U-21 v Dublin
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Plain of the Herbs
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Offaly under 21 hurlers face a difficult trip to Donnycarney, the spiritual home of Dublin hurling, as they contest for the ‘other’ Sean Robbins trophy on Wednesday evening. It is a cup Offaly have won on five previous occasions while Dublin won it twice, ironically beating Offaly in both finals (1967 and 1972) before going down in the finals by narrow margins to Tipperary and Galway respectively.
It’s unfortunate that Offaly have to make this trip to the lions’ den given the way the draw worked out. This being the case, Dublin will see this as an excellent chance to land the title for the first time in thirty-five years. The home following will provide a hostile atmosphere, booing freetakers and cheering opposition wides. I would also be concerned that Offaly may not come to terms with the sideways slope in Parnell Park.
The great strides Dublin has been making with underage hurling have been well documented. While they have landed two Leinster minor titles in the last three years, they have found Kilkenny a bridge too far at under 21 level. Kilkenny have ended their interest in this competition in each of the last four years so Offaly’s dispatching of the Cats in the previous round will be a boost to them. In keeping with their underage revival, Dublin have contested four of the last five finals. The closest they came to winning was when they drew with Wexford in 2002 losing out in extra time.
This will be the fifteenth meeting of these two counties at this level. Interestingly, Dublin won the first three meetings (including those 1967 and 1972 finals), Offaly won the next seven (going to a replay in 1996) with Dublin winning the last three, all in this decade- 2002 and each of the last two years.
Offaly have disappointed in this grade throughout the current decade. Before beating Kilkenny last month they had only won one match in the grade since landing the title in 2000, that coming against Laois in 2002. They went on to suffer a comprehensive defeat by Dublin in the next round when two Dublin goals on the quarter hour sealed Offaly’s fate in Portlaoise. Offaly laboured against Dublin in 2005 but had enough ball to win it throughout the second half and in keeping with the seniors currently, were unable to close the deal and were beaten by one point. Last years meeting took place in Parnell Park. Offaly pressed the snooze button during the first twenty minutes while Dublin galloped into an eight point lead. Offaly came back into it and were on top for the duration of the second and third quarters but Dublin took over again and won by three.
This year, Offaly hurled well in the semi final against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park. They took the game to Kilkenny from the very start with a display of all that is good about traditional Offaly hurling. They hurled with a fire and a passion that has been all-too-absent this decade. They tackled well, hooked and blocked, and worked hard when not in possession. When in possession, they hurled direct, moving the ball into the ‘red’ zone as quickly as possible. While they took some delightful scores, they gave us palpitations with the amount of wides they hit. Fifteen in all. However, it would have been a travesty if Kilkenny had snatched this game at the death, which they threatened to do.
While Offaly gave such a fine performance, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. They lost their way a bit in the ten-minute period before half time when Kilkenny played with an extra defender. Some lads were caught ball watching on occasions while Kilkenny got some passing moves together. Lads looked a bit unsure which players to pick up. Offaly also struggled for ten minutes after the break when the half forward line was unable to control their own puckout. Kilkenny drove on from this and some poor shooting prevented them from drawing level. Then, on the forty minute mark, Offaly began to win some ball on the ground, did much better under Kilkenny’s puckout and drove on from there.
I know very little about the Dublin team Offaly face on Wednesday. I watched them score a win over a dogged Kildare team in the quarter final as they struggled to a five point win that night. Kildare scored goals on the quarter mark and the three quarter mark and Dublin replied with Alan McCrabbe goals within a minute of each Kildare goal. While Dublin were dominant in the air they struggled when the ball was on the deck and Kildare won decent possession here. Leaving Conneff Park in Clane that evening very few of Dublin’s supporters were giving them any chance of beating Wexford in the semi final. It’s obvious that they made a huge improvement as they led Wexford from start to finish on their home turf.
