Offaly Hurling Championships 2014

[townman]

[quote="shannonbanks14"]Act has been got together, much better manager than last year, wont fear anyone, hon the saints!![/quote

much the same as last years first round win over Birr, its when it comes to the business end Rynaghs have a problem with over the years, but as i said in my last post, they could be dark horse's this year but along way to go.

[Toxicity234]

St Rynaghs 0-14 Birr 0-08

Belmont 3-15 Brosna Gaels 2-14

Ballinamere 0-17 Tullamore 1-12

[kingscounty]

Ballinamere 0-17 Tullamore 1-12
Ballinamere deserved the victory when they scored the last 2 points in the last minute and first minute of injury time. Tullamore started with Dooley in midfield and must have hit about 8 -10 wides in the first half compared to Ballinamere who scored with nearly all attacks with Dooley frees helping Tullamore. Ballinamere lead at half time by a point or two. It was in the second half that the team drove on and went 5 up with about 10 minutes left but a Dooley goal, point from play and free levelled it up with 2 minutes left. Dooley played on the edge of the square in second half and didnt really do much all match. Ballinamere then went ahead with a Paddy Murphy free and Murphy point from play secured the victory with the last puck.

Paddy Murphy for a young lad stood out and seeing how well he played last year should be on the Offaly panel, Nicolas Minnock played well and Kevin Mealiff was immense in the middle of the field. Tullamore backs played well even with conceding 0-17 but there forwards allowed the ball to be driven back too easily

Couldn't make the game, have you got the ballinamere team that started Buttons? Super win and sets ballinamere up nicely for the other games to come. The run in leinster was a massive help in building and keeping lads interested and it seems to have paid off. Great boost for a team just after coming up, Tullamore will struggle big time now , judging by the report their still to reliant on Dooley .

[babsandbond]

Banagher 0-14 v Birr 0-8


Its early in the year but just like last year birr have alot of work to do...i genuinely think johnny p is kind of licking his lips because he gets to have some harsh words with the birr team.other than barry harding who was superb and is looking nailed on for his place v kilkenny birr were awful...banagher beat them at there own game chasing the man down and workrate...the birr team seems to be very unbalanced and dd dwanes workrate seemed to be a huge loss.banagher looked strong but when it comes to the nitty gritty i really cant seen them doing much...he has matthew maloney and treacy in the forwards two men who would known to be backs and when it comes to the crunch i think they will be beaten by the bigger teams.best on the bangher team were g connelly s og lyonns and danny maloney in the backs...j o connor in midfield...and up front s wynne got on a awful lot of ball but other than that banaghers forwards were very ordinary.can i just say its hard to even report on the game it was that bad...it was the scrappest game i ever witnessed...gavin had to stop play and throw in the ball at least 10 times...and when birr have a few injuries there team seems to fall apart.i cant even fancy bangher to go on now and win the rest of the groups games so it does leave the group wide open ..for birr back to the drawing board

[Sharp Eye]

I was very impressed by the St Rynaghs defence which held Birr to just 8 points. The best defender on view was Conor Hernon who was very steady for the whole game. Difficult to see Birr reaching the Co Semi-Final this year as their attack is not up to the required standard. I expect St Rynaghs & Shinrone to get the top two places in the group & probably avoid Kilcormack/Killoughey & Coolderry in the Quarter-Finals.

[shannonbanks14]

True standard poor, unfortunately thats wat brian whelehan has to work with, and both teams had injuries. Its a results business though so good win for us. When Offaly were strong (approx 18 players from both on 98 panel) a very good rynaghs team were the only ones who could put it up to a super birr team. In the future it looks like a middlin rynaghs team will essily bt a poor birr one. Thats the way its gone but we need to end the drought kk still team to beat if they dont bother with football, but we da best equipped to challenge them.

[Buttons]

Ballinamere 0-17 Tullamore 1-12
Ballinamere deserved the victory when they scored the last 2 points in the last minute and first minute of injury time. Tullamore started with Dooley in midfield and must have hit about 8 -10 wides in the first half compared to Ballinamere who scored with nearly all attacks with Dooley frees helping Tullamore. Ballinamere lead at half time by a point or two. It was in the second half that the team drove on and went 5 up with about 10 minutes left but a Dooley goal, point from play and free levelled it up with 2 minutes left. Dooley played on the edge of the square in second half and didnt really do much all match. Ballinamere then went ahead with a Paddy Murphy free and Murphy point from play secured the victory with the last puck.

Paddy Murphy for a young lad stood out and seeing how well he played last year should be on the Offaly panel, Nicolas Minnock played well and Kevin Mealiff was immense in the middle of the field. Tullamore backs played well even with conceding 0-17 but there forwards allowed the ball to be driven back too easily

Couldn't make the game, have you got the ballinamere team that started Buttons? Super win and sets ballinamere up nicely for the other games to come. The run in leinster was a massive help in building and keeping lads interested and it seems to have paid off. Great boost for a team just after coming up, Tullamore will struggle big time now , judging by the report their still to reliant on Dooley .

