National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

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jimbob17
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by jimbob17 »

Very encouraging today, especially after disappointment of the last day. In early stages, we struggled with pace and Cork opened us up and could have had 2 or 3 goals in first 10 minutes. Then we found our feet and matched them point for point before Cork took off again. We finished 1st half well to go in only 2 pts behind.

After a not so great start to 2nd half, we really grew into game and came from 6 down to lead by two without scoring a goal. In this period, it is as well as I have seen us play in probably 10 years. Ruairi Mc, O'Neill and Bill Carroll got some excellent scores here in this period. We got two ahead and made some silly errors. Niall Darby got caught bouncing ball when he did not need to in posession and then the backpass with Paddy Dunican. He appeared to be inviting the defender to come back to collect and when he wasn't getting there, he should have just let it out for a 45. That was a decision he made in a mili second and if he had it again, he'd have let it out with a more difficult 45 to come.

Have to admire score taking on both sides today. Both Offaly and Cork kicked some outstanding scores also from range and to get 43 scores in a 70 min football match is good value for money given the tripe we have had to look at in NFL football in recent times. Niall McNamee just oozed class at times and you'd have loved to have seen him with a better supporting cast over the last 18 or so years for Offaly. One Leinster Final appearance to show for all his effort is just a bit of a shame. On the others, thought Maloney and Hogan were really good for Offaly today. Lalor again very solid I thought and Jordan Hayes covered every blade of grass on the pitch and has really grown into a key player in last year or so. thought Hyland's link play was very good before he went off and Ruairi Mc and Anton in flashes showed some brilliance but would love to see both of them show this on more consistent basis. Off the bench, the two young lads Flynn and O'Neill injected pace and will look forward to seeing these next year with a bit more physical strength.

Over all, it isn't worst thing in world to go down. Div 3 is not far off Div 2 in terms of standard bar maybe Roscommon, Galway and Derry. We finished ahead of Down and not far off mark overall in Div2. If we can get likes of Eoin Carroll and Cunningham back and get some of the 20s to push on a bit, then we will be in good shape to contest for Div 3 next year. That will not be easy though with many teams all at similar level to compete with. Cavan Tipp Longford Westmeath Antrim Fermanagh and Down will all fancy beating Offaly, as will us them. In fact, it could be the closest of all the divisions next year with no team fearing the other.

Onwards and upwards. Hopefully we have enough to take Wexford and then into the lions den with a Dublin team struggling for form.
jimbob

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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Faithful follower »

I was very happy with Offaly display on Sunday some ver encouraging signs , despite a huge shock at the lightning start by cork Offaly gradually reeled them in . Our centre field work very hard but cork were better in the air possibly with taller and more battle hardened players. Offaly worked very hard in centre field but I thought Mangan should have be introduced in c/f in the second half . Nial, anton, ruri did very well and also were well supported by other scoring Offaly players it was great to see so many different scorers for Offaly. You would have to admit cork got their scores easier than Offaly and if you look at the number of wides for both sides they must have been in single figures for not sides this reflects the beautiful day we had in Tullamore. So commentators say we were overly defensive but cork looked very dangerous in attack and overall I think Offaly gameplay was
correct. The back pass rules caused problems three times in the game there was one in the first half with play beings called back when paddy was on the 50 yard line , can anyone shed any light on this rule is a new rule . Offaly should gain more experience with being relegated and with the possibility of gaining a few extra players from u20 and returning players and the possibility of a few more wins under their belt it will serve their confidence better for building self believe. I know it’s not going to be easy in div3 but we have a fighting chance of improving and also getting our supporters back behind the team . Overall things are improving and I would like to see Lowry and others get some payback for their commitment to the Offaly cause .

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Disappointment, but lots of possibilities to be optimistic about.
Let's see how Leinster goes and there is always the Tommy Tailteann Shield competition after that.

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Bord na Mona man wrote: Tue Mar 08, 2022 11:15 am
bracknaghboy wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 6:18 pm Anton had a great 20 minutes kicking 3 good scores and dispatching the retaken penalty. I wonder does this suit him coming in with 20 to go? It lessons his time to bogged down in the funny business with opponents and he is concentrating on making the most of his time on the pitch.
Interesting point. There is argument that Anton can have a big impact coming on and running past tired players.

