faithfulman wrote:1. J. Dempsey
2. S. Egan
3. D. Kenny
4. D. Franks
5. D. Morkan
6. P.Cleary
7. J. Rigney
8. D. Hayden
9. B. Murphy
10. R. Hanniffy
11. J. Brady
12. D.Molloy
13. B. Carroll
14. J. Bergin
15. S. Dooley
fair play to faithfulman for the quick response in getting team up it was only
announced after training this evening. As expected Dempsey gets his first start
and well deserved. Good to see kenny at full back on canning and egan won't be
found wanting in the corner. Surely rory is going to be out at midfield? Surprised healion
isn't in the centre instead of Brady, I feel we've looked at him enough there but hopefully
he'll prove us wrong. All in all it's not a bad line up... Let's hope they do us proud,
cmon the faithful, looking forward to the day out now.. A few in the big tree and off we go!!
The team that has been posted here is the team that will start tomorrow with only one positional swap. James Rigney will hurl at 5 and Del Morkam at 7.
Looking forward to the game today i think we will do ok , the team looks a lot more balanced and if we can win more ball around the middle and half forwards we can cause an upset picnic packed oh what a beautiful day
Galway goalkeeper Colm Callanan is expecting a stern challenge from Offaly in today's Leinster SHC semi-final at Croke Park.
The Tribesmen are hot favourites to reach their first ever Leinster final, but the Kinvara clubman isn't expecting anything easy from opponents who ran John McIntyre's charges to four points in the NHL after trailing heavily at one stage.
"They're a proud county, proud hurlers, take their hurling very seriously and are always hard to beat," he said.
"One thing sticks out in my mind from the league game was the way they were willing to run at you. They ran at us at every opportunity - I think I face about four 21-yard frees that day, and Fergal Moore took another ball off the line. We were under pressure, they ran at us all day long. They're huge men and they have a couple of stout defenders as well.
"Just look at their full forward line - Shane Dooley, Joe Bergin, Brian Carroll - they will cause serious problems for any full back line. We know what we're up against, we know what's coming down the line."
Great result. Sending off of Dan Currams was ridiculous, a yellow card offense at worst. Offaly may have won but for the sending off and the lads dug deep to get a draw there. Hopefully the replay will be in Portlaoise with a bigger crowd in attendance and better atmosphere.
Again,I had to be content with online radio commentary from the ever unreliable Gerry Russell.
''He has the ball.No he hasn't.The ball is gone wide...oh no its over the bar'',there's no end to this mans level of uncertainty.
He was even promising extra-time in the event of a draw.
I'm raging 'cos whenever I leave the country we seem to pull a result out of the bag and having followed this team through thick and thin I feel somewhat disappointed having missed the opportunity of seeing them perform like this.Although,in a superstitious frame of mind I'd happily stay away from our games if I thought we were more likely to perform to standards such as these.
Having not seen any of the action per se,I cannot make any justifiable statements here,but I can say that I always believed in this group of players and was often baffled at their level of below par performances in the past.There are hurlers there for sure,some finely talented ones at that,and their commitment to the jersey is second to none.They always have and always will wear their hearts on their sleves.For this I am forever indebted.
However,I will wait to read the post-match comments here,before making my mind up about where we go from here,but their is a lingering sense that today may have been an opportunity lost,considering having been a man down for most of the 2nd half.In saying that,this will surely instill within this team,a self-belief and confidence that they are good enough to compete and beat the teams around them.
In anycase I look forward with great anticipation to reading what those of you who were lucky enough to be at the game,have to say about it.
Well lads just back and I'm absolutely delighted,despite being absolutely cooked from the weather and having a hoarse voice between cheering on the lads and roaring at that referee but boy God it was all worth it!
What a performance from the lads! They showed great heart and determination to fight back after going down to 14 men and could have won it with a Shane Dooley free a few minutes prior to the equalising point. What a performance from James Rigney! He was absolutely outstanding! Fair play to David Kenny aswell did well to limit Joe Canning to 1-3 from play.
Roll on the replay!
Come on Offaly!
14-man Offaly lived to fight another day as a 73rd minute Shane Dooley free sent a cracking Leinster SHC semi-final to a replay, following an eagerly contested tussle at Croke Park.
The Faithful County played the closing 25 minutes of this game with 14 men following the dismissal of Daniel Currams who entered the fray as a half-time substitute.
