There has to be something amiss with our psychology when we lose in the same manner to Wexford for the 3rd time running.Mistakes and errors at vitals stages cost us again.
It would appear debatable if we have made progress overall or not.
What a wonderful way for Wexford to progress to face Kilkenny.It would have been great for us also i.e play useless and still get to the final.
The Qualifiers draw is difficult also but at least we face Dublin first.
OFFALY PSYCHOLOGY
Offaly v Wexford
Gutted. What a bag of sh*te of a game. Our forwards reached new lows of ineptitude. I think the qualifier draw isn't too bad. If we can't beat Dublin, we can throw our hats at it. Limerick aren't great. As for Clare?? Who do we have at home?
Disgusted by that. Still too sick to comment properly. All I will say is why was Brendan Murphy on the field at the end of the game when the poor chap was having the proverbial 'mare.
Well done to the backs, Cleary, Franks, Teehan, Brady, Hanniffy and Wolverine all were sterling. From there on up, Forget about it.
Make no mistake, that is a poor Wexford team, and we let them off the hook mightily.
Asking a lot to bounce back quickly, and to be honest I can see Dublin beating us if we play like that.
Maybe it's all a clever ploy to avoid a Kilkenny mauling for another year, and rebuild confidence again through the qualifiers!
Where was the Shark?
Well done to the backs, Cleary, Franks, Teehan, Brady, Hanniffy and Wolverine all were sterling. From there on up, Forget about it.
Make no mistake, that is a poor Wexford team, and we let them off the hook mightily.
Asking a lot to bounce back quickly, and to be honest I can see Dublin beating us if we play like that.
Maybe it's all a clever ploy to avoid a Kilkenny mauling for another year, and rebuild confidence again through the qualifiers!
Where was the Shark?
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Mighty Pair O' Hands
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AZ, agree with all your comments.
On a positive note (and there wasn't many) our backline was superb especially in the second half when they were under constant pressure.
Our midfield did okay and Hayden after a quiet opening then came well into it and at least showed some passion.
Forwards ? Well they should have been ashamed to look the backs in the eye after the game. Collectively the worst forward display I have seen from an Offaly hurling team, ever.
I could name and shame individuals but is there any point ?
Taking a positive spin, the qualifiers is a better place to be because we will get a chance to regroup and hopefully move on from this.
On a positive note (and there wasn't many) our backline was superb especially in the second half when they were under constant pressure.
Our midfield did okay and Hayden after a quiet opening then came well into it and at least showed some passion.
Forwards ? Well they should have been ashamed to look the backs in the eye after the game. Collectively the worst forward display I have seen from an Offaly hurling team, ever.
I could name and shame individuals but is there any point ?
Taking a positive spin, the qualifiers is a better place to be because we will get a chance to regroup and hopefully move on from this.
Our forwards were a bag of nerves against Wexford. Far too wound up. Witness:
1. Brian Carroll missing frees
2. Brendan Murphy missing shots from play.
3. Both Brian Carroll and Brendan Murphy furiously fist-pumping whenever they won a free or scored.
4. Brian Carroll and Joe Brady getting a free reversed because of a row in the corner.
5. Lots of foo
A few other things:
Would everybody please stop telling Gary Hanniffy to use his weight and physical presence. Result - two cheap frees in the first half when we badly needed to open a gap.
Also re Gary Hanniffy why was he instructed to hit low ball into forwards who weren't winning it when he had several high percentage shots on in midfield with a gale force wind blowing into the goal from his side.
By the way I'm not criticising Gary Hanniffy who was one of our better players.
Our corner backs conceded three points each from play but apart from that slight quibble you couldn't criticise any of our players from 1 to 8 for their defensive play.
Maybe the back 8 could be criticised for raining too much high ball down on Declan Ruth and Co but the forwards weren't getting out first to the low ball either.