When he starts matches, by the time we're into the 2nd half refs have decided Anton is a messer and give him nothing.
I've seen him literally being dragged back by the neck in front of the referee and no free awarded.
Business as usual for Anton not getting frees...
https://twitter.com/JohnnoKinahan14/sta ... 2217441286

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bracknaghboy
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by bracknaghboy »

Bord na Mona man wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 10:29 am
Bord na Mona man wrote: Tue Mar 08, 2022 11:15 am
bracknaghboy wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 6:18 pm Anton had a great 20 minutes kicking 3 good scores and dispatching the retaken penalty. I wonder does this suit him coming in with 20 to go? It lessons his time to bogged down in the funny business with opponents and he is concentrating on making the most of his time on the pitch.
Interesting point. There is argument that Anton can have a big impact coming on and running past tired players.

When he starts matches, by the time we're into the 2nd half refs have decided Anton is a messer and give him nothing.
I've seen him literally being dragged back by the neck in front of the referee and no free awarded.
Business as usual for Anton not getting frees...
https://twitter.com/JohnnoKinahan14/sta ... 2217441286
Maggie Farrelly was woeful yesterday. I know they are trying to tick boxes but the least they can do is tick them with competent people.
She called up Paddy in the first half when it was clear that 2 lads touched the ball before he received it back.....she was the one that communicated this to the ref.
She stood a couple of meters away from Anton watching him being shouldered down his middle and was talking into her mic to the ref about it she must have thought that type of shoulder is acceptable? Presumably she thinks it's acceptable?

In the 2nd half she got 2 calls wrong on the stand side. A clear Cork ball was given to Offaly after a load of consultation with the ref and also she was overruled by the ref on another call. She certainly made her presence felt.

Anyone know why the ball was thrown in in the first half for the kickout incident but a free given for the one at the death?
Some are saying that it's because Paddy prevented a certain 45 that a it converts to a free. Doesn't sound right to me. Were any of the officials up to speed yesterday on what was going on?

Fairplayalways
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Fairplayalways »

Paddy Dunican's twitter post certainly explains the fiasco at the end..a similar issue earlier in the game the ref threw in the ball, which Paddy correctly thought was a better option than giving away a 45..so Paddy decided correctly that was the better option...only on this occasion the referee gave a 20 metre free, which apparently is the correct decision, and the referee apparently confirmed the earlier decision was wrong to award the throw in (I hope I have got all that right)..anyway it was poor to make one call earlier in the game and another at a crucial late juncture...as always nothing will come out of it..I really felt for Paddy Dunican after reading his tweet..he has been magnificent for us between the posts and from frees etc. (although I dread goalkeepers taking long range frees) look Division 3 will be ultra competitive, and we learned alot for our outings in Division 2 so I would say we are a bit cuter this time in Division 3...hard luck to all again, we all including myself think this that and the other, but the players have put in so much work and get very little if any reward bar playing for their county..roll on the tailtean in the summer if we dont make Leinster final (we will not be found wanting in trying) but tailteann is a good competition and lets embrace and go for that...hard luck again yesterday..a draw was no good to us anyway but to lose by the way we did is painful, but we wont be the first or the last...

offalyman
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by offalyman »

firstly i don't blame Paddy Dunican at all..he thought it was going to be a hop ball as was the case in the first half, so i understand he's logic. Any genuine Offaly supporter had to immensely proud of the lads yesterday what an effort...The best display by our senior side since we ran Down very close in 2010, they went on reach the all-ireland afterwards. Some People saying Offaly were overly defensive yesterday well i for one didnt see that anyway. Yes we didnt start great and Cork scored easier in the first half, but when we closed them down well in the 2nd they started to struggle special mention to declan hogan and james lalor who were both savage in defense. We should look into the championship on a positive note. Hopefully we should beat wexford and then give the Dubs a right rattle when they come to town.. if we end up in that tailtenn cup lets embrace it and try and win it, if we are to win it were automatically back in the all-ireland series for next year. One last thing as for Niall McNamee different Gravy , he's actually playing better now then he did 5 years ago...looked super fit and sharp yesterday

Fairplayalways
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Fairplayalways »

does anybody know the format of the tailteann cup?..is it groups or open draw knockout or what (probably not the latter I know)..