Other than that, we can look at their hurlers who are on the county senior team. Ross O’Carroll has been having a good year, while McCrabbe and Peadar Carton are nippy players who fit into the Dublin style of running onto loose ball at speed, breaking the tackle in the process. It’s rather like the style Galway employ, which has brought them considerable success at under age level. Tomás Brady is their centre half back; tough he seems to have struggled for form in the corner back slot he fills for the seniors. John McCaffrey is also an established senior at this stage and the senior side felt his absence during the recent qualifiers. Willie Lowry is also underage though has been absent this year. In keeping with Dublin underage sides, they will have a strong defence and a nippy midfield and forward line.
To win, Offaly will have to break even with Dublin in the air and scrap like mad on the ground. Cathal Parlon’s injury sustained against Cork is a blow. Ciarán Slevin was the first sub introduced against Kilkenny. I would imagine he would start in the corner with Derek Molloy, Joseph Bergin and Diarmuid Horan taking up station in the half forward line. Michael Verney’s availability after injury is a bonus. Who would be left off though? I wouldn’t start him but he would be a viable option, perhaps even at midfield as the match progresses. David Kenny would be well able for Ross O’Carroll while Colm Coughlan and Conor Hernon should pick up Carton and McCrabbe.
Dublin will start as favourites, justifiably so, on the basis of their underage prowess over the last ten years or so, and their dominance over Offaly during that period. Offaly should realise that beating Kilkenny in the semi final doesn’t guarantee final success. Just ask the Laois under 21’s- 1978 vintage, or any Wexford senior finalists on the 1980’s. That said, if Offaly can give a display of spirit, hunger and determination they gave in Nowlan Park and take their scores when the chances arise they will give themselves every chance of bringing the cup back to the home town of the man after whom it is named.
It’s unfortunate that Offaly have to make this trip to the lions’ den given the way the draw worked out. This being the case, Dublin will see this as an excellent chance to land the title for the first time in thirty-five years. The home following will provide a hostile atmosphere, booing freetakers and cheering opposition wides. I would also be concerned that Offaly may not come to terms with the sideways slope in Parnell Park.
The great strides Dublin has been making with underage hurling have been well documented. While they have landed two Leinster minor titles in the last three years, they have found Kilkenny a bridge too far at under 21 level. Kilkenny have ended their interest in this competition in each of the last four years so Offaly’s dispatching of the Cats in the previous round will be a boost to them. In keeping with their underage revival, Dublin have contested four of the last five finals. The closest they came to winning was when they drew with Wexford in 2002 losing out in extra time.
This will be the fifteenth meeting of these two counties at this level. Interestingly, Dublin won the first three meetings (including those 1967 and 1972 finals), Offaly won the next seven (going to a replay in 1996) with Dublin winning the last three, all in this decade- 2002 and each of the last two years.
Offaly have disappointed in this grade throughout the current decade. Before beating Kilkenny last month they had only won one match in the grade since landing the title in 2000, that coming against Laois in 2002. They went on to suffer a comprehensive defeat by Dublin in the next round when two Dublin goals on the quarter hour sealed Offaly’s fate in Portlaoise. Offaly laboured against Dublin in 2005 but had enough ball to win it throughout the second half and in keeping with the seniors currently, were unable to close the deal and were beaten by one point. Last years meeting took place in Parnell Park. Offaly pressed the snooze button during the first twenty minutes while Dublin galloped into an eight point lead. Offaly came back into it and were on top for the duration of the second and third quarters but Dublin took over again and won by three.
This year, Offaly hurled well in the semi final against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park. They took the game to Kilkenny from the very start with a display of all that is good about traditional Offaly hurling. They hurled with a fire and a passion that has been all-too-absent this decade. They tackled well, hooked and blocked, and worked hard when not in possession. When in possession, they hurled direct, moving the ball into the ‘red’ zone as quickly as possible. While they took some delightful scores, they gave us palpitations with the amount of wides they hit. Fifteen in all. However, it would have been a travesty if Kilkenny had snatched this game at the death, which they threatened to do.
