U20 "22

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
Faithful Future
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Re: U20 "22

Post by Faithful Future »

A lot to like about the performance and great to see a proper crowd in OCP.

Can't fault the team for effort at all. I thought in the backs Finneran looked comfortable and Pearson is a joy to watch. Furlong really prides himself on his tackling and no doubt he's going to be an excellent senior footballer for many years to come. He must be an absolute nightmare to mark.

Midfield both did well and up front Keith O'Neill really looks classy - pace, comfortable off both feet and good strength too. Plunkett was playing excellent and although a strange decision to take him off, he had done a lot of carrying throughout and had run himself into the ground.

We certainly can't expect to be winning leinster's every year, but if we can go toe to toe with Meath/Kildare/Dublin continuously that augers well for the future. Conditioning wise, while we did tire a little bit, the team really looked in good nick which is testament to the great work being done in Faithful Fields and by the lads themselves.

Well done to all of the team and management - you gave it your all, it wasn't meant to be today.
Uibh Fhaile abú!

jimbob17
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Re: U20 "22

Post by jimbob17 »

Hard luck to the lads. Better team for probably 45 mins or so. Never recovered momentum after Kildare second goal - and it was a sloppy one to concede as we dominated period before.

Goals win games. They got two. We got none. In last 15 mins we were short on legs I thought and no fault of players, they tried very hard. Kildare emptied their bench though and the fresh legs paid off for them. We only brought in an inside forward (Guing) and a half back (Murphy) to mark Kildare no 12. Not sure if we had another change?

On the whole, isn't it great that we are able to compete and match the best teams in Leinster. If we do this consistently, then our senior team will compete at a higher level. That is what good preparation does and this team looked well prepared. It is a game we should have won. Missed lots of scores in first half and conceded bad goal. It turns on small margins, but lots to be positive about. I felt overall, the better team lost, but that is sport. As bad as that sounds, it is still very encouraging.

Pearson was excellent. Furlong should be left alone re Senior imo just yet as he is only very young but he is one for the future no doubt. Liked the look of Strong in midfield also. Beyond that O'Neill is a cert for senior this year and was excellent this evening. Other lads have potential longer term in likes of Dempsey, Tynan, Plunkett and maybe Dalton, but they have a good bit of work to do to get to county senior standard.

Not sure if players are eligible/available to play senior at the weekend? Can anybody shed any light?
jimbob

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The Biff
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Location: Kildare (ex Daingean)

Re: U20 "22

Post by The Biff »

First - its good to see that most/all of the posts above are positive and supporting of the U20 team's performance last night. That is what is needed more than ever in Offaly, that we encourage the good green shoots when we have them.

Second - it was a good performance overall, still playing nice attractive Football in the main, the type that encourages a good crowd to come out in support, and surely the type of Football that will encourage young lads to stick with it as they get older.

Third - isn't it great to see the likes of Ballinagar, Clonbullogue, Bracknagh, hell even my own Daingean .... getting players back onto the County team. I remember when Ballinagar's pitch was a barely playable swamp. Clearly that has changed to help foster the current contingent. Every small village team will always have a star player or two, but those Clubs may have found it hard to be noticed in many years. The big Clubs will always contribute their share, but it is so encouraging to believe that we might really be getting all of our best players into the Faithful jersey.
Peter Parker: I missed the part where that's MY problem.

kingscounty
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Re: U20 "22

Post by kingscounty »

Kildare with a win over Dublin, we let this one slip would have been great to win two Leinster’s at this grade in a row.

biffinbanner
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Re: U20 "22

Post by biffinbanner »

and kildare have sligo now in the all ire semi.. so a good chance they will make the final.. ah well..best of luck to them..

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: U20 "22

Post by Bord na Mona man »

A lot of 'what ifs'. If Cormac Egan had been fit I think Offaly would have beaten Kildare.
After that, who knows? Maybe the win over Offaly gave Kildare the extra momentum to go and beat Dublin, whereas Offaly might not have.

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