NFL Div 3 predictions 2023

[ah lethimoutwithit]

Fair play to the lads on getting over the line on what was a difficult day for all involved and a good Offaly crowd in attendance also.

Started sluggishly and lads were a bit all over the shop. We played some decent football but hit a few bad wides. 3 quick points to put us 9-6 up were crucial as there was bit if breeze in our favour. Second half we pulled 4 clear and you would hope we kick for home, but as is our want, we don't make life easy.
Tipp keeper missed a free and tipp sub got black carded along with 2 good Ian Duffy saves (one redeeming a terrible short kick out), were the differnce between us losing the game in the last few mins a scraping over the line. To be fair, we appear to have gotten a few breaks during this campaign and maybe the work that the lads are puting in gets you that. The 2 goals were down to Tipp fighting tooth and nail to stay up.
I was very impressed with Joe Maher in the first half and Nigel Dunne did alright also, Ruairi Mc and Hyland were decent also. Panda should have won a couple more balls but did ok. Backs were solid enough also.
So 3 away wins and scrape home against fermanagh have us in a position we would have only dreamed of a few weeks ago.
Credit to the late Liam Kearns and his management team and the players for their efforts in getting to this point and Down on Sunday is a great opportunity although I think they will come with everything as they will want to finish with a win before they start championship. I think if we can beat Down we will have a had a great campaign and a bonus would be going up.

Finally it was clear walking across the pitch after how much the win meant to the players and management after the tragic events of the week and it will have really only hit home after the game the stress and strain that the previous week had on them mentally and physically. Well done for how ye carried yerselves and the effort it took!

[Fairplayalways]

A good result V Tipperarry in the circumstances fair dues to all concerned. Westmeath losing was a sort of shook in ways and now leaves us with a chance IF Cavan can beat Fermanagh and of course if we beat Down. A draw will do Fermanagh I think. Cavan will surely go out to finish up with a win, Fermanagh have been consistent and will want to seize their chance.

[jimbob17]

Team named on social media. Couldn't see it starting like that with Pearson at right half back and Cian Donoghue wing forward.

Think it will be very similar team to what played Tipperary. We have really improved from Maughans reign I believe and that just shows that we were not properly prepared last year. We are already on 8 points, playing well and doing so without some key players that were there last year.

A win tomorrow will do wonders for confidence and irrespective of other game, we have had a good league. Let's hope supporters get out in big numbers.

[Hyper]

Best of luck to all the lads and management today

[JimBwobb]

52 minutes gone and this is absolute shite!!! Simple as

[jimbob17]

Most disappointing.

Couple of observations. Down are very hard play against. Often played with nobody in Offaly half with everyone back. Then hit fast on break into open spaces - very like Kilcoo. Obviously Laverty is using that system but We need to find way to counter that if we meet that system again.

First half, we were decent and should or could have been level at HT. Missed goal chances and some poor wides from Allen and Sullivan didn't help. That said, Duffy also made few good saves.

Reckon inside forwards were really frustrated today. Lots of ball out around midfield and went sideways very often because Down had so many back. As result, runs stopped happening as often inside. Some good ball was delivered in early stages and we got joy from it.

Bench got emptied but we died a death in second half as Down took off. Very obvious today that we are a very small / slight team physically.

Players have been through lot recently and mental baggage of last fortnight could have been a factor. We are not as bad as we looked today I think. A disappointing end to good league campaign.

[Fairplayalways]

Fairplayalways by name and kadt 2 weeks probably came into play.. I me dubious about the excuse that Down packed their defence and broke on the counter, if they scored 1-16 or so playing like that then it more of a statement of how Offaly played..scoring less than 10 points says it all of the other team had less forwards up front than Offaly had.. Look we didn't get promoted or relegated and Fermanagh won also do we were goosed anyway.. 2 most consistent teams got promoted.. I think without checking Fermanagh were the most structured team in our division.. Cavan deserved to be promoted too..

[Bord na Mona man]

Disappointing display. Offaly looked flat and lacked a bit of fizz. Down didn't have anything to play for but still looked sharper.
In the first half Offaly had a lot of possession when Down dropped back, but they didn't manage to stretch Down, or drag their defence around to create many openings.

I'm sure the half time team talk was about throwing caution to the wind and trying to turn the game around, but there was no spark to ignite any sort of comeback.

Hopefully Offaly will be able to get their focus back in the next couple of weeks. The effect of losing Liam Kearns will linger on but there is still plenty to play for when championship comes around.

[Faithful Future]

A couple of observations from the league and today:

Yet again our physicality let us down. We're going to have to unearth some more imposing players somewhere.

Every intercounty footballer should be able to take a score from the 'scoring zone' regardless of the number on their back in the modern game. Surely this is something that the players should be working on themselves. Unfortunately even our scoring forwards had an off day today and I was surprised some changes weren't made earlier.