The forwards were just too wound up and were second to every ball. Brian Carroll, Diggy, Alan Egan, Joe Brady and Joe Bergin had flashes but otherwise there was nothing happening. It was all Heads Down stuff with no teamwork or combination play.
Finally please, please let's appeal to the Supreme Court the rule that free Offaly players in miles of space still feel duty bound to whip a ball off the ground straight to an opponent (often their marker) in the sacred name of "Ground Hurling" when they have loads of time to get it in hand and do something constructive like pop it over the bar for instance
1. Brian Carroll missing frees
2. Brendan Murphy missing shots from play.
3. Both Brian Carroll and Brendan Murphy furiously fist-pumping whenever they won a free or scored.
4. Brian Carroll and Joe Brady getting a free reversed because of a row in the corner.
5. Lots of foo
A few other things:
Would everybody please stop telling Gary Hanniffy to use his weight and physical presence. Result - two cheap frees in the first half when we badly needed to open a gap.
Also re Gary Hanniffy why was he instructed to hit low ball into forwards who weren't winning it when he had several high percentage shots on in midfield with a gale force wind blowing into the goal from his side.
By the way I'm not criticising Gary Hanniffy who was one of our better players.
Our corner backs conceded three points each from play but apart from that slight quibble you couldn't criticise any of our players from 1 to 8 for their defensive play.
Maybe the back 8 could be criticised for raining too much high ball down on Declan Ruth and Co but the forwards weren't getting out first to the low ball either.
The forwards were just too wound up and were second to every ball. Brian Carroll, Diggy, Alan Egan, Joe Brady and Joe Bergin had flashes but otherwise there was nothing happening. It was all Heads Down stuff with no teamwork or combination play.
Finally please, please let's appeal to the Supreme Court the rule that free Offaly players in miles of space still feel duty bound to whip a ball off the ground straight to an opponent (often their marker) in the sacred name of "Ground Hurling" when they have loads of time to get it in hand and do something constructive like pop it over the bar for instance
Very disappointing game, especially when it was there for the taking.
Why was Diggy taken off? I was thinking that at least he can take a score. It struck me that we had huge difficulty in keeping possesion of the ball beyond midfield, we generally had one go at it and it was cleared.
Am I right in saying that our second match will be against Limerick at home? (O'Connor park or Birr?).
Group B:
Dublin
Clare
Offaly
Limerick
Taken from gaa.ie.
Guinness Hurling Championship Qualifier draw
Friday, June 9
The draw for the Guinness Hurling Championship qualifiers will take place on Sunday evening in Clones and will be shown as part of the Sunday Game’s live afternoon coverage.
The eight teams involved will be drawn into two groups of four. The team’s involved are: Dublin, Laois, Offaly/Wexford, Westmeath/Kilkenny, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Clare.
Each group must consist of two Leinster teams, at least one Munster team and Galway or the last drawn Munster team.
The first two teams drawn in each group will be entitled to two home games in the series of round robin fixtures. For this reason, the designated counties who are entitled to two home games (Laois, Dublin and Westmeath – should they lose to Kilkenny) will be placed in a separate bowl and drawn first.
The remaining five non-designated teams (six if Kilkenny lose to Westmeath) will be drawn from a second bowl to complete the two groups.
Schedule of games will be as follows (1st named have home advantage):
Round 1 (17th June)
Team 1 v Team 3
Team 2 v Team 4
Round 2 (1st July)
Team 1 v Team 2
Team 3 v Team 4
Round 3 (8th July)
Team 4 v Team 1
Team 2 v Team 3
Why was Diggy taken off? I was thinking that at least he can take a score. It struck me that we had huge difficulty in keeping possesion of the ball beyond midfield, we generally had one go at it and it was cleared.
Am I right in saying that our second match will be against Limerick at home? (O'Connor park or Birr?).
Group B:
Dublin
Clare
Offaly
Limerick
Taken from gaa.ie.
