Offaly V Waterford 4/4/2010

[kinnittyman]

Offaly (v Waterford): James Dempsey; Michael Verney, David Kenny, David Franks; James Rigney, Paul Cleary, Derek Morkan; Rory Hanniffy, Stephen Wynne; Brian Carroll, Derek Molloy, Daniel Currams; Joe Bergin, Ger Healion, Shane Dooley.


Strange decision to see Wynne in midfield but I suppose management knows best (with tounge firmly in cheek!!)

Also that half forward line doesn't look like it will win too many puck outs. I know Molloy is relatively good in the air but 10 and 12 need to start upping the ante big time.

[leinsterman]

well i suppose with the win last weekend that kept us up and that we can't get to the league final joe's giving
lads a run to have alook at them. young stephen wynne in midfield is funny alright but i think young wynne will
make it in the next few years in our fullback line.

he is giving james dempsey a run in the goal who is another one for the future, its a pity odhran kealey keeps
getting hurt he had a good game again D.I.T in the walsh cup and done well when he came on again the cats
with abit of luck he could have got 1-1 that day.

cathal parlon seems to be gone out of the picture with joe dooley lately he was going well earlier in the year
i thought joe might give dylan hayden a run in the half forward line as we are struggling for a half forward
that can catch our puck out a get a score.

as for daniel currams he has had an up and down year, he came in as a sub in the game's again cork, and kilkenny
was on from the start against dublin and had a good game was poor again galway was great in the first half again
limerick and got some nice points but went out of it then. his young and dooley should stay with him there's hurling in him.


that forward line looks like thats the one that joe dooley will go with for the championship opener against antrim with brendan murphy
not back yet it looks the best we have at the moment.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Hmmm curious, curious. Agreed, 10 and 12 need to up the ante and I too would have liked to see Hayden in the half forward line. There are few purer strikers of a ball in the county from 40 yards out.

Anyone else think that Verney might start at midfield with Wynne in the corner? That or Rigney at midfield with Wynne on the wing.

[bazza]

What I can't understand with this team selection is why management don't just play the same full forward line that played against Dublin, when Offaly played their best hurling of the league. Dooley and Carroll were on fire in the corners and every time a high ball went in on top of Bergin it caused serious panic in the Dubs' full-back line. As far as I'm concerned Bergin has always played his best hurling for Offaly at full (Limerick 2008 and various league matches spring to mind). It's seems as if management are accomodating Healion which I just can't agree with. And I would also like to see Hayden tried at 10, we can't afford to leave scoring talent like that on the line. Possibly with Molloy and Mahon beside him to add a bit of bulk to the line. I would also like to see Kelly from Tullamore getting a decent chance at wing forward or midfield, wheter as a sub or starter. He was completely on top in midfield in the County semi final and final last year, seemed well capable of taking a score, and at the least he deserves a shot before championship.

[Bord na Mona man]

As far as I'm concerned Bergin has always played his best hurling for Offaly at full (Limerick 2008 and various league matches spring to mind). It's seems as if management are accomodating Healion which I just can't agree with.

Looks like it.
Meaning that Bergin will probably start in the corner, get no ball that suits him, then get moved to the half forward line for a few minutes and then get taken off.

[Plain of the Herbs]

James Dempsey’s selection in goal is a good one. The worst thing to happen a novice trying to break onto the team is to sustain an injury in February or March (as happened Stephen Egan, Odhran Kealey and James).

A good performance on Sunday should see him retained for the Tipperary match, and if he can keep up the good form through the spring series of club hurling matches he may well be in line to start against Antrim.

[Offaly2010]

Good performance from Offaly yesterday despite the result. Conceded a sloppy goal but also scored a sloppy goal. Offaly could easily have won this,at least got a draw out of it!

[Bord na Mona man]

Fitzgerald vows to read riot act after 'crazy' Deise display

Monday April 05 2010

THEY may be heading abroad this week for a spot of warm-weather training but any hopes Waterford's hurlers had of lying around on sun loungers were firmly scotched by manager Davy Fitzgerald after yesterday's three-point defeat of Offaly in Walsh Park.

The sides were level for the 12th time with five minutes remaining and it was only Waterford's superior bench and some metronomic late free-taking from Maurice Shanahan that dragged the Decies across the line.

So when Fitzgerald accused his players of "some absolutely crazy mistakes and over elaboration," and announced, "trust me, we'll sort that out during the week!" they'll know not to bother packing buckets and spades.

Yes, Offaly lost, but it was Joe Dooley's side, a week after only pipping Limerick by a point, who produced a hurling resurrection here on Easter Sunday.

Waterford had hopes that Walsh Park's tight lines might confine them but the visitors gave as good as they got for most of the match and forced Fitzgerald to empty his bench, which, ultimately, proved the only difference.

Seamus Prendergast and Eoin Kelly were the first to be withdrawn despite scoring all but one of Waterford's first-half points, with Kelly virtually faultless from frees.

Before he left, Kelly contributed to Waterford finally getting a goal, after several close calls and ignored penalty appeals, when he whipped a ball up the wing to Tommy Ryan, who broke it well and crossed to Dan Shanahan who flicked it in.

But the arrival of John Mullane and Shane Walsh to Waterford's forwards considerably improved their attack, especially with Stephen Molumphy dropping deep to help out the over-worked Shane O'Sullivan in midfield.

The all-action second-half was a huge contrast and welcome relief to the syncopated first-half which was basically a turkey shoot between Kelly and Shane Dooley.

Great

Eight times the sides were level before a great point from O'Sullivan gave Waterford a minimum half-time lead of 0-11 to 0-10.

