Offaly Senior Football Club Championship 2011

[concrete]

if tullamore had anyone who could kick a score they would have won, why were brazil and maloney left on the bench after being brought home from new zealand and williamson was in the terrace after being seemingly told he couldnt tog out?? utter madness on tullamores behalf in what was a must win game

[townman]

Ferbane got a bit of a pasting v rhode last night but in reality could and should have been a lot closer had they converted 3 clear goal chances in the second half. Tullamore looked the better team for long spells v Edenderry but their young players probably lacked experience near the finish. They seemed to cut edenderry apart at times and created plenty of clear chances that they failed to convert. Edenderrys experience told near the end where they wasted time with players lying on the ground after they took the lead. Some iffy referee calls for and against both teams proved crucial in the end in a game that Tullamore will feel they have left behind. Rhode top the table. Edenderry and Erin Rovers are pretty much through standing on 4 points. ferbane and Tubber on two are still in the shake up with tullamore still propping up the table on 0 points though they will feel encouraged from their latest performance and can still make the quarters if they win their last two games if results go their way.

the other group sees shamrocks in dire straits at the moment with surprise packets Rynaghs almost certain to make the quarters along with Clara and Walsh Island probably making it through with the fourth place up for grabs, with Gracefield looking most likely.

are Gracefield not top of that group they have beat Rynaghs and clara so they are in the quarter finals already Walsh Island also there unbeaten as well.

[SearingDrive]

I have to agree with Concrete and Townman about last night's games. Ferbane missed 5 goal chances in total, a twice taken penalty, hit the post and the cross bar in the second half, and in the first half when the Rhode keeper dropped the ball, Ferbane couldn't finish the ball to the net.
A lot of misplaced balls went to Rhode palyers or over the line.
Query? Why did 2 Ferbane players, 8 and 11 wear different colour jerseys than their colleagues?

In the second game, the only action came in the closing stages, Edenderry go 3 points ahead with a late goal, first timed to the net. Then Tullamore get a goal thanks to a defensive lapse, and then Edenderry win with a late free. Tullamore probably should have won, they looked the better team for long periods,but didn't get enough scores.
Edenderry's forwards showed their soccer skills in scoring I think 1-2, without catching the ball.
On those games it looks like Rhode are ahead of the rest. Walsh Island and Gracefield are showing good form in the other group, and could be in the knockout stages.

[offalyguy]

So what is Tullamore's situation now? Obviously to avoid relagation however can they still qualify for the 1/4 finals if they win their last two games?

[jimbob17]

from what i can gather, Tullamore can conceivably still make the quarters, though it is highly unlikely given that they would have to win both games left. They would also need to have a better scoring difference than other teams on four points, again highly unlikely given that they were hockeyed by Ferbane. and lost their other two games.

The likelihood is that Erin Rovers will beat them the next day as they will still be without the lads away,Shane Dooley, Shane Kelly,John Kenny, Kieran Hogan Williamson etc and the rumour is that James Keane is away on holidays for this one too. The older junior players like Heffernan, mickey Flynn and Niall Stack are unwilling to step up either and are concentrating on Junior. With Cathal Daly retired, the team that they had a few years ago no longer exists and has been fully replaced with young inexperienced players leaving them exceptionally weak. Assuming Erin Rovers beat them to make the quarters, they would be left in a play off with Tubber (who wouldnt be simple given they havent beaten them in a good few years in championship) for relegation final avoidance, assuming that Rhode account for Tubber in the next round. If Tubber win this game however, it will leave Tullamore in a relegation final for definite, probably against Shamrocks who prop up the other group.

It is a shame to see two big clubs like Tullamore and Shamrocks teetering on the brink of relegation with one of them probably going down, unbelievable that both played in two county finals only three or four years ago. and when it does happen, it may take a few years to get back up as the intermediate championship is not easily won as edenderry found out when they were relegated a few years ago.

[The Magpie]

the intermediate championship is not easily won as edenderry found out when they were relegated a few years ago.

Didn't the Reds bounce straight-back into Senior having beaten Doon in the Intermediate Final? As far as I remember, both teams had been relegated the previous year and then both made the Intermediate Final?

Maybe True Red can calrify.

[True Red]

Didn't the Reds bounce straight-back into Senior having beaten Doon in the Intermediate Final? As far as I remember, both teams had been relegated the previous year and then both made the Intermediate Final?

Spot on there Magpie

[Truth as i see it]

Sorry lads i know this is off topic but i was checking out the results section of the Offaly Website and i noticed their were a few 0-0 scores in the minor and u-16 sections from last weekend.

Just wondering what the story is, were they walk overs? were they abandoned after an amount of time played? surly there must have been a score in a game.

Anyone know whats going on???

[offalyman08]

It is a shame to see two big clubs like Tullamore and Shamrocks teetering on the brink of relegation with one of them probably going down, unbelievable that both played in two county finals only three or four years ago.