While Offaly gave such a fine performance, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. They lost their way a bit in the ten-minute period before half time when Kilkenny played with an extra defender. Some lads were caught ball watching on occasions while Kilkenny got some passing moves together. Lads looked a bit unsure which players to pick up. Offaly also struggled for ten minutes after the break when the half forward line was unable to control their own puckout. Kilkenny drove on from this and some poor shooting prevented them from drawing level. Then, on the forty minute mark, Offaly began to win some ball on the ground, did much better under Kilkenny’s puckout and drove on from there.
I know very little about the Dublin team Offaly face on Wednesday. I watched them score a win over a dogged Kildare team in the quarter final as they struggled to a five point win that night. Kildare scored goals on the quarter mark and the three quarter mark and Dublin replied with Alan McCrabbe goals within a minute of each Kildare goal. While Dublin were dominant in the air they struggled when the ball was on the deck and Kildare won decent possession here. Leaving Conneff Park in Clane that evening very few of Dublin’s supporters were giving them any chance of beating Wexford in the semi final. It’s obvious that they made a huge improvement as they led Wexford from start to finish on their home turf.
Other than that, we can look at their hurlers who are on the county senior team. Ross O’Carroll has been having a good year, while McCrabbe and Peadar Carton are nippy players who fit into the Dublin style of running onto loose ball at speed, breaking the tackle in the process. It’s rather like the style Galway employ, which has brought them considerable success at under age level. Tomás Brady is their centre half back; tough he seems to have struggled for form in the corner back slot he fills for the seniors. John McCaffrey is also an established senior at this stage and the senior side felt his absence during the recent qualifiers. Willie Lowry is also underage though has been absent this year. In keeping with Dublin underage sides, they will have a strong defence and a nippy midfield and forward line.
To win, Offaly will have to break even with Dublin in the air and scrap like mad on the ground. Cathal Parlon’s injury sustained against Cork is a blow. Ciarán Slevin was the first sub introduced against Kilkenny. I would imagine he would start in the corner with Derek Molloy, Joseph Bergin and Diarmuid Horan taking up station in the half forward line. Michael Verney’s availability after injury is a bonus. Who would be left off though? I wouldn’t start him but he would be a viable option, perhaps even at midfield as the match progresses. David Kenny would be well able for Ross O’Carroll while Colm Coughlan and Conor Hernon should pick up Carton and McCrabbe.
Dublin will start as favourites, justifiably so, on the basis of their underage prowess over the last ten years or so, and their dominance over Offaly during that period. Offaly should realise that beating Kilkenny in the semi final doesn’t guarantee final success. Just ask the Laois under 21’s- 1978 vintage, or any Wexford senior finalists on the 1980’s. That said, if Offaly can give a display of spirit, hunger and determination they gave in Nowlan Park and take their scores when the chances arise they will give themselves every chance of bringing the cup back to the home town of the man after whom it is named.
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Lone Shark
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(I can only hope the Offaly Indo people don't read mine and Plain's side by side, methinks I could be out of a job.... 
)
Four days ago Offaly and Dublin met in arguably the most unimportant and irrelevant championship match that either county will ever take part in. On Wednesday night in a packed Parnell Park, the tables will turn and the two sides will meet in a game where the sense of expectation and significance is palpable. At the start of the year the minor hurlers looked to be a little bit short of the standard required, and so it proved. The senior hurlers were embarking on an ambitious program of rebuilding with so many young players being given their chance, and while for a while in Thurles it looked like there could be a happy ending, ultimately it was always likely to prove a huge ask for such a young team to turn the tables on a proven intercounty team in their own back yard.
Thus it was really only at this grade that there was some optimism about the county’s chances of securing a first provincial title at any grade since 2007. This optimism was tempered by the ominous look of the draw, where a win in Nowlan Park over Kilkenny in the first match was the first hurdle to clear, but since that joyous night the county has been eagerly awaiting the next outing of this prodigious bunch.
