Hurling Relegation play off

[The Biff]

Ah sure I found the place no problem. It was grand being able to park in the School grounds at the front.

It wasn't really much of a match. Pretty poor standard of Hurling especially by the Glensmen. Offaly were always in control in most sectors. Brian Carroll stood out of the forwards, but I wont draw any focus on the few lads who didn't quite measure up.

It was a job that had to be done, and we did it properly.

[turk]

A satisfying end to a forgettable season for the hurlers. Probably in retrospective, having gained league promotion and retaining mccarthy status, it is mildly positive and a platform upwards can be built from here, IF the blocks are in place

[old yellar]

So do you think beating antrim puts ye in good shape for next year or is it another year of rebuilding?

[Phoenix]

I have to give Offaly credit for preparing properly and giving Antrim the respect they deserve. A thoroughly professional display and it was quite enjoyable watching them knocking over some nice scores.

Good to see Odhran Kealey get such a long run and I hope he wasn't shaken up much by that last-minute tackle which left him stretched for a few minutes. It was pleasing also to see the likes of Colm Coughlan and James Gorman get some exposure - they linked up for the last point.

[Bord na Mona man]

Ah sure I found the place no problem. It was grand being able to park in the School grounds at the front.

I was wondering what the commotion at the shop was.
An angry Offaly man was demanding Burger Bites and I figured it was yourself!

[GreatDayForTheParish]

If possible could somebody please post the team as it lined up yesterday and which subs got a run? Thanks.

[corneyback]

From RTE.IE
Offaly romped to a facile 18-point victory over a sluggish Antrim side at Parnell Park this afternoon, securing their All-Ireland SHC status for next year.

The four relegation-threatened counties - Offaly, Antrim, Clare and Wexford - made a last ditch appeal to the Disputes Resolution Authority last night to have today's play-offs halted because of the controversy surrounding the fixtures and the entire relegation process.

The appeal was defeated and confusion still reigns over next weekend's relegation final and the possibility of a further relegation/promotion play-off between the losers of that final and Carlow, the Christy Ring Cup champions.

Carlow won the second-tier competition recently and a place in the 2010 Liam McCarthy Cup competition and it is understood that the DRA has recommended that such a promotion take place.

Where that leaves the relegation play-off finalists remains to be seen. However, the increased likelihood is that relegation will not take place this year 'on technical grounds', as the counties suggested to the DRA.

On the pitch in Donnycarney, Antrim made a strong enough start but their first touch let them down and the loss of countless puck-outs from goalkeeper Ryan McGarry helped Offaly race clear on the scoreboard.

The wind-backed Faithfuls collected a first minute goal when Kevin Brady sent a long ball on top of McGarry and it slipped out of the Antrim net minder's grasp and into the net.

The Saffrons had tweaked their side before the throw-in, bringing in Sean Delargy for Eddie McCloskey at wing back and Paddy Magill for CJ McGourty at top of the left.

Offaly were without the injured Joe Brady (groin) but fielded a talent-laden line-up and an early switch saw corner back David Franks pushed into midfield.

Stewart and Paddy Richmond opened the scoring for the Ulstermen, and Michael Herron made an impact in centre-field before Offaly, swarming over McGarry's high deliveries, began to find their form.

They rattled off points from Dylan Hayden, Franks, Brendan Murphy, goal scorer Brady, Brian Carroll and Shane Dooley for a 1-09 to 0-04 lead.

Danny McKillop teed up Stewart as Antrim stopped the rot, but the Glensmen were only playing in fits and starts and could only manage three more points before the half-time whistle.

Offaly were working off scraps towards the end of the half but were far more economical in their passing and shooting, and efforts from Paul Cleary, Carroll, Joe Bergin and Murphy steered the Midlanders to a 1-15 to 0-08 interval advantage.

Murphy and Derek Molloy were impressive as ball winners and Brady and his half-back colleagues were providing the platform to launch attack after attack.

Antrim needed to strike early in the second half and they were presented with an ideal chance when full-forward Richmond was fouled for a penalty.

However, Stewart's powerful shot was blocked on the goal-line and David Kenny cleared the ball downfield as Antrim's hopes slipped away.

Over the next 15 to 20 minutes, Offaly hit their scoring groove and put the result beyond any doubt with free-taker Carroll taking his tally to 0-12.