It could just as easily be Shamrock/Ballycumber vs Tubber/Tullamore in that playoff. I cant see Tubber beating Rhode in their next game which will mean it will all come to down to their last game....... vs Tullamore! In the other group Ballycumber's next game is vs Clara(who will be eager to not finish 4th so they avoid Rhode) which will leave them on 1 point going into their last game.......... vs Shamrocks!

I personally think Ballycumber are better than Shamrocks but both 5th round games in each group will be interesting.

[Long John]

It is a shame to see two big clubs like Tullamore and Shamrocks teetering on the brink of relegation with one of them probably going down, unbelievable that both played in two county finals only three or four years ago. and when it does happen, it may take a few years to get back up as the intermediate championship is not easily won as edenderry found out when they were relegated a few years ago.

Yes I agree with Jimbob. Obviously Shamrocks will be relegated. I have no doubt about that whatsoever. I think last weekend really highlighted the trouble they are in. Last weekend I am told they only had 17 players togged out. I dont think they will get back to Senior for a long long time. Id go as far as to say with the current resources they have, they will struggle in Intermediate as 2 or 3 of the best players they have currently playing will pack it in after this season without question. Their minor team have been shipping terrible beatings also so youth will not be the answer.

Edenderry bounced back comfortably because they had alot of experienced good footballers still playing like Cillian Farrell, Sean Og Farrell, Martin Keogh to list a few as well as good underage players coming through. Shamrocks are down so many players its frightening and most of them are still in their 20's but are unavailable for whatever reasons valid and not so valid.

Regarding Tullamore, I think they will be ok. They have enough players. When it comes to the crunch Tullamore generally pull out a result.

[Lone Shark]

The problem with relegation is that one bad game at the wrong time can send you down, while one good game at the right time can be enough to keep you up - even though those games might be out of kilter with the rest of your season. Last year both Brosna Gaels and St Brigids played some good games in the group stages, but they lost the big ones when the time came.

On paper, Tullamore with their players back should beat Tubber, but they had a lot of those players against Ferbane (Dooley, Williamson, Moloney and Brazil all played) and they still were very poor on that occasion, albeit Ferbane played their best football of the year that day. If Tullamore have a similarly bad day against Tubber or indeed in a relegation final, they could find themselves in real bother.

Indeed as was pointed out, if Shamrocks have their one good day against Ballycumber, then you could have two teams who theoretically aren't that bad in the relegation final.


In some cases, I think relegation can be good for teams - in Edenderry's case it was a necessary step towards recognising the problems that had set in at the club and in fairness they bounced back, they won some silverware and now the club is competitive at all levels. The problem is that for some clubs that don't have the same level of raw material, it can be a catalyst towards lads retiring and a real decay setting in. If you don't come back up at the first attempt, you can get stuck.

[Truth as i see it]

Sorry lads i know this is off topic but i was checking out the results section of the Offaly Website and i noticed their were a few 0-0 scores in the minor and u-16 sections from last weekend.

Just wondering what the story is, were they walk overs? were they abandoned after an amount of time played? surly there must have been a score in a game.

Anyone know whats going on???

yeah thanks for answering my question lads jeez you'd swear i was asking for your bank details, cheers

[Lone Shark]

Sorry lads i know this is off topic but i was checking out the results section of the Offaly Website and i noticed their were a few 0-0 scores in the minor and u-16 sections from last weekend.

Just wondering what the story is, were they walk overs? were they abandoned after an amount of time played? surly there must have been a score in a game.

Anyone know whats going on???

yeah thanks for answering my question lads jeez you'd swear i was asking for your bank details, cheers

Could be just that no-one knows in fairness.

[Truth as i see it]

Sorry lads i know this is off topic but i was checking out the results section of the Offaly Website and i noticed their were a few 0-0 scores in the minor and u-16 sections from last weekend.

Just wondering what the story is, were they walk overs? were they abandoned after an amount of time played? surly there must have been a score in a game.

Anyone know whats going on???

yeah thanks for answering my question lads jeez you'd swear i was asking for your bank details, cheers

Could be just that no-one knows in fairness.

yeah fair enough, just would have been nice to get a reply is all

[offalyman08]

Sorry lads i know this is off topic but i was checking out the results section of the Offaly Website and i noticed their were a few 0-0 scores in the minor and u-16 sections from last weekend.

Just wondering what the story is, were they walk overs? were they abandoned after an amount of time played? surly there must have been a score in a game.

Anyone know whats going on???

U16.. Ferbane 3-6 2-6 Tullamore, Gracefield 3-18 1-3 St Vincents.
Minors.. St Broughans 1-18 1-8 Edenderry, Tullamore 0-13 2-7 Rhode, St Rynaghs 0-9 2-10 Ferbane.............

Any of the rest with 0-0 probably didnt take place for some reason