Guinness Hurling Championship Qualifier draw
Friday, June 9
The draw for the Guinness Hurling Championship qualifiers will take place on Sunday evening in Clones and will be shown as part of the Sunday Game’s live afternoon coverage.
The eight teams involved will be drawn into two groups of four. The team’s involved are: Dublin, Laois, Offaly/Wexford, Westmeath/Kilkenny, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Clare.
Each group must consist of two Leinster teams, at least one Munster team and Galway or the last drawn Munster team.
The first two teams drawn in each group will be entitled to two home games in the series of round robin fixtures. For this reason, the designated counties who are entitled to two home games (Laois, Dublin and Westmeath – should they lose to Kilkenny) will be placed in a separate bowl and drawn first.
The remaining five non-designated teams (six if Kilkenny lose to Westmeath) will be drawn from a second bowl to complete the two groups.
Schedule of games will be as follows (1st named have home advantage):
Round 1 (17th June)
Team 1 v Team 3
Team 2 v Team 4
Round 2 (1st July)
Team 1 v Team 2
Team 3 v Team 4
Round 3 (8th July)
Team 4 v Team 1
Team 2 v Team 3
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Lone Shark
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I'm very worried about what this will do to us. Our hurlers are becoming like the footballers, the close games are becoming unwinnable. I was worried about exactly this - we'd be a few points in front but never pull away. Still, I thought the league game would stand to them in a finish like that.
I was only listening on the radio, but getting that free overturned sounds unforgiveable.
I was only listening on the radio, but getting that free overturned sounds unforgiveable.
That was cat alright Lone Shark, and only served to fire up the Wexford lads, who are always mad for a bit of a schmozzle. That was but one in a litany of missed opportunities and spurned chances during the whole game. The last 3 or 4 minutes could and should have seen Offaly score 3 or 4 times. Brendan Murphy's ( i hate to keep harping on him) tame attempts from 30 yards out were mind boggling.
Wexford
Devastating result. I don't think I ever before saw a game so dominated by the backs on both sides. We had enough chances to be out of sight by half time. If that's the best we can offer, it's probably a mercy that we were beaten.
Trying to be optimistic, I still think there's more in us and if we can make it through the qualifiers it's a better route to the quarter finals than getting just one game against Kilkenny.
Trying to be optimistic, I still think there's more in us and if we can make it through the qualifiers it's a better route to the quarter finals than getting just one game against Kilkenny.
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Lone Shark
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I'm trying to be optimistic too, but it's feckin difficult. Dublin will remember how close they came to us last year, and with our guys currently in the low they're likely to be in, next weekend becomes a real banana skin now. All we can do is hope that the Dub crowd become distracted by the World Cup.
I've said all along that Limerick were beatable, and we should have no fear of Clare after what happened last year. In saying that, I just can't envisage us getting a win out of Ennis. Which means that we need to beat Dublin out the gate to be in a good frame of mind going into the Limerick match, which will be to all intents and purposes a do or die game.
How the management fare at picking the lads up after the devastation will be crucial. I hope those that wanted to were let make the most of Sunday night to at least get it out of their system. Sitting at home watching the Sunday game wouldn't have done anyone any favours - time enough for post mortems on Tuesday.
I've said all along that Limerick were beatable, and we should have no fear of Clare after what happened last year. In saying that, I just can't envisage us getting a win out of Ennis. Which means that we need to beat Dublin out the gate to be in a good frame of mind going into the Limerick match, which will be to all intents and purposes a do or die game.
How the management fare at picking the lads up after the devastation will be crucial. I hope those that wanted to were let make the most of Sunday night to at least get it out of their system. Sitting at home watching the Sunday game wouldn't have done anyone any favours - time enough for post mortems on Tuesday.
No TV
I was bitching that this game was not televised.
Now it has to be seen as a blessing.
It was hard to listen to, had to be nearly unbearable for those present.
On to the qualifiers. Hopefully that will put us on a positive path.