Can anyone explain our defensive strategy? There was space everywhere despite us having 13 men back. While Down were set up effectively, they're still one of the weaker ulster teams so this doesn't auger well going forward.

Attacking strategy has also left me confused. We knew coming into the game that Down would set up very defensively and break in numbers. We carried the ball to midfield and worked laterally with no penetrating runs whatsoever. Not sure how we expected to actually create any opportunities at all...

I hate saying it and it's been said before, but we are just a bit soft overall. No fight whatsoever once the goal went in. Disappointing and nothing management can do about that.

[Superhans75]

Firstly the worst performance I have seen from an Offaly team in years .
Absolutely rudderless no strong characters in the team
No initiative from the management yesterday from the bench you may as well had Stevie wonder
We have 2 weeks to try and rectify some.of the issues
I think new management is definitely one thing we can
Work on but do the county board have the balls and the cash ????
I think in general we have had a lucky league 2 bad teams tipping and Longford
And Antrim was our best performance in a gale force wind and Fermanagh we got lucky.
This team could only have 2 games left in it .
Sobering thought to till next January.
Live long and prosper folks

[FJB]

Isn't Tailteann Cup on a group basis? Meaning more than a minimum of two games left?

[ah lethimoutwithit]

Firstly the worst performance I have seen from an Offaly team in years .
Absolutely rudderless no strong characters in the team
No initiative from the management yesterday from the bench you may as well had Stevie wonder
We have 2 weeks to try and rectify some.of the issues
I think new management is definitely one thing we can
Work on but do the county board have the balls and the cash ????
I think in general we have had a lucky league 2 bad teams tipping and Longford
And Antrim was our best performance in a gale force wind and Fermanagh we got lucky.
This team could only have 2 games left in it .
Sobering thought to till next January.
Live long and prosper folks

Oh I think you are relatively new to the game, I have seen worse (Down also being the opposition in qualier game maybe within the last 10 years).
But a few things;
1. We have a manager who has taken the reigns in difficult circumstances,
2.There would be little point changing him with a championship in 2 weeks, he deserves his chance, and take our time in assessing options after tailteann cup.
Co Board have stepped up to the mark in recent years and all too easy to start flinging mud after a performance like yesterday. They will allow him to get on with the job and work away on options (assuming Martin Murphy is not interested in it long term, which is most likely the case).

I agree totally with your assessment that we have been lucky in the wins that we have gotten, but deserve to get some luck too.
90% of supporters would have taken your hand off for 8 points after the Westmeath and Cavan defeats.

Yes we were poor yesterday, but move on an lets have a cut off Longford. I do fear for that game as they have scored well in their last 3 games, and Paddy Christie may be starting to make an impact there. But if we get over that, Meath appear to be in freefall.
Thanks to the players for their efforts during the league. Yes, and for whatever reason, yesterday's display was poor and would not be acceptable to Martin Murphy and his coaching staff.
We have 2 weeks and the last coupd of weeks would have drained any group of players.
We have to move on now and hopefully take the learnings into the championship, we need to be more direct and defence had been decent was very open yesterday. For whatever reason mindset was wrong, and thats the difference between competing and a hiding which is what it was.

[Superhans75]

I have followed Offaly for years but the problem is no
One is taking responsibility in the team.
Some of the misses yesterday were comical from frees.
The team have been through a lot I understand that
And maybe some will not get on with the management as often happens.
But realistically we are like a dog chasing his tail.
We haven't got the brawn but we have to use our
Brains but there still chasing our tails .
Let's have a good week

[JiminyCricket]

I’m of the opinion a lot of Offaly supporters are in La La land about how we’ve done this year . We were awful yesterday no getting away from that but as a team we’ve done throughout the league what I’d like to see a team do we’ve won tight games and games we lost we were outclassed. If at the beginning of the league you said we’d have a final game of huge importance I’d have guessed it would be to stay up . We’ve a lot of quality players gone in recent years like Maloney who is retired along with Darby, Hayes Carroll and possibly a few more I can’t think of and a lot of our promising under 20s are injured still with the 20s or not making themselves available .

[SearingDrive]

Disappointing display. Offaly looked flat and lacked a bit of fizz. Down didn't have anything to play for but still looked sharper.
In the first half Offaly had a lot of possession when Down dropped back, but they didn't manage to stretch Down, or drag their defence around to create many openings.

I'm sure the half time team talk was about throwing caution to the wind and trying to turn the game around, but there was no spark to ignite any sort of comeback.

Hopefully Offaly will be able to get their focus back in the next couple of weeks. The effect of losing Liam Kearns will linger on but there is still plenty to play for when championship comes around.

Bad day yesterday.. Down were the better team on the day. All focus now on the Longford championship game at Pearse Park. A tough game for Offaly.