Ballinamere Team was Kieran McLoughlin, Ken Molloy, Danny Minnock, David Gillespie, Philip McDermott, Gerry Spollen, Nicky Minnock, Kevin Mealiff, Jamie Mckeogh, Paddy and Michael Murphy, Darragh( possibly Wyer), Rory and Martin og Buggy and Stephen Weir. David Magner came on for Rory before half time.

[kingscounty]

Ballinamere 0-17 Tullamore 1-12
Ballinamere deserved the victory when they scored the last 2 points in the last minute and first minute of injury time. Tullamore started with Dooley in midfield and must have hit about 8 -10 wides in the first half compared to Ballinamere who scored with nearly all attacks with Dooley frees helping Tullamore. Ballinamere lead at half time by a point or two. It was in the second half that the team drove on and went 5 up with about 10 minutes left but a Dooley goal, point from play and free levelled it up with 2 minutes left. Dooley played on the edge of the square in second half and didnt really do much all match. Ballinamere then went ahead with a Paddy Murphy free and Murphy point from play secured the victory with the last puck.

Paddy Murphy for a young lad stood out and seeing how well he played last year should be on the Offaly panel, Nicolas Minnock played well and Kevin Mealiff was immense in the middle of the field. Tullamore backs played well even with conceding 0-17 but there forwards allowed the ball to be driven back too easily

Couldn't make the game, have you got the ballinamere team that started Buttons? Super win and sets ballinamere up nicely for the other games to come. The run in leinster was a massive help in building and keeping lads interested and it seems to have paid off. Great boost for a team just after coming up, Tullamore will struggle big time now , judging by the report their still to reliant on Dooley .

Ballinamere Team was Kieran McLoughlin, Ken Molloy, Danny Minnock, David Gillespie, Philip McDermott, Gerry Spollen, Nicky Minnock, Kevin Mealiff, Jamie Mckeogh, Paddy and Michael Murphy, Darragh( possibly Wyer), Rory and Martin og Buggy and Stephen Weir. David Magner came on for Rory before half time.

. Sound

[sam88885a]

great win for belmont without c egan and d kenny . could belmont be the dark horse of that group and edge out clareen for third place?
i think kk will top this group with cooldery second and clareen and belmont fighting for third spot.
i think st rynagh will top the other group with birr second and shinrone or ballinamere getting third spot .
that would send kk and st rynagh in the seni finals and probably coolderry against shinrone in one quarter final and probably birr against clareen in the other quarter final .

[Toxicity234]

Got to see three games over the weekend Birr were very poor against Rynaghs apart from Barry Harding but Rynaghs fully deserved their win.They fought like tigers for every ball and some of their forward movement especially in the first half was very good. Gary Coneely and Stephen Wynne were outstanding for Rynaghs!

Coolderry had plenty in the tank for Drumcullen Brian Carroll was on fire I think he scored 3-09 or more,the only downside for Coolderry was Kevin Bradys Straight Red card for a disgraceful stroke on the head of Drumcullen sub Barry Kinsella with the game well won at the time its hard to know what was going through Bradys mind to do what he did,best for Drumcullen were Podge Guinan and Donal Guinan

Its hard to figure what happened to Clareen in the second half,they hurled the first half like they were the county champions but never hurled the second half at all,kks bench made a huge difference Shane Guinan and Cillian Kiely both played very well when introduced Guinan got a super point as well. When kk decided to hurl Clareen had no answer and its had to see anyone touching kk again this year.

What was Brady Thinking. Its was a shocking pull. Drumcullen lads did well not to get involved and get themselves in trouble. As for Alan Corcoran attempt to get Harry Ryan send off for a 2nd yellow card was very sad to see as well. There nothing worst than a dive. Really wasn't impressed with Coolderry but they were missing a few players. Drumcullen were right back in the game after they got their goal and if the ref had give the free for the foul on the full forward drumcullen would have being back within a score but the ref didn't see it ( i don't know how) and the ball went up the field and Carroll got the goal to swing the game back to Coolderry.
Change the game. Drumcullen are slowing getting better. They trying to play the game the right way and it will pay off for them in the end.
Parlon played well at centre back and Carroll did the damage up forward.

i being hearing all week that Clareen were really up for this game and they were target it for the last few months and It showed they got in around the Kilcormac Killoughey half back line and really took control of the game in they own half back line. Kilcormac Killoughey look a little shell shock after 25 mins. Billy Dooley has being working on the dark arts of Defending. I counted 6 time in the 1st half where Clareen back were hold the Kilcormac Killoughey forward hurl and got away with it. It a really good trick but if i was a manager i be have a chat with the ref tell him to look out for it next day. Clareen were very poor in the second half and they couldn't get the ball into they forward line at all. 0-4 in a half is just not good enough if you want to win a game. Kilcormac Killoughey will be happy with the win but they have a good bit to work of themselves but when your forwards can score 2-11 in a half and not play that well your going to be very hard to beat. Cillian Kiely introduction was a changing point in the game.