A trio of goals inside a 15-minute spell set Offaly up nicely, with Joe Brady, Shane Dooley and Joe Bergin on target to push Offaly 3-4 to 0-7 ahead in the 25th minute - and leave the Midlanders on a sound footing for the second half.
But despite Offaly's interval dominance it was Galway who burst out of the blocks early on.
The Tribesmen claimed a 0-4 to 0-0 lead after just seven minutes, with Damien Hayes, Ger Farragher (2) and Joe Canning firing early scores.
Canning was eager in the opening stages going for a goal effort from a fourth minute free, but having his shot well blocked by the Offaly defence.
Derek Molloy opened Offaly's account in stunning fashion with a well placed shot on the run from play in the ninth minute, after James Dempsey's puck-out with gathered by Derek Morkan, with Molloy latching on to the assist.
Midfielder David Burke replied for Galway to edge his side 0-5 to 0-1 clear by the 10th minute, but amazingly the Tribesmen failed to add to their tally for another 14 minutes as Offaly firmly got on top.
The Midlanders showed a marked improvement from their previous game and were hungry for goals, with Joe Brady dispatching the first in the 11th minute.
Dooley left defender Ollie Canning in his wake, before Brady thundered through the Galway rear-guard to claim his sides first goal.
Scores from Brian Carroll and Joe Bergin edged Offaly ahead by the 15th minute, and Galway were left wanting as the Faithful County continued to up their game, with Dooley slotting over points from all angles.
Joe Canning slotted over two much needed scores in the 24th minute to cut the gap to three points, but Joe Bergin's immediate goal response edged his side to a 3-4 to 0-7 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the opening half.
A point scoring spree followed before the interval, with Carroll, Dylan Hayden and Joe Brady bagging Offaly scores, with Tony Og Regan and Farragher keeping Galway in touch.
The second half offered huge drama and high intensity - with Galway claiming a point back from half-time substitute Niall Healy from his first touch within 15 seconds of the throw-in.
Farragher added his fifth point, and although Dooley slotted over his second pointed free, it came in the middle of a purple patch for the Tribesmen.
A four-point Offaly lead, suddenly turned into a four point deficit - as Galway smashed through for goals, after Joe Canning had slotted over a superb sideline cut in the 42nd minute.
Canning bagged Galway's first goal a minute later, with Farragher following up within 50 seconds as his side broke 2-14 to 3-8 in front.
David Burke showed great composure to extend the lead with a 44th minute point,
However, Offaly were far from buried, and they even withstood the loss of Daniel Currams through a straight red card, following a frontly charge on Burke.
Dooley showed great composure from frees, with Hayden, Bergin and Rory Hanniffy also taking well placed scores.
Galway rallied through Joe Canning and Iarla Tannian late on, with Dooley cutting the deficit to the minimum with a 69th minute score.
It was tense in the closing stages for Offaly supporters, with Dooley failing to win a free late on; but the Tullamore clubman made amends in the closing stages, as his 73rd minute point - his sixth of the second half, ensured the sides must meet again for a replay.
Offaly - J Dempsey; D Franks, P Cleary, J Rigney; S Egan, D Kenny, D Morkan; R Hanniffy (0-1), D Hayden (0-2); B Carroll (0-2), J Brady (1-1), D Molloy (0-1); B Murphy, J Bergin (1-2), S Dooley (1-7, 7f). Subs: D Currams for D Molloy (HT); K Brady for Murphy (44); G Healion for J Brady (67); O Kealey for Carroll (68)
Galway - C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, O Canning; D Barry, T Og Regan (0-1), D Collins; G Farragher (1-5, 3f, 1 65), D Burke (0-2); D Hayes, C Donnellan, A Callanan (0-1); A Harte, J Canning (1-6, 1f, 2 sl), I Tannian (0-1). Subs: J Lee for Barry (30); N Healy (0-1) for Harte (HT); K Hynes for Donnellan (51); J Gantley for Hynes (67)
Just back home now, what a performance from the lads they really did us all
proud and the showed us the can put it up to the best of them. Playing most the second
half with 14 men after that tipp c**t tried to do us, have to feel for currams, how could
the ref send him off for that. Looking forward to seeing it on the Sunday game. Thought rigney
had a stormer. Was great to hear the crowd get behind them where I was in the lower hogan.
We're back lads!!
Just seen on Leinster GAA site replay is next Saturday night in Portlaoise at 7.
Bad news for the footballers,surely everyone will head to OMP instead of OCP to watch the hurlers.
