Offaly team to play Wexford in NFL

[Oceans 15]

Take from Offaly GAA Website

Football Team To Play Wexford Announced
12/02/2010

The Offaly team to play Wexford in the Allianz National Football League Division 3 at Wexford Park this Sunday, 14th February, has been announced.

There are two changes to the team that started against Fermanagh - Paul McConway comes in for Conor Carroll at wing back and Alan Lynam will make his league debut at wing forward, in place of Ross Brady.

Offaly got their season off to a promising start with a three point win over Fermanagh last Sunday but will need to be at their best to overcome a Wexford side who will be anxious to win at home after narrowly losing to Louth last Sunday.

Offaly: Alan Mulhall (Walsh Island); Mark Conlon (Tullamore), Ciaran Kiely (Gracefield), Sean Pender (Edenderry); Paul McConway (Tullamore), Shane Sullivan (Rhode), Karol Slattery (Gracefield); Brian Connor (Walsh Island), Richie Dalton (Edenderry); Alan Lynam (Erin Rovers), David Egan (St Brigid's), Ciaran McManus (Tubber); Ken Casey (St Brigid's), John Reynolds (Clara), Niall McNamee (Rhode).

[bracknaghboy]

Hope I'm wrong with this but that team looks to me to be one of the weakest Offaly lineups in many a year. I'm aware that we are not blessed with loads of exceptional players so theres not much that can be done about it. Just as well that Wexford are also struggling but still think they'll have 3 or 4 to spare over us Sunday,

[lovelyhurling]

Hope I'm wrong with this but that team looks to me to be one of the weakest Offaly lineups in many a year. I'm aware that we are not blessed with loads of exceptional players so theres not much that can be done about it. Just as well that Wexford are also struggling but still think they'll have 3 or 4 to spare over us Sunday,

In fairness that team played well last weekend, they battled hard and worked for each other. More than that has been happening in the past few years. I can see us taking wexford. We'll struggle but might have a bit too much for them.

[leinsterman]

Hope I'm wrong with this but that team looks to me to be one of the weakest Offaly lineups in many a year. I'm aware that we are not blessed with loads of exceptional players so theres not much that can be done about it. Just as well that Wexford are also struggling but still think they'll have 3 or 4 to spare over us Sunday,

I Take it bracknaghboy you never saw offaly play in the early 90's, if thats the weakest offaly team you seen. who not there that would make that team better
i think cribbin has got rid of s..tstirring players from the panel.

[black and red exile]

Ah I just don't have the heart for this again, someone else can get the ball rolling.

[Phoenix]

I wasn't at the game but, having listened to it on Midlands Radio 3, it seemed like we were second best for most of proceedings until the last-gasp stirring comeback. A lot of work to do in the mini-break before the Roscommon game.

I still have a lot of confidence that Cribbin and Co. are doing the right things and I hope that their work with the Under 21s gives us some encouragement.

[True Red]

Brosnan a model of excellence
WEXFORD 1-14
OFFALY 2-10


Monday February 15 2010

WEXFORD held off a late Offaly surge to emerge with a single-point victory in a scrappy game at Wexford Park yesterday afternoon.

Wexford looked to be coasting to victory leading 1-14 to 1-7 with five minutes remaining, but an Alan Lyons 66th-minute goal sparked Offaly to life as they controlled the closing minutes, tagging on three further unanswered points through Karol Slattery and two Niall McNamee frees, to leave the minimum separating the sides.

It looked as if it had opened the door for Offaly to mount one final effort in search of the equaliser but the final whistle saved Wexford's blushes.

Wexford had started brightly and led by 1-3 to 0-1 after 17 minutes, the goal a neat finish from Adrian Flynn after Ciaran Lyng had split the defence. The match never really settled down with Offaly kicking some dreadful wides, but a 26th-minute David Egan goal, followed by a McNamee pointed free had the sides level at 1-3 each.

Sloppy defending from Offaly allowed Wexford finish the half with points from Paddy Byrne and Brian Malone to lead 1-6 to 1-4 at the interval.

On the resumption superb points from Ben Brosnan and Lyng helped Wexford extend into a 1-14 to 1-7 lead, with John Reynolds and McNamee pointing in reply for Offaly.

Offaly may have exploded into life in the closing stages but prior to that they kicked 12 dreadful wides in a wasteful display, particularly in the first half.

Wexford, in contrast, showed a more clinical finishing power, but manager Jason Ryan will not be pleased by seeing his side come so close to being caught at the finish.

Scorers -- Wexford: A Flynn 1-2, B Brosnan 0-5, (1f, 1 '45), C Lyng 0-4 (1f), B Malone, P Naughter, P Byrne 0-1 each. Offaly: D Egan, A Lyons 1-0 each, N McNamee 0-6 (5f), J Reynolds 0-3, K Slattery 0-1.