I was in Birr yesterday for Shirone Vs Kinntty. final score was 1-20 to 3-12. I was a good game. Shirone have some very skillful hurlers. Kinntty shot themselves in the foot by not taking their points that were on offer and having 6 forwards all together in the middle and no-one in the wing of the corners. The loss of they midfielder No.9 at half time to a hand injury didn't help. The Shirone man was luck the ref didn't see the chop or he would have got yellow at least. Derek Morkan from midield (i think it was Derek Morkan with the Green Helemet) control the game in the second half and cover the half back line excellent and gave some great ball in the forward line. Paddy Rigney was the only Kinntty back that was give good ball out of defence. Lots for both team to work on. Shirone half back line need to learn how to tackle correctly. on an other day and a different ref would have blowing them off the field.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Saw five matches myself, so my eyeballs nearly have rims on them at this stage –

Ballinamere v Tullamore was an enjoyable match. Once Ballinamere settled, which was about 20 minutes in, the match was always likely to go the distance anyway, and you could see the belief in Ballinamere when they went ahead after about 40 minutes. Ballinamere contested well and did well to keep the ball out of Shane Dooley’s reach. Phil McDermott caught the eye at wing back, as did Kevin Mealiff and Jamie McKeogh at midfield, and once Shane Kelly (who was dominant in the first half) faded, Ballinamere were on the front foot for the remainder. That said, Alan Martin was superb in his regular no. 2 slot as was Hugh Treacy on the (for him) unusual full-back role.

Paddy Murphy fielded some fantastic ball and popped over regular scores. Five points up and flying, Shane Dooley’s brilliant goal that McLoughlin got the hurl to but couldn’t keep out, and another Dooley peach reduced the gap to the minimum. It looked like the hunted were going to survive as they very often do when the hunter see the finish line but just can’t make it. Dooley pointed a free on 59 minutes to level it, Murphy nudged Ballinamere back in front with a free and at that stage when we thought Tullamore would salvage a draw, Murphy fielded, turned, ran and pointed. Ballinamere 0-17 Tullamore 1-12, and pressure on Tullamore now to rescue their season.


Coolderry v Drumcullen was a disgrace. Drumcullen raced into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead as Coolderry couldn’t win their own puckout. The tone had been set by then though, Ciaran Groome missed Harry Ryan’s push from behind on Barry Teehan, and when the same two players clashed off the ball a minute later Ryan required medical attention. There followed too many late challenges, too many incorrect refereeing calls as Groome seemed to base his calls on the law of averages. The lowlight was when Harry Ryan ‘done’ the flying Kevin Connolly with a late hit, then lay down himself in the fashion of a soccer player. Shortly after, Kevin Brady took the law into his own hands. It was dangerous and reckless (though I thought he pulled knee-high across his opponent) and the 15-second dust-up that followed ensured Brady’s dismissal.

I was disappointed with Coolderry. Couldn’t win their own puckout, Cathal Parlon at 6 is a square peg in a round hole while Alan Corcoran at 11 is a round peg in a square hole. Other hand, Brian Carroll hit 3-8 in the 30 minutes between the 10th and 40th minutes (by which time the others had scored 0-2 between them), finishing with 3-9. Kevin Connolly gave a wonderful display of flair. Betimes, Coolderry had a full-forward line of Carroll, Eoin Ryan and Connolly. Getting it into them will be their biggest problem.


Kilcormac-Killoughey v Seir Kieran I thought that this was a real belter, falling just short of a minor classic, and I don’t expect to see better during the group stages. Fired-up Clareen had the physique and the hurling to trouble K-K, though in fairness the champions didn’t look to be tuned in during that first half. Joseph Bergin orchestrated everything and scored 4 from play, James Mulrooney was flying, Tom Carroll scored a bullet of a goal, Barry Bergin hurled alot of ball from midfield, while Dónal Coughlan made a number of interceptions. On the K-K side, Con Mahon, Kevin Grogan and Killian Leonard were the pick.

