Offaly vs Waterford All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Rd. 2 10/7/10

[Offaly2010]

Offaly should be winning this match by at least 6-8 points but we thought the same about the Clare game and look what happened then. This is a great chance for the footballers to make an impression and put in a good strong performance and with the hurlers playing aswell there will be a big crowd in OCP and hopefully Offaly can put in that good strong performance and get more of a crowd going to see them in Round 3 (if they win) and restore some belief among Faithful fans in this Offaly Senior Football Team which is badly needed.

I think the team will be something like this:
1.Alan Mulhall
2.Brian Darby
3.Scott Brady
4.Paraic Sullivan
5.Niall Darby (although he is not a wing back)
6.Richie Dalton
7.Karol Slattery
8.John Coughlan
9.Ciaran McManus
10.John Reynolds
11.Brian Connor
12.Sean Ryan
13.Anton Sullivan
14.Ken Casey
15.Niall McNamee

I think Offaly will be too strong and will have just about too much for Waterford and I am going to say Offaly to win by something along the lines of..
2-14 - 1-10

[Bord na Mona man]

This is a Waterford side who narrowly lost to Limerick in the Division 4 final.
I would be surprised if Offaly got anything near a 7 point win.

[bracknaghboy]

This is a Waterford side who narrowly lost to Limerick in the Division 4 final.
I would be surprised if Offaly got anything near a 7 point win.

This is a 50-50 game if ever there was one. How Clare let it slip the last day I'll never know. Waterford are an up and coming side who will fight to the death saturday. Offaly are an unsettled team in limbo with a clueless manager but with home advantage. Interesting game.

[The Magpie]

Offaly should be winning this match by at least 6-8 points

Why do you think this is the case O2010?

Based on what appears to have worked well against Clare (after changes were made) and feedback from the Westmeath match, I think the team that starts should be:

1. Alan Mulhall
2. Brian Darby
3. Scott Brady
4. One of: Sean Pender, Padraic Sullivan
5. One of: Niall Darby, Sean Ryan
6. Ross Brady
7. Karol Slattery
8. John Coughlan
9. Brian Connor
10. Ciaran McManus
11. John Reynolds
12. Graham Guilfoyle
13. Anton Sullivan
14. Ken Casey
15. Niall McNamee

[My Left Foot]

magpies team looks about right to me.
Paul Mc Conway could be in with a shout also.

This Waterford team also beat Clare, so for me this match could go either way and if we're not ready for a serious tussle from the off we could get caught.

Realistically we have a great chance to get into the next round. I think we will win but not by much.

[jimbob17]

waterford to win lads, hope i am wrong but from what i seen against clare we havent a prayer. hate to say it. waterford are no mugs and i think Offalys team is set up totally wrong with absolutely no fluidity to their play. i dont think we realise just how bad we are and are torn between loyalty and frustration. W ford to me seem to be very well organised, the most they have ever been an i would be afraid of what their forwards will do to our full back line who seem to be very slow, whatever kind of training they are doing. they were destroyed V clare and only for scott brady it would have been a lot more.

incohesive, competitiveness is what i would call us at best with no method about us only to kick the ball into niall when we get it and see what happens. near future looks grim for a while lads. no plan, no purpose about us, dara o cinneide was right, and i think sat will expose all in front of a big crowd. just calling a spade a spade.

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 scored a goal at the far end. had they got the goal 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

[Georgio1]

Fair play Magpie, I would go with your team. I have doubts about Ross but i think Dalton is too slow for intercounty. On the basis of the last day it will be no contest, Pender over Pauric Sullivan. And I hope they do try Sean Ryan at wingback.

If the lads have learned anything from the last day then I think we should win this. We will never get out of jail like we did against Clare. I think this team will be far better balanced and will work better as a unit. The long ball will need to be well mixed up as Waterford are a big physical team who will eat up the direct game.

Move it fast and plenty of running of the ball will be the key to this one, and will be the key to developing. A lot of our play was too static the last day with poor kicking. I dont see McConway coming close to the team. He was badly exposed too on occasion, especially on the breaks. Some guys were claiming that Shaper played well, no, he was centre forward and the Clare no 6 caused havoc up the field during the second half. He needs to get on the ball and drive at Waterford, our ability to win frees against a more phsical team will be key, as will being able to convert.

Look at what Limerick, Sligo, Longford, Tipperary, even Louth have done. We are not at their level in some cases, but we could still do something if this team starts to gel and produces the attacking display that it can.

All the best lads!

[Offaly2010]

Offaly should be winning this match by at least 6-8 points

Why do you think this is the case O2010?

