomorrow will be the start of a good week for offaly hurling .

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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by Kevin »

sam88885a wrote:I think we have a chance , the presure is on Wexford , their expected to win , at home and after winning 3 u21 in a row, whereas everything is a bonus for this young Offaly team . We dont have any reason to fear Wexford ,pity C Egan misses out and C Doughan and C Kiely are injured .
I think they 4 games we have already played will stand to us and i hope tomorrow will be the start of a good week for offaly hurling .
Time to dig deep.

This is the kind of competition that will let us know where we stand. We've given a decent/generally improving account of ourselves this year. Wexford still stand as 2/1 or thereabouts favorites, but that will not matter much after the throw in.

High time for Wexford to start dreading whenever Offaly visit Wexford Park. Certainly last time was different circumstances/league, but let's make it 2 in a row anyway!!

Good luck and best wishes to all involved. Wexford are decent, but so are we. Let's give them something to think about.

YOU CAN DO IT LADS!!!!!

COME ON OFFALY!!!!!!!
Kevin Clancey. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Toxicity234
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by Toxicity234 »

I think we have a great chance today.
for two reasons.
Fristly Wexford tatics. There short puck out. if they play like they did against in Dublin Offaly forward will distoryed them.
2nd We have 6 Defender on the field. While i have issue with Gardiner and Mc Donald playing centre and full. I'm happy enough to have 6 defender in the defence and there all natural defender. Its mean that there more likely to be correct position with have to think about it.

Best of luck to the lads..
“Common sense is not so common.”

Buttons
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by Buttons »

Really cant see us losing, all the games we have played and the position we are today compared to the start of championship means we should be giving wexford a very good game, went with big Joe to be first goalscorer and offaly to win 20/1.

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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by kingscounty »

Ah lads terrible viewing , puts on a load of under 21s and they playing Wednesday night . Wexford are dirt and they still hammer us !! I don't know I just don't know

private joker
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by private joker »

Both teams very poor. Wexford should have won by more. Faster and a lot more skillful than offaly. Officials fair bad with wexford peno. Under 21s up next. Cannot see a offaly win but you never know.
Dublin by 5 + points.

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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by SearingDrive »

private joker wrote:Both teams very poor. Wexford should have won by more. Faster and a lot more skillful than offaly. Officials fair bad with wexford peno. Under 21s up next. Cannot see a offaly win but you never know.
Dublin by 5 + points.
Offaly faded in second half, and let Wexford dominate the game. That was a goal from Wexford penalty, how the officials missed it from a clear view I do not know. Offaly had too many wides in the first half. Have we made any progress in 2016?
It's the Under 21 final next Wednesday in Tullamore, let's hope for a better display.
Busy week for Offaly, today's game, followed by minor footballers on Tuesday night v Laois. Then U 21 hurlers on Wednesday, and football qualifiers next weekend vKildare.

SearingDrive
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by SearingDrive »

Buttons wrote:Really cant see us losing, all the games we have played and the position we are today compared to the start of championship means we should be giving wexford a very good game, went with big Joe to be first goalscorer and offaly to win 20/1.
Waste of money!

private joker
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by private joker »

Rte just commented on the poor offaly support was in wexford park. Little do they know that the support won't go as far as tullamore!!!

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townman
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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by townman »

shocking second half took us 31 minutes to score from play in the second half. i hope the county board thanks Eamon Kelly for his year over us and wave him good bye. putting Joe Bergin midfield in the second half and then Niall Wynne fullback on McDonald was mind blowing stuff, our fullback line have been poor all year yet the same line out day after day. as for throwing on the under 21's after half an hour i was hoping none of them would get hurt for the leinster final.

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Re: Offaly vs Wexford 2016 Hurling Qualifier - Saturday July

Post by Bord na Mona man »

I missed most of the first half due to on the M50 after an accident, but Offaly had already dug their own grave by the time I got in.
I didn't have context on the game as a whole, but what was alarming was how much the Offaly skills degrade under pressure. Any sort of physical pressure and several players can't control the ball with any degree of composure. Far too often when an Offaly player tried to take on his man, he got tamely stripped of it.

Unfortunately this looks like a legacy of old school coaching in Offaly which takes very little account the physical pressure and swarming nature of how teams defend in the modern game. It's hard to blame the players for growing up being taught how to play a 6-2-6, marker vs. marker game of a bygone era.

Playing into the wind, Offaly obviously had to run it, but the off the movement was poor. Even when Offaly did manage to spread the attacks wide into a bit more space, the ball was quickly carried back into traffic.
Wexford, true to their tradition were always going to throw in a few physical hits and it paid dividend a lot of the time.

It was sad to see the game dead with 25 minutes to go, with only Wexford showboating to amuse the crowd.

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