If beating Kilkenny was all about conquering the psychological hold that black and amber jerseys have had over tricolour ones in recent years, this match is much more about putting all the senior experience within the panel to good use in what will be a tempestuous and partisan atmosphere in Parnell Park. Any inferiority complex that Dublin feel at senior level is cast away in underage games and justifiably so – with the exception of Kilkenny, young Dublin teams have been more than a match for any other county in Ireland in recent years.
To illustrate this shift in mentality, one needs look no further than Tomás Brady. At senior level this season, the Na Fianna man has been lining out at corner back, and he has suffered some torrid days at the hands of players like Joe Deane and Seamus Butler, each of whom gave him a fair runaround. At under 21 level he takes on the number 6 jersey and becomes an extremely dominant player – so far this year he has been a controlling influence under the puckout, while at the same time he has yet to concede a score from play. Based on Offaly’s performances so far, it’s safe to assume that both Derek Molloy and Joe Bergin will spend some time grappling with Brady, and this is one platform that Dublin will be very keen to build on and Offaly must disrupt.
Senior panellist Keith Dunne and, fitness permitting, team captain John McCaffrey will complete this powerful defensive line, and this is indicative of the standard that permeates the Dublin team.
With so many big clashes likely to occur in that line, the struggle for breaking ball around the middle will be vital, and this is another area where big names on either side will come into contact. Alan McCrabbe and Joey Boland form a fine combination, with Alan McCrabbe in particular very quick around the pitch, scoring regularly and sweeping up countless possessions. At the start of the year one would have said that Offaly’s likely midfield pairing of Conor Mahon and Seán Ryan were more likely to make their name as footballers than hurlers, but Mahon hurled solidly in Kilkenny and was rewarded with an invaluable score towards the end, while Seán Ryan is on course to be the county’s most valuable player in either code if he continues his current rate of improvement. He’ll most likely be detailed to pick up McCrabbe, and whichever of those two emerges victorious in the battle of the dervishes will have done their team a huge service.
The final area of the field that will play heavily on the minds of Padraig Horan and his selectors will be the challenge presented by the heavy scoring inside trio of Dublin, likely to be Peader Carton, Declan O’Dwyer and Ross O’Carroll. Again each of these three are senior panellists, with Carton providing most of the aerial threat while O’Carroll and O’Dwyer feed off the scraps. The potential return of Michael Verney will prove crucial here. After struggling to find his best form in the spring Paul Cleary has hurled well throughout June and he looks reassuringly sound at the edge of square, while Conor Hernon has been a revelation this year, even if the amount of space he gives his opposite number can cause cardiac difficulty for supporters of a nervous disposition. If Verney can find his springtime form and complete the set, Offaly look to be well equipped to blunt Dublin’s sharpest weapons.
Having taken care of all these direct clashes, the last struggle for these Offaly hurlers will be to make sure that they don’t emulate their senior counterparts and lose their way in sight of the big prize. With a likely semi final against Antrim for the winners while fancied teams like Tipperary and Limerick have fallen away in Munster, it would be unrealistic to expect players not to be aware of how big an opportunity this game presents. Obviously this is a factor on both sides, but Dublin will have the assistance of that raucous home crowd to concentrate their minds on the task at hand. Against Wexford in the semi final they roared into an early lead, and if that is allowed happen here they can just retreat back into their own half and force Offaly to take pot shots from 70m out. The fifteen wides Offaly hit against Kilkenny is case enough for why this cannot be allowed to happen again, and when one then factors in the swirling breeze that results from three sides of Parnell Park being enclosed with the Killester end open it’s easy to see how difficult it would be for Offaly to come back in this environment.
However ultimately this team is talented enough to get in front and stay there. It was the way to victory in Nowlan Park, and if the team don’t lose sight of their own abilities, there is every reason to believe that we could see a badly needed boost to hurling in the county, and to Offaly GAA in general. Good luck lads.