Based on what appears to have worked well against Clare (after changes were made) and feedback from the Westmeath match, I think the team that starts should be:

1. Alan Mulhall
2. Brian Darby
3. Scott Brady
4. One of: Sean Pender, Padraic Sullivan
5. One of: Niall Darby, Sean Ryan
6. Ross Brady
7. Karol Slattery
8. John Coughlan
9. Brian Connor
10. Ciaran McManus
11. John Reynolds
12. Graham Guilfoyle
13. Anton Sullivan
14. Ken Casey
15. Niall McNamee

Magpie,I think this because of Offaly's forwards. They should have too much for the Waterford backs,but no doubt about it lads this will be tough for Offaly and just because I say Offaly will win by 7 doesn't mean I am overly confident,far from it!

Like the Clare game,the first half will be extremely difficult but I think Offaly will just pull away in the second half.

If Anton Sullivan,Casey and McNamee get a good supply of ball for the 70 mins and the likes of McManus and Reynolds chip in with a few scores here and there then Offaly will win.

[black and red exile]

Get ready for a huge battle, I would be amazed if we pulled out a 7 or 8 point victory, just can't see it, I would quite happily take a 1 or 2 point win. John Owens has carried on the great work that John Kiley has done over the last 5 years with this panel and I can see this one going right to the wire again I'm afraid. Don't anybody for one minute think that this is going to be comfortable.

[leinsterman]

this offaly team has been wrote off a good bit and i have wrote them off myself after the meath game and not getting out of division 3 this year.
but funny enough i think one of theses days they are going to all click together and give some team a fair good beating and i think it will happen this saturday .

[Kevin]

We saw last time what to expect from a top table division 4 team trying to bust out. Here we go again.

The sight of the green, white and gold will not instill any fear in them.

They'll fight for every ball like their lives depend on it.

We have to be ready. This looks like heavy lifting, but God knows we're capable of the task.

LET'S GO GET 'EM!!!!!!!!!

[naasmanxrhode]

On the basis of the last day it will be no contest, Pender over Pauric Sullivan.

I would have neither on the team, I can't understand how McConway is not on the team.

[Offaly2010]

On the basis of the last day it will be no contest, Pender over Pauric Sullivan.

I would have neither on the team, I can't understand how McConway is not on the team.

I would rather see McConway as a wing back instead of Niall Darby who is a forward.

[jimbob17]

need to learn lessons from the last day. both corner backs too slow for inter county football as is richie dalton.Niall Darby is not a wing back and should not be picked there. brian connor is not a centre forward and ken casey is too yellow for county football. Paul McConway is lacking a turn of pace and Dave Egan doesnt look fit enough at this point in time. We need to adjust accordingly.
what i think will start / what i think should be starting or pushing for the spots if things were right
1.Alan Mulhall / Kevin Meehan. Dean Bracken
2.Sean Pender /Same. Ger Raff. Sean casey. Donie Ryan
3.Scott Brady / Scott Brady. C Evans
4.Brian Darby / Nigel Grennan. Froggy (33) Aidan Keenaghan
5.Sean ryan / James Keane. Paul Mc. Thos Coughlan
6.Shane Sullivan if available /Same
7.Karol Slattery / Same. Nigel Grennan. Mickey Brazil, James Raff
8.john Coughlan / Same. Ross Brady. Padraic Bracken. Niall Smith
9.Ciaran McManus / Alan Mac. John Coughlan, Joe Quinn, Mac
10.John Reynolds / Sean Ryan, Rory connor, Brian Kelly, shaper
11.Brian Connor / Neville coughlan, Colm Quinn, Noel Graham
12.Niall Darby / Niall Darby. Tom fitzpatrick. Colm Quinn (33)
13.Anton Sullivan / Thos Deehan, Anton, bernard Allen
14.Ken casey / PJ Ward wont start but would be a great foil for niall, Ross Connor, Shaper
15.Niall McNamee / Niall. James Coughlan. Shane Dooley

in my opinion i could pick a much better team from those who are not there than those who are there. you might say that they are not in the panel at the moment or wont give the committment but if things were right as they havent been for the past few years, management, Backroom teams such as qualified fitness and strength and conditioning people, coaches, co board support and proper structures etc it would be the case that all these lads would want to represent their county at the highest level. remember it isnt too long ago since a lot of these lads played in a leinster final (Not far away till alan Mac was sent off), were competitive in division one and are now in their prime. unfortunately this is not the case with our players operating under third world structures and as a result we are left with a situation where half of the best players in the county either decline to play (Deehan, Coughlans, Smith, Casey, Evans) or retire too early. ie Colm Quinn and Froggy have been two of the best club players in the county for the past few years while being retired from county at 31/30 respectively. Meanwhile Brian Dooher is up in Tyrone at 36 years of age having Lifted Sam McGuire and still playing this year. Wrong mentality altogether on the part of the county board is contributing so much to the present mess we are in. The win over Clare just papers over all the cracks. id like offaly to beat Waterford obviously for the short term but in the overall sense i feel maybe it would be better in the longer term if we were beaten, a review was done and sort out the whole mess once and for all.

[Georgio1]

McConway was not at the races the last day when he came on. Pender really competed well for the ball imo, and made life difficult for his man. McConway has played very little county football since the Leinster final year.