Wexford -- A Masterson; J Wadding, D Walsh, B Malone; N Murphy, D Murphy, C Morris; D Waters, C Byrne; P Naughter, R Barry, A Flynn; B Brosnan, C Lyng, P Byrne. Subs: K Kennedy for Walsh (52), B Doyle for Byrne (55), E Bradley for Waters (55), D Kehoe for Morris (63), S Roche for Naughter (65).

Offaly -- A Mulhall; M Conlon, C Kiely, S Pender; C Carroll, S Sullivan, K Slattery; R Dalton, B Connor; P McConway, D Egan, C McManus; A Lyons, J Reynolds, N McNamee. Subs: S Ryan for Carroll (35), A Sullivan for Egan (42), N Smyth for Connor (55), S Brady for McManus (55).

Ref -- M Condon (Waterford).

Irish Independent

[Georgio1]

Looks like we went 47 minutes of this game scoring 4 points. Have to get more consistency into our scoring ratio. If we had scrapped a draw we would be in a great position.

[Bord na Mona man]

It seems like Offaly hit a lot of wides and dropped a few short. Which suggests that Wexford defended well and limited Offaly to speculative shots from distance.
Against Fermanagh Offaly were able to carry the ball in close to the goals and knock them over from short range.

Any views on why the attacking play wasn't as effective?

[black and red exile]

In the first half alone we kicked 8 wides as well as 4 balls into the keeper's hands which is unforgiveable, our full back line were way too loose and taken to the cleaners and as usual we had no midfield, we could'nt win a breaking ball to save our lives, Wexford were far hungrier. Don't be fooled by the scoreline, Offaly were well beaten, there was 7 points in it with just a few minutes remaining, an average Wexford team just went to sleep and nearly paid the price. The sooner the better the Darbys, PJ Ward and Tommo Deehan come back on board and even when they do it's still going to be a short year, there is no point in fooling ourselves.

[leinsterman]

jasus were they that bad, hope to get to cork on sunday for the hurling,
they are very quiet down there not much talk about the hurling team this year
as christy ring once said cork hurlers are like mushroom's they can come over night
thats what i would be afraid of on sunday

[black and red exile]

Yeah Leinsterman, heading down there myself too. I have been down at the Pairc 4 times and everytime I've got lost trying to find it. It is a bit like the Bracknagh of the south, you end up driving up and down the same road 3 or 4 times before ya get lucky [ at least I do anyway ], anyway here's fifth time lucky, herself is coming down for the drive this time to stop me getting lost again. Best of luck to the lads and all we ask for is that they give their best which they always do anyway.

[leinsterman]

Yeah Leinsterman, heading down there myself too. I have been down at the Pairc 4 times and everytime I've got lost trying to find it. It is a bit like the Bracknagh of the south, you end up driving up and down the same road 3 or 4 times before ya get lucky [ at least I do anyway ], anyway here's fifth time lucky, herself is coming down for the drive this time to stop me getting lost again. Best of luck to the lads and all we ask for is that they give their best which they always do anyway.

YES its a hard place to get to the way i go is over the bridge at jurys take a left at
copley street onto the albert road up to the roundabout go straight onto centre park
road and its on the right , you could park in cork city its about 20 mintue walk from
there its another graveyard for offaly as well don't think we ever won there, i never seen them win there anway, there's a first time for everthing

[black and red exile]

I can remember our footballers winning down there in the League a few years back, I think it was about 03, 04 time. I can remember there was about 16 offaly supporters there that day, the journey home was very enjoyable but your right Leinsterman it's a bit of a Wexford Park 2 for us alright. I don't expect Sunday to be any different, I guess a good performance is what we are looking for, the last thing the lads want is a big beating before the dreaded Kilkenny game on Feb 28th.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Of all places in the country, Cork City is one place I detest driving through, and I always seem to get caught due the one-way systems.

I’d say the most direct way of getting to Pairc Uí Chaoimh is to go through the Lee Tunnel and take the turn-off for Blackrock. Heading towards Blackrock you may see floodlights which are Cork Cons RFC and Pairc Uí Rinn, which are in adjoining plots of land on top of Temple Hill. If you can find your way there, you are half a mile from P Uí C.

Leinsterman’s way isn’t the worst, but there’s something about looking across the river at P Uí C from that bridge over the railway near the Silver Springs but you’ve still got a mile to travel into the city, a mile through it and another mile out to the ground again. And then there’s the traffic. And one-way streets.

Yeah Leinsterman, heading down there myself too. I have been down at the Pairc 4 times and everytime I've got lost trying to find it. It is a bit like the Bracknagh of the south, you end up driving up and down the same road 3 or 4 times before ya get lucky [ at least I do anyway ], anyway here's fifth time lucky, herself is coming down for the drive this time to stop me getting lost again. Best of luck to the lads and all we ask for is that they give their best which they always do anyway.

YES its a hard place to get to the way i go is over the bridge at jurys take a left at
copley street onto the albert road up to the roundabout go straight onto centre park
road and its on the right , you could park in cork city its about 20 mintue walk from
there its another graveyard for offaly as well don't think we ever won there, i never seen them win there anway, there's a first time for everthing