)Four days ago Offaly and Dublin met in arguably the most unimportant and irrelevant championship match that either county will ever take part in. On Wednesday night in a packed Parnell Park, the tables will turn and the two sides will meet in a game where the sense of expectation and significance is palpable. At the start of the year the minor hurlers looked to be a little bit short of the standard required, and so it proved. The senior hurlers were embarking on an ambitious program of rebuilding with so many young players being given their chance, and while for a while in Thurles it looked like there could be a happy ending, ultimately it was always likely to prove a huge ask for such a young team to turn the tables on a proven intercounty team in their own back yard.
Thus it was really only at this grade that there was some optimism about the county’s chances of securing a first provincial title at any grade since 2007. This optimism was tempered by the ominous look of the draw, where a win in Nowlan Park over Kilkenny in the first match was the first hurdle to clear, but since that joyous night the county has been eagerly awaiting the next outing of this prodigious bunch.
If beating Kilkenny was all about conquering the psychological hold that black and amber jerseys have had over tricolour ones in recent years, this match is much more about putting all the senior experience within the panel to good use in what will be a tempestuous and partisan atmosphere in Parnell Park. Any inferiority complex that Dublin feel at senior level is cast away in underage games and justifiably so – with the exception of Kilkenny, young Dublin teams have been more than a match for any other county in Ireland in recent years.
To illustrate this shift in mentality, one needs look no further than Tomás Brady. At senior level this season, the Na Fianna man has been lining out at corner back, and he has suffered some torrid days at the hands of players like Joe Deane and Seamus Butler, each of whom gave him a fair runaround. At under 21 level he takes on the number 6 jersey and becomes an extremely dominant player – so far this year he has been a controlling influence under the puckout, while at the same time he has yet to concede a score from play. Based on Offaly’s performances so far, it’s safe to assume that both Derek Molloy and Joe Bergin will spend some time grappling with Brady, and this is one platform that Dublin will be very keen to build on and Offaly must disrupt.
Senior panellist Keith Dunne and, fitness permitting, team captain John McCaffrey will complete this powerful defensive line, and this is indicative of the standard that permeates the Dublin team.
With so many big clashes likely to occur in that line, the struggle for breaking ball around the middle will be vital, and this is another area where big names on either side will come into contact. Alan McCrabbe and Joey Boland form a fine combination, with Alan McCrabbe in particular very quick around the pitch, scoring regularly and sweeping up countless possessions. At the start of the year one would have said that Offaly’s likely midfield pairing of Conor Mahon and Seán Ryan were more likely to make their name as footballers than hurlers, but Mahon hurled solidly in Kilkenny and was rewarded with an invaluable score towards the end, while Seán Ryan is on course to be the county’s most valuable player in either code if he continues his current rate of improvement. He’ll most likely be detailed to pick up McCrabbe, and whichever of those two emerges victorious in the battle of the dervishes will have done their team a huge service.
The final area of the field that will play heavily on the minds of Padraig Horan and his selectors will be the challenge presented by the heavy scoring inside trio of Dublin, likely to be Peader Carton, Declan O’Dwyer and Ross O’Carroll. Again each of these three are senior panellists, with Carton providing most of the aerial threat while O’Carroll and O’Dwyer feed off the scraps. The potential return of Michael Verney will prove crucial here. After struggling to find his best form in the spring Paul Cleary has hurled well throughout June and he looks reassuringly sound at the edge of square, while Conor Hernon has been a revelation this year, even if the amount of space he gives his opposite number can cause cardiac difficulty for supporters of a nervous disposition. If Verney can find his springtime form and complete the set, Offaly look to be well equipped to blunt Dublin’s sharpest weapons.
