offaly 2013

[DAF]

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SF Tournament: Offaly goals see off Louth
01 December 2012

Offaly 4-12
Louth 1-15

New Offaly senior football manager Emmet McDonnell got his managerial career off to a winning start when his experimental side defeated Louth in the semi final of the Fitzsimons Cup at Grangegodden outside Kells, in the tournament organised by Gaeil Colmcille.

New Louth manager and former Armagh footballer Aidan O'Rourke also gave starts to many new faces.

It was all square at the end of the first half, Offaly 1-7 Louth 0-10. The Wee County raced into a two point lead with fine efforts from Kevin Rogers and Paddy Sheelan. Anto Sullivan and star man Niall McNamee levelled the game for Offaly before Louth went three ahead through Sheelan, Andy McDonnell and Jim McEneaney. McNamee was giving the Louth full back line all sorts of problems. A well executed goal and a brace of points from the full foward along with fine scores from Sullivan, Richie Brady and Rory Moore left the teams all square at the break.

Offaly dominated the second half as both managers introduced a host of subs. McNamee got his second goal, Sullivan kicked two fine points and Offaly were five ahead. Louth had to wait till the 15th minute for their opening score. Jim McEneaney pointed and this was followed up with a fine goal from Kevin Rogers. Bryan Connell, who was impressive at midfield for the Midlanders got his teams third goal. McNamee followed this up with two more points and when Eoin Carroll got his sides fourth goal the game was as good as over as a contest.

Offaly will play the winners of Cavan and Meath (on tommorrow at the same venue at 2pm) in the final.

Offaly starting XV: Alan Mulhall, Michael Verney, Paul McConway, Sean Pender, David Bradley, Derek Kelly, Rory Allen, Richie Dalton (0-1), Brian Connell (1-0), Willie Mulhall, Anto Sullivan (0-4), Eoin Carroll (1-0), Bernard Allen (0-1), Niall McNamee (2-6), Nigel Dunne.

Louth starting XV: Kevin Brennan, Gary Conneely, Bernard Mulligan, Jamie Faulkner, JJ Quigley, David O'Brien, Conor Rafferty, Ronan Carroll (0-1), Brian White, Andy McDonnell (0-1), Jim McEneaney (0-4), Paddy Sheelan (0-2), Rory Moore (0-2), Kevin Rogers (1-2), Ciaran Byrne (0-3).

Referee: Joey Curley Meath

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I've never seen Michael Verney play football.Is he any good?
Who are David Bradley and Brian Connell? dont think I have seen either of them.

[Lone Shark]

Good start, though obviously little or nothing can be read into results at this time of year. Still, when you're starting from as low a base as we are, any bit of momentum is good.

No idea who Bradley or Connell are.

I'd have great time for Michael Verney as a footballer myself, I've seen him a good few times with Birr and with Wheery at underage. He's intercounty fit or near enough already due to the effort he put into the hurling and he'd be a very dedicated chap generally. He'd be smart on the ball and would be well suited to the "total football" style of play that pretty much every player has to grasp now. I'm not sure that corner back is a natural home for him, but he'd be somebody who would come on a lot for a little exposure to high quality football. Needless to say he wouldn't have got too many opportunities to play high class opponents with Birr.

[black and red exile]

What impressed me about this game yesterday was the workrate off the ball from Offaly and surprislingly the lads looked sharp for this time of year, Niall Mac looks on fire which is great to see but one thing that none of us would hope to see this year happened in that the new management have him signed up for freetaker AGAIN. As LS stated Michael Verney looks very much at home as an intercounty football corner back, I noticed he has a sharp brain and is very good at reading the game and has a great sense of knowing where the breaking ball is going to land, also he has great energy in always moving for a return pass after giving it and always available off the shoulder off one of the other backs coming out with possession.
It was a decent workout but because it wasn't advertised anywhere there was nobody at it, 7 was the attendance and I really mean 7, 3 offaly supporters including the bus driver, the Louth bus driver and 3 locals, ridiculous, anyway it's a start and a win is a win, Meath or Cavan next Sunday the same day as the Leinster club hurling final

[mykneehurts]

David Brady (Ballyfore) and Brian Connor I would think.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Surprised at you Lone Shark? David Brady, and Brian Connor surely were the 2?

Also Doonegon, who is this Farrelly chap from Tullamore that you were talking about?

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

I saw the match advertised somewhere, anyway, how many more would go to a night game this time of the year?

And also, how many will go next Sunday, time enough going to games when the OByrne cup starts. Let the lads on with it without huge scrutiny, but I will make one point, how many games has Willie Mulhall played for Offaly without scoring?

But well done to the lads, its a start and the best of luck to them, wont change my mind, will be heading for Kilkenny meself!

[Lone Shark]

Surprised at you Lone Shark? David Brady, and Brian Connor surely were the 2?

Now that I think about it, that makes sense. However I'd wonder at what breed of a GAA journalist would go to a game like this and not recognise a guy like Brian Connor? Whatever about David Brady who wouldn't be well known outside of Offaly, Connor is easily recognised and has featured prominently on TV when scoring the goal against Meath. It never occurred to me that someone would get him wrong. That said, references to "Anto" Sullivan should have hinted at what was going on.

Also, I believe there are the guts of 60 guys in that training panel at the moment - it's far from inconceivable that there could have been a new recruit from North Offaly, or even a blow in, that I didn't know about. I had no idea who Boland and Hanamy were at the start of last season either, even though I was good friends with Brian Hanamy's uncle in National School.

