SF Challenge, Offaly vs Laois, tonight in Mountmellick

[Lone Shark]

Official Laois GAA ‏ @CLGLaois
The Laois senior footballers will play Offaly at 7.15 tonight at the opening of the Mountmellick GAA Grounds. All welcome #fb

Working myself, but it could be worth a look for anyone who's around to assess how things are going in the Tom Coffey era. Certainly a handy enough location. All reports on here welcome of course....

[kingscounty]

sound might head over. when are the hurlers playing kilkenny in clara would you know?

[Bord na Mona man]

Oh no, the challenge match circuit. Source of many false hopes in Offaly football.
I hope we don't end up beating Mayo again!

[Bord na Mona man]

sound might head over. when are the hurlers playing kilkenny in clara would you know?

Sunday May 20th.

[kingscounty]

sound

[Bord na Mona man]

Tom Coffey names his side to play Laois tonight in Mountmellick

Tom Coffey and his backroom team have named their starting line for tonight's opening of the new facilities and development at Mountmellick GAA grounds. Speaking to the media last night at the Leinster championship launch Tom said that he was looking forward to this game tonight. While this is only a friendly it is also a local derby and with championship season upon both sides will want to how they are 5 weeks after the Allianz League finished. Offaly go into this game tonight with debutant Mark Dunne at centre forward and Niall Smith and Alan McNamee forming the midfield partnership. Richie Dalton will line out at full back as Graham Guilfoyle will wear number 14.

The starting 15 are
1 Alan Mulhall (Walsh Island)
2 Eoin Rigney (Rhode)
3 Richie Dalton (Edenderry)
4 Sean Pender (Edenderry)
5 Brian Darby (Rhode)
6 John Moloney (Tullamore)
7 Shane Sullivan (Rhode)
8 Alan McNamee ( Rhode)
9 Niall Smith ( Gracefield)
10 Derek Kelly (Edenderry)
11 Mark Dunne (Rhode)
12 David Hanlon (Edenderry)
13 Anton Sullivan (Rhode)
14 Graham Guilfoyle (Clara)
15 Ken Casey ( St Brigids)

http://offaly.gaa.ie/offaly-news/tomcof ... untmellick

[llkj]

I am just doing some research for college and was wondering if anyone could help me. Does anyone know if Tom Coffey comes from or has a connection with Edenderry or Rhode parishes? Thanks.

[Bord na Mona man]

I am just doing some research for college and was wondering if anyone could help me. Does anyone know if Tom Coffey comes from or has a connection with Edenderry or Rhode parishes? Thanks.

He might have. Since County Offaly consists of just those two parishes

[allstar2010]

I am just doing some research for college and was wondering if anyone could help me. Does anyone know if Tom Coffey comes from or has a connection with Edenderry or Rhode parishes? Thanks.

Hahaha... Your hardly suggesting a bit of bias in his selection???? I was nearly expecting to see Pascal Kelleghan and Roy Malone named in the forwards when I was reading down through the team!

[llkj]

I am just doing some research for college and was wondering if anyone could help me. Does anyone know if Tom Coffey comes from or has a connection with Edenderry or Rhode parishes? Thanks.

He might have. Since County Offaly consists of just those two parishes

You do realise that Tom Coffey is a genius and is tapping into the Offaly proven formula for success here BnMM. You create a team based on who lives closest to each other and then trot out the line "We are a great county with a small pool of players. Shur, all of our players come from within an X mile radius of Birr/Edenderry". Then you forget the fact that the sport is played anywhere outside that area whenever asked in the Meejia.

If we could just get rid of Guilfoyle and Moloney....Although, on 2nd thoughts, didn't the teams always have a Kevin Martin or a Cillian Farrell figure... That's it, we're saved!!!!!...

Lone Shark - What odds can I get on Offaly winning an All-Ireland this year? You bring the steaks, I'll bring the sandwiches and we'll let a stray neutral dog (I said neutral not neutered) mind them until September!

