Offaly Will play Longford in Minor Final

[biffo_king]

Longford have won tonight beating kildare by 3-05 to 0-13 in Pearse Park.

This is some shock after what we did to them in the 1st round.

Thats some Final.....

Offaly v Longford..

we got to feel that its our leinster now

[the bare biffo]

Offaly v Longford..

we got to feel that its our leinster now

Famous last words......its the same task now as it was last thursday night.

[drummy]

best of luck to minors sunday, i have a great interest in how the footballers are going. i believe there is a common perception that there is little interest in football in the "south". However, this is a myth, the south simply dedicate more time to hurling, they still support the footballers. the middle of the county seem to have a very strong interest in both. whereas aorund rhode, there seem to dedicate mainly to the big ball. there is some good young hurlers from edenderry coming through, playing with us and clareen for minor. offaly needs these lads. whats wrong with a few duel stars? simply look at cadogan from cork.

[drummy]

best of luck to minors sunday, i have a great interest in how the footballers are going. i believe there is a common perception that there is little interest in football in the "south". However, this is a myth, the south simply dedicate more time to hurling, they still support the footballers. the middle of the county seem to have a very strong interest in both. whereas aorund rhode, there seem to dedicate mainly to the big ball. there is some good young hurlers from edenderry coming through, playing with us and clareen for minor. offaly needs these lads. whats wrong with a few duel stars? simply look at cadogan from cork.

[Lone Shark]

we got to feel that its our leinster now

Much like the Bare Biffo above, I couldn't disagree more.

Look at Longford's formline this year.

Lost to Offaly 2-19 to 0-3
Beat Wexford 2-12 to 1-7
Beat Carlow 1-13 to 1-4
Beat Westmeath 1-6 to 0-6
Beat Kildare 3-5 to 0-13.

In one game they played badly, that their first game of the year. In the four games since then they have beaten two weaker sides comfortably with little or no fuss, and beaten two good teams as well in tight finishes. That first game stands out like a sore thumb as an anomaly, a game where things went wrong for a variety of reasons.

Two years ago we came desperately close to winning a Leinster minor title against a very good Meath team - and that was after getting a hiding at the hands of Wicklow in the first match in the championship. Minor teams are like that - they can have bad days, and that's all the first round was - one team having a bad day. Scratch that from their record and we'd be saying this game was a 50/50, so there's no reason to think otherwise.

We didn't reach this Leinster final by underestimating and disrespecting opponents, it would be ridiculous to start now.

[Black Spot]

Its really good to see this bunch getting this far hopfully they will bring home the silverware now that they diserve,I Think they will if they approach it just like the laois and Meath games however its goina be hard for the young lads not to get ahead of themselfes when the word on the street is Longford will be a pushover just like they were in tullamore . Croke park is new to most of these lads id say and hopfully that wont phase them either .
Was just wondering where are ye getting your tickets ?off ticket master or will the co.boared be selling them during the week ?

[Lone Shark]

Its really good to see this bunch getting this far hopfully they will bring home the silverware now that they diserve,I Think they will if they approach it just like the laois and Meath games however its goina be hard for the young lads not to get ahead of themselfes when the word on the street is Longford will be a pushover just like they were in tullamore . Croke park is new to most of these lads id say and hopfully that wont phase them either .
Was just wondering where are ye getting your tickets ?off ticket master or will the co.boared be selling them during the week ?

Pretty sure the county board is selling them from O'Connor Park on Thursday evening. Most clubs would probably be picking up a few as well, so you could go through your own secretary or whoever is your usual contact if you wanted to do it that way?

[biffo_king]

Il Be Going to Hill16 for this....

Last Number of Year i Wanted to be on Hill16 for the Minors,But all them Games the Dubs Was Playing so i would not Brave it


Will the Shark be geting a day out on Sunday?

B2 Hill 16 Sunday @ 11.40

see you then!

[the bare biffo]

No bother on the hill with the dubs so long as you dont go in under the scoreboard.

Listened to Shannonside FM in the car yesterday evening, Longford lads are delighted to be in a Leinster final and hoping that Offaly's big win back in April will leave them complacent.