JiminyCricket
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by JiminyCricket »

offalyman wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 1:13 pm firstly i don't blame Paddy Dunican at all..he thought it was going to be a hop ball as was the case in the first half, so i understand he's logic. Any genuine Offaly supporter had to immensely proud of the lads yesterday what an effort...The best display by our senior side since we ran Down very close in 2010, they went on reach the all-ireland afterwards. Some People saying Offaly were overly defensive yesterday well i for one didnt see that anyway. Yes we didnt start great and Cork scored easier in the first half, but when we closed them down well in the 2nd they started to struggle special mention to declan hogan and james lalor who were both savage in defense. We should look into the championship on a positive note. Hopefully we should beat wexford and then give the Dubs a right rattle when they come to town.. if we end up in that tailtenn cup lets embrace it and try and win it, if we are to win it were automatically back in the all-ireland series for next year. One last thing as for Niall McNamee different Gravy , he's actually playing better now then he did 5 years ago...looked super fit and sharp yesterday
In regards to the first half incident the part that would annoy me was what prompted Maggie Farrelly to make contact with the referee, I was behind the Offaly dugout and a member of the Cork backroom team or extended panel told her Dunican fouled and it wasn't until then that she got onto the referee after influence from the Cork bench.

biffinbanner
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by biffinbanner »

i think it would be great to win it .great experience for younger players and im sure finals and semis will be played as curtain raisers before bigger games? ive no idea of the format

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Muck Savage
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Muck Savage »

No team is in the Tailteann cup until they get knocked out of the provincial championship outside of the provincial final. Why not be the first team to beat Dublin in the provincial championship for over a decade?

private joker
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by private joker »

Why not? Because Dublin are better, by about ten points.

Fairplayalways
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Fairplayalways »

the lads on Sunday Sports last night had up a screen shot of all teams in the tailteann cup and Offaly were in it, but they did add the caveat that if you reached your provincial final then you were not in the tailteann cup...abit of funny set up in ways...wouuld you not be better off know you are in it now and prepare accordingly for that level of a game..all 16 or so odd teams last night pretty sure wont will be in the tailteann cup...shocks do happen but not often..

ah lethimoutwithit
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by ah lethimoutwithit »

Personally I wouldn't be minding Laz's interpretation of negative football anyway!
We actually stood off Cork too much as they continually ran through us in the first half, so in what way were we defensive, we weren't defending?. We engaged them better for a period coming up to half time and did well to close to 2. We were dead at the start of the second half and suddenly we're 6 down??? But Cork are brittle, and again once we took them on, and particularly when we forced them to go ling occasionally, even if they won the ball they were unable to build attacks.
The period after we went from 6pts to 2 down, 2 mistakes...1) Colm Doyle trys to stop a Cork kick out rocketing out over the line and "touches" it for a Cork ball that they end up scoring off, and 2) Niall Carby miscues a solo and gifts Hurley a point.

That we turned it around from there to lead by 2 pts was incredible stuff and great football to watch with the crowd right up for it, and even at that stage we turned over Cork and had the chance for a big break down the middle when a poor handpass cost us another score.

Lots to be positive about though. I know players are disappointed, but as a supporter I was proud of them afterwards, and my heart goes out to them in that we definitely deserve a break. But...looking at division 3, there are a raft of good teams there, and it will give us a chance not to transition, because we now have who we have, but to develop our style. We have made little impact on the Leinster championship over recent years, we need to change that and it we end up in the Tailteann cup , we need to embrace that too.
And one final comment, I am sick of listening to lads rabbiting on about matches and GAA, and when you ask "were you at the game?" , you get ah jaysus no sure had to bring the wife out for mothers day....or other stuff. Great crowd there Sunday, who were keen to get behind the team given a chance, and the team responded. People need to make more of an effort to get to a few matches during the year.
Poor and all as the Roscommon performance was, as a GAA man, it was good to watch one of the top 10 teams in action, how they were set up, and how they were able to execute the skills, you can always take something from the games.

So heads up to the players, and we'll have no devine right to beat Wexford, take the U20 game down there last year, one point. But a performance will be expected , and if we perform we will win, given the level we are playing at. Anything after that is a bonus.

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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by SearingDrive »

Muck Savage wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 8:48 pm No team is in the Tailteann cup until they get knocked out of the provincial championship outside of the provincial final. Why not be the first team to beat Dublin in the provincial championship for over a decade?
Won’t happen.

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