Within minutes of the restart referee John Sexton got the bird for not giving Dan Shanahan a penalty and Offaly moved a point clear again thanks to good scores from Daniel Currams and excellent midfielder Rory Hanniffy.

Two of Dooley's nine frees put Offaly two points clear then but the sight of Mullane coming off the bench roused the crowd and despite Offaly levelling it again after the goal, Mullane produced one of his brilliant, trademark angled points to help pull Waterford two clear.

The crowd responded similarly when veteran defender Tony Browne made his first appearance of the season with 10 minutes left.

His arrival, not surprisingly, came just after Waterford's last line of defence, which had done so well for so long with Noel Connors standing out, gave away a silly goal.

A long ball from Hanniffy was crossed by Joe Bergin and though Derek Molloy's first touch was blocked, Dooley scrambled a ball across the line that the backs and 'keeper Clinton Hennessy really should have cleared.

Even after that Waterford were guilty of far too many errors, particularly loose hand-passes around defence on which Offaly gratefully pounced.

For a long time it looked like they might draw a third league match in a row but the influence of Mullane and Walsh and Maurice Shanahan's improved second-half performance, pulled them through with four unanswered final scores

"I'm actually happy the way it turned into a battle because it showed we have the character to fight our way out of trouble," Fitzgerald said. "But we're a mile off championship (pace)."

Offaly, without Ger Oakley (abroad), noticeably started David Kenny at centre-back and put Paul Cleary on Dan Shanahan, a switch that paid off for long periods.

They could also be happy with the contributions of wing-back Derek Morkan, Hanniffy, Derek Molloy and Currams, who produced some great blocking and harrying.

But they still badly need to starting spreading the scoring.

Their manager was relieved at their improvement, despite Offaly's five wides in the last eight minutes. "I'm disappointed to lose but very proud of them," Dooley said.

"It was a big step-up from last week and probably we could hurl with more freedom because the pressure wasn't on us, while Waterford were still playing to make the league final."

Scorers -- Waterford: E Kelly 0-8 (0-8f), M Shanahan 0-6 (0-4f), D Shanahan 1-0, S Prendergast 0-2, S O'Sullivan, J Mullane, S Walsh 0-1 each. Offaly: S Dooley 1-10 (0-9f), D Molloy, D Currams 0-2 each, R Hanniffy, B Carroll 0-1 each.

Waterford -- C Hennessy; E Murphy, M O'Brien, N Coonors; S Fives, R Foley, J Nagle; E Kelly, S O'Sullivan; K Moran, S Prendergast, M Shanahan; T Ryan, S Shanahan, S Molumphy (capt). Subs: J Mullane for E Kelly (46), S Walsh for S Prendergast (46), A Kearney for Fives (53), T Browne for D Shanahan (65), J Maher for E Murphy (72).

Offaly -- J Dempsey; M Verney, P Cleary, D Franks; J Rigney, D Kenny, D Morkan; R Hanniffy, S Wynne; B Carroll, D Currams, D Molloy; G Healion, J Bergin, S Dooley. Subs: D Hayden for Rigney (h-t), C Mahon for Healion (57), S Egan for Franks (63), J Brady for Wynne (68), C Parlon for Bergin (72).

Ref -- J Sexton (Cork).

[Plain of the Herbs]

Some things never change Joe will always be proud of them.

"I'm disappointed to lose but very proud of them"

[black and red exile]

The few of us that were there yesterday could not figure out how in the name of God Joe Bergin was left on the pitch until the second minute of injury time. I would love someone to make a case for this guy who has yet again flopped big time, Jaysus christ Stevie Wonder could see we were playing with 14 men for the whole game yesterday

[leinsterman]

The few of us that were there yesterday could not figure out how in the name of God Joe Bergin was left on the pitch until the second minute of injury time. I would love someone to make a case for this guy who has yet again flopped big time, Jaysus christ Stevie Wonder could see we were playing with 14 men for the whole game yesterday

would joe dooley seir kierans have anything to do with it, they looked at ger healion for to long as well. as for dylan hayden why won't they
give him a run in the half forward line, has to be better than joe brady and healion in there anyway. poor support again for offaly on sunday
good to see egan of tullamore back hope they play him from the start again tipp.

[rocket57]

The only case to be made is to leave him on the bench next time but that will not happen he is from clareen and well joe must be waiting for him to come to life ,but it is not happening at the moment .Also Stephen Wynne at midfield he was lost he is a corner back in fairness to him thank god we have Hanniffy who had a stomer again he needs someone with him around the middle ? overall was happy with the performance yesterday they played with a bit more passion more of the same needed for the championship

[Daingean Exile]

Good effort from Offaly yesterday. Shane Dooley was good so was Brian Carroll and Hannify in midfeild. They struggled in the half back line and Joe Bergin was poor up front. The pitch was obviously in very bad knick and the ref gave a few hometown decisions near the end to get Waterford over the line.

[bracknaghboy]

Really enjoyed the game yesterday but have to say I didn't think for one moment that the Offaly lads looked like or believed that they could win this game. At 1-16 each it was crying out for an Offaly leader to stand up and drag them over the line. Sadly we had none. Learning to kill off games remains a problem. The ref was dreadful as well......some brutal calls late on to be honest i dont know where they get these fellas from

[the bare biffo]

I thought Rory Hannify pucked an awful lot of ball straight back to Waterford players from between his own half backline and mid field. I know the lad is a great athlete and hurler but there has been a lot of discussion here about the tendency for lads to hit first time rather than retaining the ball. Just thought it stood out a bit.
I hope that Joe Dooleys comments about being disappointed but proud of the lads was for public consumption only and that in the dressing room he was tearing strips off them for throwing away an opportunity to win the game. I think at this stage Joe needs to move on from moral victories.