Now it has to be seen as a blessing.
It was hard to listen to, had to be nearly unbearable for those present.
On to the qualifiers. Hopefully that will put us on a positive path.
It'll be tough going but if we can overcome Dublin things mighn't be all that bad. This team needs more champ hurling to improve and they should improve.
The forwards will hopefully really feel like they need to lift their game and against Dublin they will be well capable of that.
A win there will probably leave it between Clare, Limerick and ourselves and I think Limerick at home (I think thats the fixture?) is the one to target for the second win. It could be very tight to see who goes through and in what position in this group.
The forwards will hopefully really feel like they need to lift their game and against Dublin they will be well capable of that.
A win there will probably leave it between Clare, Limerick and ourselves and I think Limerick at home (I think thats the fixture?) is the one to target for the second win. It could be very tight to see who goes through and in what position in this group.
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Plain of the Herbs
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To me, yesterday was probably the first time in 25 years that Offaly’s touch and striking was eclipsed by that of Wexford. They got far more length and accuracy into their ground strokes. This represents a huge sea-change in where those two teams stand in relation to each other, if this was an 8th – 9th place play-off in the hurling rankings. What of the future for Offaly? Well, Kilkenny and Wexford will both be seeded in the Leinster draw next year, meaning it’s a 50:50 chance of drawing either to be played at a neutral provincial venue. Offaly won’t ever beat Kilkenny while they might shock Wexford every fourth or fifth attempt. We’ll always be ranked 9th, superior to Laois, Dublin or Antrim, but always behind Wexford. Gets kinda boring. That’s how the future looks at this point in time.
So many questions. Where do we begin? Let’s start at the beginning. Why did Offaly choose to play with the aid of the wind in the first half on winning the toss? This may sound like hindsight, 20-20 vision and all that, but its not. There are very few circumstances where you choose to bat first, the main one being in a game you’re not going to win and you want to keep it respectable for the first half. Yesterday wasn’t one of those. It can take 15 – 20 minutes to settle, and a team has the aid of the second half wind while knowing their target on the scoreboard.
What of the game? Why were the team so listless, given that the date is stamped in the mindframe since it was fixed. We were told this year, it would be different. They were training in a gym, they were eating the right grub. That this would lead to character building which would stand to them when it came down to the dying minutes of a clise match. Why was a low puck-out not adapted given that Gary Hanniffy was unable to make an impact in the air? There seemed to be no plan B. Mullins’ second half puckout into the wind was barely halfway, and often only made his own 65. Lyng and Ruth were gobbling it up and sending it straight back down. Why was Tanner not introduced at midfield or half forward? Why was he left off in the first place? Why, if Bevans was to be introduced, did he get no game time in the league? What made them think Stephen Brown was going to win the game for them? His record in tight matches doesn’t state a case for the defence for either club or county. Why was Aidan Hanrahan, who was hurling well out the field, forstly moved infield and later replaced? Why does Brian Carroll have to come out from corner forward to drop in a free as happened with 5 minutes to go? Why does Cleary have to come up 65 metres from full back to take frees? Why did no-one (Kevin Brady and Bevans excepted) want to take on the responsibility of taking on a shot at goal late in the game? And what was Barry Teehan thinking of? Ground hurling for ground hurling’s sake has the county ruined. And when did Joe Brady develop an aggressive streak? I can answer this one- it was about the time of the county final when he spent the second half trying to start a row with Sid. He should get rid of it.
In mitigation of the forwards, the supply of ball was of such poor quality. It was usually too high and gave lads no chance to make space. Only Carroll’s point when he came across from his own side to collect Brady’s delivery, and Hanrahan’s layoff to Cordial to score, were the only notable instances of imaginative forwards play.