Substitutes Cormac Donnelly, Eddie McCloskey and CJ McGourty tried to inject some life into the game with a trio of late points but with Shane McNaughton sent-off, there was no way back for Antrim.

Joe Dooley's victors cruised home, missing a penalty in the closing stages before two of the county's young talents combined for the final score of a forgettable encounter - Colm Coughlan passed for James Gorman to register point number 28 and a very convincing win.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Mullins
Rigney, Cleary, Verney
Kenny, Oakley, Hayden
K Brady, Franks
Carroll, Molloy, Mahon
Dooley, Murphy, Bergin

Ódhrán Kealey replaced Dooley around the half-hour. Dooley had been stretching his back for a few minutes beforehand.
During the last quarter Wynne replaced Franks, Morkan for Kenny, Colm Coughlan for Carroll and Gorman for Murphy. Mark Egan replaced Bergin with a blood injury very late on. That's six, so I hope it's OK. I don't think they got a chance to replace Kealey who sustained a cup in the second last play of the match.

If possible could somebody please post the team as it lined up yesterday and which subs got a run? Thanks.

[Plain of the Herbs]

The Kevin Egan column in this weeks Offaly Independent notes the regular shortsightedness of GAA decision makers, such as in the current hurling relegation fiasco and how these decisions only become issues when some county or other falls victim to the decision in hand.

He is of course quite correct, and if you think the last decision was ridiculous then wait ‘till you see the solution . . .

General sentiments currently are that any counties who want should enter the premier hurling competition and if that means there are two dozen entrants, well, the more the merrier.

They will point to football and how division four teams can, if they put their minds to it, cause difficulty for top division teams.

Now, if folks on a committee, or delegates to congress, can’t fathom that this isn’t going to happen hurling then the GAA is in big trouble. Obviously you can’t deploy a blanket defence to sufficiently good effect in hurling partly due to the scoring system that you can score from up to ninety yards and also because there is a considerable skill level involved.

Many claim a ‘champions league’ format is the panacea. The nearest to this was the round-robin format for the hurling qualifiers which just didn’t work. Knock-out matches have been proven to be the only way to go.

It’s also argued that weaker counties will only improve be constantly playing the top teams. That’s really only half true. Weaker counties generally have a life-cycle and I feel it is really only at the top level of that life cycle that they should compete with, say, the Munster counties in summertime.

Reverting to an eight county division 1 of the NHL has robbed counties such as Carlow or Westmeath a chance to compete with the top counties in winter which would be a stepping-stone

The Christy Ring and Nick Rackard Cups have been a great success. It has been argued that this is because there is a promotion element involved. I think myself it is moreso because it allows hurlers from weaker counties to hurl in Croke Park and it also provides them with summertime hurling.

Until this year. This year they meddled with the formats. They moved them from June/July to May and they changed to a knockout format with a back door when previously there had been a league with two groups, semi-finals and a final. Now it only takes three wins to bring home either cup by the shortest route.

Bit by bit the little bit of glamour is being eroded. The finals were kept hidden from view this year. The first year’s Ring and Rackard Cup finals were live on TV and if the Rackard final was entertaining for the dubious skill levels and even more dubious waistlines, the Ring final was a good match and made for good TV.

Initially I was sceptical about the Lory Meagher cup, but this has been a success in that it allows particularly weak counties with perhaps only a handful of hurling clubs (Cavan, Leitrim etc.) a better shot at Croke Park glory.

Carlow have won the Christy Ring cup for the second year running and fully deserve their shot in the Leinster championship and the subsequent qualifiers. Forcing them to play off with Antrim for their place in the top flight as appears to be proposed, in October no less (!), would be just plain wrong.

In contrast, Antrim are the weakest team in the top flight. They tell us their hurling will only improve by playing against the top teams but they’ve suffered some severe beatings at the hands of Galway, Limerick and Waterford in recent years which make improvement more and not less unlikely. They point to their big win over Kildare in a lobsided 2006 Christy Ring final as proof they were too good for that competition. However, there’s no guarantee they would be successful next year in a Christy Ring Cup also containing Down and Westmeath. This may well be the best course for them in the long run.

Delegates face some tough decisions in the months ahead. They can send Antrim down, they can allow thirteen counties into the top flight next year or they can force Carlow to play off for their status. In a collective knee-jerk they may do away with the ‘weaker level’ cups and allow an ‘all-aboard’ as if that would do anything to solve the problem. Whichever, we can almost be sure it won’t be stress-tested in advance and is an area that will be revisited ad infinitum.


