Offaly v Down - All Ireland Minor Semi Final - Navan 6pm

Hyper · Post by **Hyper** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 11:35 am

No-one seems to be getting excited about Saturday's game. I suppose it is only a semi-final!!! Anyways any views/comments?

turk · Post by **turk** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 11:45 am

unfortunately i won't be around for this one. i'm away with work and then off for a week's holidays. i think down would be fancied for this one. hopefully we can call on all our reserves of guts and strength

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:16 pm

It has kind of slipped under the radar a little bit all right, what with it being a good while since the last game etc.

The truth is that this is a very good Down team - on form, the best team left in the competition - they were missing five players for the Ulster final that they lost to Armagh by a point. If they play to the full of their ability, they should have four or five to spare on us - we've yet to win a game by more than two points after all.

Against that, irrespective of what happens on Saturday, this batch of minors has earned some serious respect in their performances so far. They've shown incredible resolve to nick three tight finishes, and they kept slogging against a Laois team that played very well, had a lot of talent and got a couple of breaks. Overall they've been a model of what you would hope for in a side representing the county.

If Down hit their stride, they could run up the kind of tally we'd struggle to match - they got 1-17 in their quarter final against Galway - we haven't come close to scoring like that, now would I expect us to. On the other hand, if the game is tight going into the last few minutes, our boys will have the self belief from knowing that they've won games like this before - and could sneak it.

I'm looking forward to it in a big way - it's a joy to be still involved in a championship at this time of year - but I'm not expecting too much.

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:52 pm

Yep we have a hard working minor team ok but me thinks this just might be a bridge too far...............

If we are to win we need Casey and Mulhall on fire up front and I hope the lads pick Flannerry up front for a bit of power.

Down are strong- very strong. But then ya never know - it is Offaly they are playing!.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 3:09 pm

Barracuda wrote:Down are strong- very strong. But then ya never know - it is Offaly they are playing!.

That statement had began to ring a bit hollow about Offaly football teams - it's great that it really means something again with this team.

TheManFromFerbane · Post by **TheManFromFerbane** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:47 pm

Lone Shark wrote:
Barracuda wrote:Down are strong- very strong. But then ya never know - it is Offaly they are playing!.
That statement had began to ring a bit hollow about Offaly football teams - it's great that it really means something again with this team.

Here Here, that is the thing that pleases me most about this run. They have put that bit of doubt back in the minds of some counties that when they play against Offaly no matter how well they are going Offaly can beat them. That is exactly the kind of thing we want other counties to think

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:34 am

Best of luck to the team on Saturday, I'll be there to support them. Hopefully this team will signal the rebirth of Offaly Football that is so badly needed.
Where's everyone congregating?
Just changed jobs so not getting the same time to post.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 11:02 am

We're getting sluggish - should have thought about this.

I suppose the obvious congregation point is on the terrace opposite the stand, as near to halfway as we can get, much like for the Louth game.

We'll have a Shark - we'll not be difficult to spot!

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 1:28 pm

I'll see ye all there.
Lets hope there's a good Faithful crew to support the lads!

Mighty Pair O' Hands · Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:39 am

Anybody got the line up for Saturday yet ? Team was announced last night I believe.....

True Red · Post by **True Red** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:39 am

James Guinan who replaced Keith Higgins at corner back in the last game is named this time in the starting fifteen.

Offaly (MFC v Down): D. Bracken, J. Guinan, D. Larkin, D. Horan, J. Knight, R. Dalton, G. Grehan, R. Connor, R. Brady, N. Darby, C. Mahon, S. Lonergan, M. Mulhall, P. Duffy, K. Casey.

Mighty Pair O' Hands · Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:07 pm

thanks for that true red.

A little unlucky on higgins, although Guinan would have the edge on pace.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:14 pm

It would have been a very close call between the two of them I'd say. Higgins has been pretty good I'd have thought, though I did miss the last game being away, so if Guinan did well on coming in it was always going to put him in pole position.

I certainly wouldn't worry about Guinan playing there, and if I'm not mistaken, Higgins has another year of playing minor in him yet.

What is Lonergan like as a footballer? He's a player I know little or nothing about, I don't recall ever seeing him play for more than a few minutes, again having missed the Cork match.

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:57 pm

What is Lonergan like as a footballer? He's a player I know little or nothing about, I don't recall ever seeing him play for more than a few minutes, again having missed the Cork match.

Not too bad- seemingly he was playing that "not to be mentioned game" for most of the year and only returned to the GAA a few weeks before being called in.
He played well last time out and was a bit unlucky to be taken off I reckon. He can play a bit to be fair to the chap.
Gorman has lost out for a 2nd game in a row and this might be just the tonic that he needed. I could now see him coming in and doing something from the subs bench.
Duffy is another who needs to shape up a bit better or he could be called a shore for the in form Treacy.
I see Ross at midfield- good call that.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:04 pm

Cheers for that.

It's just that without knowing a lot about him, we're in the odd situation whereby I'd almost expect more scores to come from our two midfielders than our three half forwards.

At this stage in the year it is hard to take any serious issue with the team - Gorman was not playing as well as he can, and while I stand by my opinion that he deserved to be kept in for the Leinster Final after the Meath match, equally Brady got his chance off the bench, took it, and is too good to be left off the team. My own inclination would be to swap himself and Mahon so as to have Brady nearer scoring range, but they'll probably end up swapping over and back in free play anyway.

I thought Duffy was very good in the first two matches, poor in the Leinster final, and by all accounts played moderately against Cork as well. Treacy has scored off the bench in every game if I'm not mistaken, but I suppose part of that could be that his energy is too much for tiring legs to handle. He mightn't make as much of a contribution against a fresh opponent.

I do think Flannery has been hard done by though.