[TheManFromFerbane]

Last Number of Year i Wanted to be on Hill16 for the Minors,But all them Games the Dubs Was Playing so i would not Brave it

Wuss They're their own worst enemies, they're great banter if they're winning and just get really abusive to the team if they're losing. Either way, in general, as long as you mind your own business you're fine, much like a night out in Tullamore!!

[jimbob17]

hope the minors do well on sunday. they cant afford to be anyway cocky even after beating them previously quite convincingly. they gave up afer a missed penalty and offaly got a few scores the far end. had they got the penalty they would have been in the lead at half time. wont be easy, they have won four games since and offaly seem to be too reliant on Noel graham, other lads need to step up. they have a young lad McGivney who will take Noel graham at his best to look after. but they are talented enough to do it with some good prospects for the future such as Noel Graham, cian donoghue, mcpadden and the 16 yr old from broughans on view id be wary but confident

[allstar2010]

Jesus lads, 3 teams still competing in the championship on the
second weekend of July!!! Am I dreaming?

[Kevin]

You are dreaming Allstar. May it long continue.

UIBHFHAILI ABU!!!!!

[Offaly2010]

Kellaghan delighted with effort and commitment

08 July 2010

By Damian Moran

OFFALY manager Ken Kellaghan spent the last eight minutes of his side's win over Laois in the Leinster Minor Football Championship semi-final nervously counting down the seconds to the final whistle which secured Offaly a place in their fourth Leinster final in six years.
Laois had reduced the gap to a point eight minutes from time but try as they could not get on terms with the Faithful County.

Speaking after the game, the Offaly manager admitted that there were nervous moments at the end of the game but he also paid tribute to the hard work and commitment of his side.

"We were a point up for the last seven or eight minutes and it was just a matter of trying to hang on. When you're only a point up and you're waiting for the clock to run down of course it's going to be nervous.

"We're delighted with the lads and with the effort and commitment they put in. It was a hard fought battle, the very same as the Meath game, and again the lads played right to the end and they never gave up and showed great commitment and effort."

The All Ireland Under 21 medal winner with Offaly in 1988, felt his side should have won the game by more.

"We had about 60 percent possession and we should have won the game by more. We missed a lot of chances. We had more of the ball but the bottom line is we won the game and we are going to the Leinster Final."

However when asked if he was concerned with the finishing of his forwards, Kellaghan said the conditions made finishing difficult but he did concede that his side would have to score more in the final.

"In fairness it was wet, windy and miserable day. It wasn't a day for kicking points but we do have to improve. We will to have to improve for the final and we're going to have to start scoring more."

While there may be work to be in terms of finishing, the team spirit and work-rate is of the highest order. The manager paid tribute to his players and he said their work ethic was one of the main reasons they had made it to the final.

"Their work-rate is good and they try and put pressure on. They are working for one another and that's very obvious. We wouldn't have won today and we wouldn't have come out of Navan with a win if we hadn't that work ethic. That's something there is in the team and that's why we are winning games."

On the night captain Noel Andrew Graham lead by example kicking seven of his side's points. While he had the highest praise for all his players' contributions, he said that his captain was leading the way.

"Noel Andrew Graham is a good player. Actually he's not a good player he's a great player. He's leading the way. The guys around the field look up to him and when the pressure is on he steps up to the mark. He kicked a few good points today as well so I think picking him as captain at the start of the year was a good choice."

Unlike their senior footballer counterparts, the Offaly minor footballers had excellent support in O'Connor Park on Wednesday evening. Ken Kellaghan said the support was appreciated by the players and he said that the fact that Offaly still had three teams in the championship was helping the minor team as well.

"We had good support in fairness and it's good to see the hurlers doing well and it's good to see the Offaly senior footballers getting a bit of a run in the championship now and that's helping our guys also. We're going to keep going, prepare well for the Leinster Final and see what comes out of it."

Offaly now go on to Croke Park to face Longford in the Leinster Final. This will Offaly's fourth appearance in a final in six years but unfortunately the previous three have ended in defeat.

Ken Kellaghan is adamant however that this does not add any further pressure to his side although he does acknowledge that it is time the county won a final

"There's no pressure but it's time we stepped up to the mark now and won one."

(taken from offaly express site)

[leinsterman]

same old story again for our county minor footballers big let down again in the final