Footnote.

The wearing of helmets will become compulsory next year, and that’s only right. Hurlers who don’t wear them are going to have to get used to it. DJ Carey was one hurler who started wearing the face mask well into his career.

Some rules need to be clarified though. What happens if a hurler loses his helmet during play? Does the referee stop play, allow the hurler be reunited with his helmet and resume play with a throw-in or does play continue with one hurler bare-headed?

Also, can a hurler throw his helmet at an opponent? I’ve a feeling this isn’t catered for in the rules! The incident on Saturday where the white helmet belonging to the Antrim corner back was propelled forward towards the Offaly forward (Murphy) makes me wonder.

[Plain of the Herbs]

If going for a point from a penalty and blasting it so high it probably made it all the way to Dublin Bay is 'missing' a penalty then there's a whole new meaning to the verb 'to miss'.

Joe Dooley's victors cruised home, missing a penalty in the closing stages before two of the county's young talents combined for the final score of a forgettable encounter - Colm Coughlan passed for James Gorman to register point number 28 and a very convincing win.

Incidentally I heard Gerry Russell describe Brady's goal a 'a great goal'. For those who weren't there, it was a first time shot from sixty yards which bounced about three times in front of the hapless goalkeeper! Gerry is probably comparing it to John Fenton's rasper years ago!

[Efan]

€20 in to Parnell Park on Saturday for a play off game that could turn out to be meaningless. The only people there on Saturday are die hards and a charge of this manner was simply a tax on fans loyalty. There must be someone at a decision making level within the GAA that would have had the sense to either charge a nominal entrance fee or waive it entirely given the farcical "on off" nature of the game.

[Bord na Mona man]

€20 in to Parnell Park on Saturday for a play off game that could turn out to be meaningless. The only people there on Saturday are die hards and a charge of this manner was simply a tax on fans loyalty. There must be someone at a decision making level within the GAA that would have had the sense to either charge a nominal entrance fee or waive it entirely given the farcical "on off" nature of the game.

€20 was farcical. Especially since the match looks like being meaningless.
If ever there was grounds for a refund. Though I suppose the excuse given would be that the minor quarter final was on beforehand.

When I was going to the back of the stand of Parnell Park this man walked by and give me a free ticket.
It said "VIP Enclosure" and "Ard Comhairle" on it. I took the freebie but it certainly wasn't right that most people paid €20 in.
I steered clear of the VIP Enclosure and took my place with the riff-raff!

[The Biff]

When I was going to the back of the stand of Parnell Park this man walked by and give me a free ticket.
It said "VIP Enclosure" and "Ard Comhairle" on it. I took the freebie but it certainly wasn't right that most people paid €20 in.
I steered clear of the VIP Enclosure and took my place with the riff-raff!

Ah shucks, I thought I was the only lucky one. A man handed me two free tickets as I was heading in from the Car Park. I think they were part of the Ref's allocation. So I didn't know how much I had saved until just now (although I hope/assume I would not have had to pay 20 quid for my young son to get in).

That is a ridiculous fee to be asking for a game that only went ahead at the last minute anyway, no matter whether it turns out to be meaningless or not. I note that next weekends Fixtures have not included the "Relegation Final" between Antrim and Wexford. What are the chances that this match never takes place?

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Mullins
Rigney, Cleary, Verney
Kenny, Oakley, Hayden
K Brady, Franks
Carroll, Molloy, Mahon
Dooley, Murphy, Bergin

Ódhrán Kealey replaced Dooley around the half-hour. Dooley had been stretching his back for a few minutes beforehand.
During the last quarter Wynne replaced Franks, Morkan for Kenny, Colm Coughlan for Carroll and Gorman for Murphy. Mark Egan replaced Bergin with a blood injury very late on. That's six, so I hope it's OK. I don't think they got a chance to replace Kealey who sustained a cup in the second last play of the match.

If possible could somebody please post the team as it lined up yesterday and which subs got a run? Thanks.

Thanks for that Plain of the Herbs.

With regards your comments regarding the relegation/hurling situation in general, I agree.

[Doon Massive]

Did anyone actually pay in

Some kindly Antrim folk handed me a freebie too.