Offaly vs. Clare Football Qualifier Round 1 26/06/2010

[Bord na Mona man]

This a great chance for Offaly to record their first championship win since Carlow in 2007. Though Clare also have every right to believe they can win it too.

Since the league ended we have seen Div 3 teams like Louth beat Kildare, Sligo beat Galway and Wexford just failing to kill off Dublin. These are teams that Offaly were roughly equal too in league encounters earlier in the year.

They've all managed to bring to hit the championship field with championship intensity and really Offaly should seek to do the same. If any further inspiration is needed, then the example of the Offaly hurlers last Sunday shows how sheer guts and bloody mindedness gets you a long way in do-or-die championship.

What is been lacking from Offaly football for the last 4 years is a step up in intensity for championship. I think there has been effort put in on the field, but it hasn't been backed up by any sort of collective belief. Against Meath, incidents like the sending off, missed frees and bad turnover scores seemed to drain whatever fragile belief there was in the team.

That sort of belief and single-mindedness can't be easily coached, but it can be gained by getting a win or two under the belts. A win over Clare it would be a good start.

As for the team. I'd be in two minds over bringing back lads like Niall Smith and Alan McNamee. They may have ability, but it sends out a message to lads on the panel who have done all the hard winter training.

With Ciaran Kiely gone and Shane Sullivan injured, the back line will once again be shorn of options. The Clare attack won't have the same quality as Meath's, but they could still make hay.
I'd say 2-13 to 1-13 in Offaly's favour.

[Offaly2010]

This will be tough for Offaly because Clare will be coming to Tullamore with great confidence that they can actually beat Offaly and why not?
I'm going to say Offaly to pull away in the second half after a tight first half and Offaly to win 1-13 - 0-11

[Johnno81]

Taken from Hogan Stand

Faithful make four alterations
25 June 2010


Offaly boss Tom Cribbin has made four changes to his side for tomorrow's All-Ireland football qualifier against Clare in Tullamore.

The Faithful were well beaten by Meath in the Leinster championship and into the team comes Brian Darby at right corner back, Ross Brady at centre back, Durrow clubman Brian Geraghty at midfield and Anton Sullivan at right corner forward with the injured Shane Sullivan, the suspended John Coughlan, Ciaran Kiely and Sean Ryan dropping out.



The inclusion of Brady, Darby and Sullivan means there are three sets of brothers in the starting line-up - the Bradys from Clara and the Sullivans and Darbys from Rhode.

Offaly (SF v Clare): A Mulhall; B Darby, S Brady, S Pender; N Darby, R Brady, K Slattery; B Geraghty, R Dalton; J Reynolds, B Connor, C McManus; A Sullivan, K Casey, N McNamee.

[Bord na Mona man]

The article mentions the Sullivan bros. playing, but Padraig seems to be dropped.

Is Niall Darby definitely going to play at wing back?
If Ross Brady is centre back he'll give it 100%, but ideally he would have gotten to play a few league games in this position.

I know a few changes had to be made after the Meath game, but these days every team announcement seems to involve major surgery to the Offaly line up.

[naasmanxrhode]

This looks a sh*t team especially from backs to midfield, what is Cribben & co up to, we could get murdered?

[Offaly2010]

The Clare team to face Offaly in tomorrow's All-Ireland football qualifier at O'Connor Park is unchanged from that which lost to Waterford in the Munster championship.

Manager Micheal McDermott has decided to stick with the same starting XV, despite their loss in Dungarvan. John Hayes has recovered from injury to take his place on the subs' bench.



Clare (SF v Offaly): J Hayes; M Tubridy, B Duggan, B Carrig; M McMahon, G Kelly (captain), D Callinan; G Quinlan, G Brennan; M O'Shea, P O'Dwyer, A Clohessy; D Tubridy, D Russell, D Daly.