[townman]

Tom Coffey names his side to play Laois tonight in Mountmellick

Tom Coffey and his backroom team have named their starting line for tonight's opening of the new facilities and development at Mountmellick GAA grounds. Speaking to the media last night at the Leinster championship launch Tom said that he was looking forward to this game tonight. While this is only a friendly it is also a local derby and with championship season upon both sides will want to how they are 5 weeks after the Allianz League finished. Offaly go into this game tonight with debutant Mark Dunne at centre forward and Niall Smith and Alan McNamee forming the midfield partnership. Richie Dalton will line out at full back as Graham Guilfoyle will wear number 14.

The starting 15 are
1 Alan Mulhall (Walsh Island)
2 Eoin Rigney (Rhode)
3 Richie Dalton (Edenderry)
4 Sean Pender (Edenderry)
5 Brian Darby (Rhode)
6 John Moloney (Tullamore)
7 Shane Sullivan (Rhode)
8 Alan McNamee ( Rhode)
9 Niall Smith ( Gracefield)
10 Derek Kelly (Edenderry)
11 Mark Dunne (Rhode)
12 David Hanlon (Edenderry)
13 Anton Sullivan (Rhode)
14 Graham Guilfoyle (Clara)
15 Ken Casey ( St Brigids)

http://offaly.gaa.ie/offaly-news/tomcof ... untmellick

is that Mark Dunne that was once from the Rock club in laois fcuking hell

[Lone Shark]

Lone Shark - What odds can I get on Offaly winning an All-Ireland this year? You bring the steaks, I'll bring the sandwiches and we'll let a stray neutral dog (I said neutral not neutered) mind them until September!

I think I'd be happy to bet steaks to scooby snacks on this one.


Joking aside, I'm trying to tell myself that it's a challenge game and that this could be just the way it worked out on a given night where he wanted to try a few things in the context of a settled team - since we all know there aren't too many guaranteed starters and most of them are in this group.

It is worrying however on the basis that perhaps he's decided that he's on a damage limitation exercise from the start, and that the best way to go is to stick with guys that he knows he can work with and doesn't have to learn anything about. Lads like Rigney, Hanlon, by all means give them a go. But there are others on here that have proven their worth, and more importantly proven their limitations, time and again, and Coffey knows them as well as anyone. I hope he hasn't come to the conclusion that they're the best there is, because if he's right we're in a really bad way.

[heman]

with so little time til the kildare game he might aswell go with what he knows best.

[jimbob17]

went along for a look tonight. Offaly really put it up to laoise. after 20 mins or so laoise were winning 9 - 2. From then on Offaly were on top. I dont know how strong laoise were but offaly played well. It was 10 6 at half time. Offaly were within a point or two most of the way through the second half and it finished 16-14 to laoise. It was very encouraging to see the way offaly worked and tried compared to previous performances. It was a tight pitch however and the obvious lack of fitness that we have seen previously was not exposed tonight. Offaly generally moved the ball reasonably well once they got settled and got to the pitch of the game.

Dalton and rigney were good in the full back line while Moloney and Darby were excellent at centre and wing back respectively. Mark Dunne was quite good at centre forward and has a right good chance of starting in championship in my opinion based on the performance this evening. Reynolds was back in the full forward line and showed well generally, as did Ken Casey. Hanlon looked a touch out of place as a wing forward though he worked hard and played a defensive role. Pleasantly surprised at how well they played this evening though there is a lot of work left if we are to trouble the lillies. Dont think they have much to fear. Laoise appear to be going backwards in my opinion and they would be disgusted with how they played against a team they would perceive as no hopers. Keep up the hard work lads. Nothing to lose and a lot to salvage!!!

[snowy]

Went to mountmellick to offaly v laois challenge. very poor first half performance from offaly,Richie dalton. is not a fullback, shane sullivan ,was just terrible as for rigney never first to the ball gave away six frees all scored .The best performers for offaly were,Brian Darby,John Moloney,Ken Casey and sad to say our really best player was a laois man MARK DUNNE..