[bracknaghboy]

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SF Tournament: Offaly goals see off Louth
01 December 2012

Offaly 4-12
Louth 1-15

New Offaly senior football manager Emmet McDonnell got his managerial career off to a winning start when his experimental side defeated Louth in the semi final of the Fitzsimons Cup at Grangegodden outside Kells, in the tournament organised by Gaeil Colmcille.

New Louth manager and former Armagh footballer Aidan O'Rourke also gave starts to many new faces.

It was all square at the end of the first half, Offaly 1-7 Louth 0-10. The Wee County raced into a two point lead with fine efforts from Kevin Rogers and Paddy Sheelan. Anto Sullivan and star man Niall McNamee levelled the game for Offaly before Louth went three ahead through Sheelan, Andy McDonnell and Jim McEneaney. McNamee was giving the Louth full back line all sorts of problems. A well executed goal and a brace of points from the full foward along with fine scores from Sullivan, Richie Brady and Rory Moore left the teams all square at the break.

Offaly dominated the second half as both managers introduced a host of subs. McNamee got his second goal, Sullivan kicked two fine points and Offaly were five ahead. Louth had to wait till the 15th minute for their opening score. Jim McEneaney pointed and this was followed up with a fine goal from Kevin Rogers. Bryan Connell, who was impressive at midfield for the Midlanders got his teams third goal. McNamee followed this up with two more points and when Eoin Carroll got his sides fourth goal the game was as good as over as a contest.

Offaly will play the winners of Cavan and Meath (on tommorrow at the same venue at 2pm) in the final.

Offaly starting XV: Alan Mulhall, Michael Verney, Paul McConway, Sean Pender, David Bradley, Derek Kelly, Rory Allen, Richie Dalton (0-1), Brian Connell (1-0), Willie Mulhall, Anto Sullivan (0-4), Eoin Carroll (1-0), Bernard Allen (0-1), Niall McNamee (2-6), Nigel Dunne.

Louth starting XV: Kevin Brennan, Gary Conneely, Bernard Mulligan, Jamie Faulkner, JJ Quigley, David O'Brien, Conor Rafferty, Ronan Carroll (0-1), Brian White, Andy McDonnell (0-1), Jim McEneaney (0-4), Paddy Sheelan (0-2), Rory Moore (0-2), Kevin Rogers (1-2), Ciaran Byrne (0-3).

Referee: Joey Curley Meath

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I've never seen Michael Verney play football.Is he any good?
Who are David Bradley and Brian Connell? dont think I have seen either of them.

Emmets winning matches, Emmets winning games.

[kingscounty]

looks like offaly play meath in the fitzsimons cup final . meath 1-10 cavan 0-10. anyone know when and where it might be?

[kingscounty]

Meath v Offaly 1.45 sunday in kells with Louth v Cavan at 12 in shield final. I presume this will be an all ticket affair

[SearingDrive]

Meath v Offaly 1.45 sunday in kells with Louth v Cavan at 12 in shield final. I presume this will be an all ticket affair

Maybe lotto ticket? Seriously though if only 7 were at the last game, hard to see much of an improvement next Sunday, with a lot of Offalians heading for Nowlan Park to support the double Ks in the Club final.

Can we hope for a faithful double?

[kingscounty]

Meath v Offaly 1.45 sunday in kells with Louth v Cavan at 12 in shield final. I presume this will be an all ticket affair

Maybe lotto ticket? Seriously though if only 7 were at the last game, hard to see much of an improvement next Sunday, with a lot of Offalians heading for Nowlan Park to support the double Ks in the Club final.

Can we hope for a faithful double?

Looks like we got that double after all , Offaly 0-16 Meath 0-13.

[townman]

winning two cups the one day.................offalys back...............

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Well, seen as it was advertised here, how many of ye went? Thought not!!

Well done to the lads, have me club Faithful sub paid up, and was in Kilkenny yesterday, looking forward to the OByrne cup now!

[Bord na Mona man]

Meath fade in Fitzsimons final

Meath manager Mick O'Dowd saw his side relinquish their grip on the Fitzsimons Cup when they were beaten in the decider today in Kells as Offaly won by 0-16 to 0-13.

The Royal County won the trophy 12 months ago and Meath went into the final on the back of last week's win over Cavan in the Gaeil Colmcille-promoted SFT that was played at Grangegodden.

Offaly also went into the decider on the back of a good win over Louth last weekend and despite trailing in the closing stages today pulled away for a merited victory.

The sides were level at 0-11 each at the interval and Meath were ahead by 0-13 to 0-11 with 15 minutes remaining.

However, the Royal County failed to score again and Offaly reeled off five unanswered points to take the silverware.

Meath's next game will be on Sunday 6th January in the O'Byrne Cup against Longford.

Meath - P O'Rourke; C Young, D Keogan, S Curran; C Rowe (0-1), D

Hagan, D Dalton; C Gillespie, T Walsh (0-1); D McNamara (0-1), D

Carroll (0-1), S Crosby (0-1); S Tobin (0-2, one free), M Newman (0-5,

three frees), A Tormey (0-1). Subs: D Larkin for Tobin 23 mins, D

Morgan for Walsh (57m), E Harrington for Tormey (66).

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/sport/gaa/ ... ons-final/