(taken from HS)

[offalyman08]

I think its a mis-print. I think P Sullivan is corner back instead of S. Pender

[bracknaghboy]

Thats a very very very poor team Offaly have out. Worst team on paper I've seen in all my years in GAA. I could be wrong but Clare should win this by 3 or 4 points. Clare are 7/2. Who sets these odds?

[black and red exile]

Midfield is going to be a major problem, Brian Geraghty will not jump for a ball, he stays stuck to the ground, I would have thought it would make more sense to put Brian Connor at midfield with Richie and put Geraghty at centre back with Ross going to centre forward, Geraghty has played at full back or centre back for Offaly minor and U21 teams and has done quite well, they are also positions where you don't have to reach for the sky every time for possession but in midfield ya would need a decent spring which Geraghty doesn't have, I can see switches galore around the midfield diamond after about 10 minutes.

[Long John]

Yes very weak team on paper anyway. Maybe the management know something we dont.

Full back line: Not the worst line as all will give it a right go. Pender has struggled in some club games the last couple of years but hopefully he will put in a good 70.

Half Back line: Darby at wing back, i dont know if he has the ability but will try very hard. Brady is not a centre back and its a position to excel in you need experience and a good footballing brain. I dont think he fits the bill, but he has football in him and will get stuck in I guess.

Midfield: Very very weak. Dalton deserves to be tried there as hes played quiet a bit as a midfielder at club and underage level. Hes not a centre back anyway. Geraghty is a disaster. I saw him in some junior club games and he was very poor. Not the worst opposition to get a run against but nowhere near county standard.

Half forward line: Connor and McManus not the worst options. They could easily be the midfield pairing ahead of whats there. Reynolds is not a half forward, too slow, cowardly and ineffective at winning dirty ball. If you had to play him, it would be at Full forward where he'll pick up a loose ball here and there and kick a handy point or two.

Full forward line: A strong line. All good footballers who have the ability to cause problems for any defence.

[leinsterman]

6 points to 1 for clare at half time lads whats going on with offaly football, to think we were in the leinster final
four years ago i think the players don't care about the offaly jersey anymore hope they can pull it out of the fire
in the second half.

[True Red]

Offaly came back to win by 3 points after extra time. Good result for a young team and I am delighted that they have got that monkey off their backs.

[BUFFALO]

Offaly 2-18 Clare 1-18 AET.

By the sounds of things,it was a woeful first half performance and after a quick couple of scores early in the second half things seemed to go awry,only for the game to be rescued at the death.
They done well for the first period of extra-time but faded in the second period and were grateful to get through to the next round.
Listening to Pat Phelan(I think) and Laz Molloy doing the commentary was priceless stuff altogether.
Laz could be heard bellowing out words of encouragement when an Offalyman had a sniff of a chance.

As was said by the aformentioned individuals,hopefully this will give them some confidence and more importantly motivation to make a right aul go of these qualifiers.I suppose that is more in hope than expectation though.

[the bare biffo]

Well done to the players today. At the end of the first half I was sick to the stomach, but to turn a seven point defic into a six point advantage against any team takes some guts.
I just hope the draw is favourable for the next round because there are going to be some weak losing provincial finalists in there too. There is a real opportunity for the team to develop.

Well done.

[cromabu52]

Well done Offaly today. Might comeback. Anyone know is this the right subs bench below with correct numbers? If not please correct.
16 Eoin Brennan (Tullamore)
17 Alan McNamee (Rhode)
18 Conor Carroll (Raheen)
19 Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks)
20 James Gallagher (Walsh Island)
21 Ger Rafferty (St Rynagh’s)
22 Graham Guilfoyle (Clara)
23 Seán Ryan (Birr)
24 Alan Lynam (Erin Rovers)
25 Stephen Lonergan (Birr)
26 Paul McConway (Tullamore)
27 William Mulhall (Walsh Island)
4 Seán Pender (Edenderry)
29 PJ Ward (Shamrocks)
30 David Egan (St Brigid’s)