And what of the qualifiers? Well, we were always going to get a tough group. However, the order of the fixtures is appealing. Dublin coming first up gives them a chance to get a confidence-restoring win under their belts. To get back up on the bike, so to speak. More importantly Limerick hurl Clare first. Offaly need to beat the loser of that to progress. A tall order, but they know which game to target. Will O’Connor Park be opened in time? Hopefully it will. Clare will be ready for an Offaly onslaught after nearly being caught last year. Limerick will feel they owe Offaly big time, 1994, and more recently, 2003 (our last win over a top-9 team).
So many questions. Where do we begin? Let’s start at the beginning. Why did Offaly choose to play with the aid of the wind in the first half on winning the toss? This may sound like hindsight, 20-20 vision and all that, but its not. There are very few circumstances where you choose to bat first, the main one being in a game you’re not going to win and you want to keep it respectable for the first half. Yesterday wasn’t one of those. It can take 15 – 20 minutes to settle, and a team has the aid of the second half wind while knowing their target on the scoreboard.
What of the game? Why were the team so listless, given that the date is stamped in the mindframe since it was fixed. We were told this year, it would be different. They were training in a gym, they were eating the right grub. That this would lead to character building which would stand to them when it came down to the dying minutes of a clise match. Why was a low puck-out not adapted given that Gary Hanniffy was unable to make an impact in the air? There seemed to be no plan B. Mullins’ second half puckout into the wind was barely halfway, and often only made his own 65. Lyng and Ruth were gobbling it up and sending it straight back down. Why was Tanner not introduced at midfield or half forward? Why was he left off in the first place? Why, if Bevans was to be introduced, did he get no game time in the league? What made them think Stephen Brown was going to win the game for them? His record in tight matches doesn’t state a case for the defence for either club or county. Why was Aidan Hanrahan, who was hurling well out the field, forstly moved infield and later replaced? Why does Brian Carroll have to come out from corner forward to drop in a free as happened with 5 minutes to go? Why does Cleary have to come up 65 metres from full back to take frees? Why did no-one (Kevin Brady and Bevans excepted) want to take on the responsibility of taking on a shot at goal late in the game? And what was Barry Teehan thinking of? Ground hurling for ground hurling’s sake has the county ruined. And when did Joe Brady develop an aggressive streak? I can answer this one- it was about the time of the county final when he spent the second half trying to start a row with Sid. He should get rid of it.
In mitigation of the forwards, the supply of ball was of such poor quality. It was usually too high and gave lads no chance to make space. Only Carroll’s point when he came across from his own side to collect Brady’s delivery, and Hanrahan’s layoff to Cordial to score, were the only notable instances of imaginative forwards play.
And what of the qualifiers? Well, we were always going to get a tough group. However, the order of the fixtures is appealing. Dublin coming first up gives them a chance to get a confidence-restoring win under their belts. To get back up on the bike, so to speak. More importantly Limerick hurl Clare first. Offaly need to beat the loser of that to progress. A tall order, but they know which game to target. Will O’Connor Park be opened in time? Hopefully it will. Clare will be ready for an Offaly onslaught after nearly being caught last year. Limerick will feel they owe Offaly big time, 1994, and more recently, 2003 (our last win over a top-9 team).
Not the result we wanted but OK if we can't beat Wexfod by a good margin then we have absolutely no business playing Kilkenny in a Leinster final only to be trounced.
Better for a young developing team to go into the playoff group and compete against tems of a similar standard and hopefully emerge a strenghtened force. Dublin must be beatable. Clare have been around so long they should only pose a threath for the first 40 or 45 minutes. The tussle to top the group can only be with Limerick. Otherwise it's back to the league in October to rebuild for a new assault in 2007.
Better for a young developing team to go into the playoff group and compete against tems of a similar standard and hopefully emerge a strenghtened force. Dublin must be beatable. Clare have been around so long they should only pose a threath for the first 40 or 45 minutes. The tussle to top the group can only be with Limerick. Otherwise it's back to the league in October to rebuild for a new assault in 2007.