The K-K revival was inevitable anyway but they really got their act together during the half-time break. For the second half they pulled their half-forward line deep into midfield, a move which eliminated the space in which Bergin had thrived earlier. And it was into that space that Ciarán Slevin raced to fire their first goal. The second goal (that put the game beyond Clareen’s reach) came moments after Conor Mahon was moved to full-forward. Route 1, Mahon fielded above Éanna Murphy at the edge of the square, turned and buried a bullet. Cillian Kiely came on for a Senior debut and did well, gaining possession and playing direct hurling. Shane Guinan capped his with a sublime solo run and strike off the hurl for a peach of a point and the weekend’s highlight for me. A memorable match (I feel), K-K were extended, and on Saturday’s evidence Clareen would beat Coolderry (that one is scheduled for Round 3). K-K stretch their unbeaten run to 17 matches, and are now on 15 straight wins.


Lusmagh v Shamrocks I didn’t expect Lusmagh to win this, not least because they started with just 6 men that started the 2012 IHC Final. Still, Eoin Kelly’s return, and the leadership it brought, was very, very welcome. Lusmagh raced into an early head with goals from Graham Lynch and Paul Kinsella inside the first ten minutes and though they hit what seemed like about 10 first-half wides they still led 2-9 to 0-5 at half-time.

With Seán Gardiner gone off with what could be a long-term injury, Shamrocks gradually clawed their way back into it. With the Birr scoreboard taking on a life of its own (luckily the multitudes from other counties who we are told attend all those matches in Birr were otherwise engaged in Thurles at the time or Offaly would be the laughing stock on Provoview today) Shamrocks levelled late in the game (I think, though I couldn’t be sure) but Eoin Kelly closed it out with points from a free and a ’65). Relief for the Reds, who face Crinkill in Round 2.


Shinrone v Kinnitty was a sort of a game of two halves, though not as we expected. The first half saw an exhibition of point scoring from Michael Cordial, good centre half-back play from Michael Cleary and Derek Morkan happily returned from injury and taking his place at midfield from where he was mighty. Still Kinnitty kept in touch with the aid of two goals and we think it was level at half-time, or maybe Kinnitty led by two.

Whatever, Kinnitty were strongly fancied to go on and win it but instead Shinrone made a mockery of the wind, and the traditional scoring end, firing over a succession of points with Jason Sampson scoring four in the second half. They could even afford to see a Kinnitty goal that had its source 70 yards out reduce a six point gap to three, before pulling away again. One of those odd matches we see from time to time. I’d be a Shinrone sceptic at the best of times but they were impressive, and when their character was tested by that third goal (as much for the nature of it as the effect it had on the scoreboard) they stuck to the task in hand. They face Rynagh’s next, then Birr. Again Kinnitty won alot of frees (I think Colm Coughlan scored eight) but they need James Rigney further outfield, perhaps in midfield where he can cover defence and attack.

[kingscounty]

I was just checking the results on offaly website , Junior A hurling Clara 5-25 Coolderry 0-00 !!! Surely a mistake if not just give the cup to the Lilly whites now.

[Abercrombie Fitch]

No mistake. Clara are a strong Junior team and if they had yesterdays team last year would never have been relegated. Coolderry were extremely bad though and never looked like scoring in 60 mins.

[Lone Shark]

I think it would be very easy to make a case right now for KK, Seir Kieran and Coolderry to be the best three teams in the county, so that obviously will make life very difficult for any one of Belmont/Brosna/Drumcullen to take points off any of them. Certainly right now you'd back any of those three to top the other group if they were in it, with the obvious caveat that Clareen don't have a lot of depth so one or two injuries could hurt them in a big way.

In that sense, it'll be very hard for Brosna Gaels to pick themselves up from here. Essentially they now have to beat one of the big three or their year is over, which is a pity at this stage of the season and may be doubly costly since the temptation for a lot of those players will be to put a renewed level of focus on their football commitments. It's all very well for managers to talk about any given day, or 15 on 15 etc, but players aren't stupid - BG will know that a game against a Kinnitty, Shinrone or even Birr side would be a huge ask but not impossible - beating KK or Coolderry is simply not going to happen, while they've already caught Seir Kieran out once and will struggle to do so again.

The only game I got to see myself on account of my work commitments elsewhere was the Shinrone vs Kinnitty tie and while I was very impressed with Shinrone's energy and craft, particularly in the second half, they didn't exactly show us anything new. It's not like we ever doubted that they have a lot of nice young hurlers and when another team just goes man for man and plays old fashioned hurling against them without any excessive level of physicality (I'm not saying Kinnitty held back, just that they were focused on hurling as opposed to winning a battle), then they are well capable of producing some fine spells of play. The yardstick for them will be how they cope with the pressure and intensity of knockout games, so in that regard we'll really learn nothing about them until they play in the quarters, with the possible exception of their meeting with Rynaghs where they'll have more demons to lay to rest.

[townman]

is there any player's that stood out this weekend who were not inthe county squad i take its an open panel and Sid and his backroom team will be watching the club championship for players who stand out or who have came into form.