Junior A Football

[Fargo Boyle]

Good win for Cappincur yesterday against the Carlow intermediate final losers. They seem to be well set up for a run in the Leinster. Next match is a home game against St Fechins of Louth who beat the Dublin representatives in the first round. Home advantage will be huge. On the other side Geraldines of New Ross in Wexford seem to be motoring well.

Also well done to Brigids who have lifted themselves well since the final against Rhode. Watch out for Muckalee, the KK senior football champs in this level. They will be hard beaten.

[In the long grass]

Leinster JFC Semi-Finals scheduled for the 20th November:

Cappincur v St Fechins (LH)
Ballivor (MH) v Geraldine O Hanrahans (WX)

[kingscounty]

good win for cappincur. it would be great for offaly football if cappincur/croghan won leinster title, and if edenderry could win few games it would be progress.gives county manager more of a pick and more options.

[In the long grass]

Cappincur face St. Fechin's of Louth this Sunday in O'Connor Park at 2pm. Referee: R. Malone (DUB)

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Cracking game of football in Tullamore yesterday. Ok there were a lot of mistakes and horror misses, especially by Feichins, but for pure excitement and entertainment, top class.
Whoever lost would be kicking themselves, but the concession of a soft goal with Peter Daly dropping a a high free over his own goal line in extra time will be hard to take for Cappincur. However likewise the Louthmen missed 3 glorious chances at the end of normal time to clinch the win.
The positives for Cappincur was the tigerish performances of the 2 young Carrolls. These guys have the makings of Senior county material in the next couple of years. Jason Gethings had a fine game and with some coaching this guy can become the real deal at full back. Young Norris never got motoring, and the full forward was disaster for Cappincur. How he was left on till extra time is beyond me, Enda Daly really struggled at full back, way of the pace and his distribution was cat. Colm Brennan likewise at centre back tried hard, but was often caught for pace. Ger Treacy was the main point of attack and worked very hard but his usually high standard of finishing let him down, and Peter Daly was off target with a number of scoreable frees.
Noel Andrew Graham's work rate was exposed here, and he was guilty of having the ball thrown up from kicking 2 frees from the wrong position. He was well targetted by the oposition who were continually winding him up and his influence on the game wained as time went by.

One thing that was noticeable was the intensity of the tackling by the Louth team, they forced overcarries at least 5 times in the first half.
Having said all that Cappincur had every chance to win the game, and what I saw was that whilst the other team seemed fitter, Cappincur were the more skillful side.
CAppincur will have learned that they will need to work harder and be a little smarter if they are to drive on at Intermediate level, however the loss of Hugh Treacy (Austrailia) was shown up here and they can ill afford to lose anyone else. But they will need more from the Dalys, Stones, Brennan, Minnock to compliment the younger lads who will improve naturally.
The Louth crowd had great support down and really got behind their team, but they did some whinging against the referee-no matter what decision he made he was wrong! Was chatting a few of them on the way out, they were delighted to play in OConnor park, and were hoping to get Ballivor (Meath) in the final, (Isee they got their wish!) Chance for a mini revenge for 2010 Leinster final, and best of luck to them.

[Lone Shark]

Hard luck to Capincur after a good display yesterday, and they can take great pride in a fine year on the field, both in Offaly and in losing out so narrowly to a big club who really shouldn't be playing Junior football. St Fechins have a large pick, very good facilities and were a senior club for two decades, winning the Louth championship twice. In terms of size, this was a David vs Goliath battle, though you'd never know to see the game.

With so many good young players and the experience of this year behind them, Capincur should be looking at 2012 as a chance to go well at intermediate level, not just a survival exercise. There are a lot of teams playing at that level that don't have the same level of young talent coming up through the ranks and if the senior players in the club can provide real leadership, then a place in the knockout stages should be the least they expect. Shamrocks may be improved or they may not, Rhode will struggle due to having to regrade so many players as senior, St Brigids are similar to Capincur in that they have a few key men but not a lot of depth, so there is nothing to be afraid of.

It should be a real learning curve for the players as well. All this talk of being ready for county is putting the cart before the horse. This will be a higher standard of football and if they can stand out on the intermediate stage, then the time is right to talk of things like county players. This is a great opportunity for them though, and hopefully they'll take it.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

I dont think they are ready to go onto a county panel, but they have the potential. The Carrolls have a tigerish element to their play and great fitness levels, allied to their skills are attributes we are looking for, Gethings at full back or midfield has a calm composure and a good ability to read the game. He is a big man, and putting him on the right program he will have the physique for county. If they want it they have the stuff to do it!