Having taken care of all these direct clashes, the last struggle for these Offaly hurlers will be to make sure that they don’t emulate their senior counterparts and lose their way in sight of the big prize. With a likely semi final against Antrim for the winners while fancied teams like Tipperary and Limerick have fallen away in Munster, it would be unrealistic to expect players not to be aware of how big an opportunity this game presents. Obviously this is a factor on both sides, but Dublin will have the assistance of that raucous home crowd to concentrate their minds on the task at hand. Against Wexford in the semi final they roared into an early lead, and if that is allowed happen here they can just retreat back into their own half and force Offaly to take pot shots from 70m out. The fifteen wides Offaly hit against Kilkenny is case enough for why this cannot be allowed to happen again, and when one then factors in the swirling breeze that results from three sides of Parnell Park being enclosed with the Killester end open it’s easy to see how difficult it would be for Offaly to come back in this environment.
However ultimately this team is talented enough to get in front and stay there. It was the way to victory in Nowlan Park, and if the team don’t lose sight of their own abilities, there is every reason to believe that we could see a badly needed boost to hurling in the county, and to Offaly GAA in general. Good luck lads.
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Plain of the Herbs
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Two things I forgot:-
1. In case anyone thinks a Dublin v Offaly under 21 final is the panacea for Leinster hurling – it ain’t. Kilkenny won only two provincial under 21 titles in the seven year period 1996 to 2002, but this obviously hasn’t had an adverse effect on the dominance of their seniors this decade.
2. Joseph Bergin aims to continue the only link between each of Offaly’s five successes in the grade. His uncles, the Troys, had an involvement in each. Jim was in goal in 1978, John was there in 1989, ’91 and ’92 while Brian was a panellist in 2000.
1. In case anyone thinks a Dublin v Offaly under 21 final is the panacea for Leinster hurling – it ain’t. Kilkenny won only two provincial under 21 titles in the seven year period 1996 to 2002, but this obviously hasn’t had an adverse effect on the dominance of their seniors this decade.
2. Joseph Bergin aims to continue the only link between each of Offaly’s five successes in the grade. His uncles, the Troys, had an involvement in each. Jim was in goal in 1978, John was there in 1989, ’91 and ’92 while Brian was a panellist in 2000.
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Offalys Future
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I'm really not sure about this game, these games are very hard to judge,
i would be surprised first of all to see the team start as selected, Molloy i would feel would be better in the half forward line.
My worries are that,
Coughlan and Hernon could be exposed in the corner due to their height.
Mahon i would hav my doubts about as i would with Watkins.
Ciaran Slevin gets his start, this to me is a player with massive potential, i hope he can produce it on Wed night.
Puckouts are one dimensional.
On a positive note, we have a forward line that have potential to win this game on their own, whether they can bring this to Parnell Park on Wed - well i hope so.
I feel though that some players are getting a little cocky, i have seen this in their attitudes over the last month, they have to remember that they have never won anything before, now they have a great chance and they must deliver.
A Thought For The Players -
Nothing should be left on the field Wednesday night, these players have a responsibility, yes even at their young age they have a huge responsibility. They are not just representing themselves on Wednesday night, they are representing their families, clubs and more importantly they are represnting us the people of Offaly.
How great it would be to see an Offaly team in an All-Ireland Semi Final again.
For too long now Offaly hurling has been in the doldrums and even though this result wont change everything it will certainly help in going forward if they can win.
Now is the chance for these players to stand up and be counted for, if they feel they got a raw deal with the seniors or they feel that people dont rate them, well here is their chance to prove us all wrong.
For me though there seems to be too many if's and buts.
Again i hope i'm wrong.
i would be surprised first of all to see the team start as selected, Molloy i would feel would be better in the half forward line.
My worries are that,
Coughlan and Hernon could be exposed in the corner due to their height.
Mahon i would hav my doubts about as i would with Watkins.
Ciaran Slevin gets his start, this to me is a player with massive potential, i hope he can produce it on Wed night.
Puckouts are one dimensional.
On a positive note, we have a forward line that have potential to win this game on their own, whether they can bring this to Parnell Park on Wed - well i hope so.
I feel though that some players are getting a little cocky, i have seen this in their attitudes over the last month, they have to remember that they have never won anything before, now they have a great chance and they must deliver.
A Thought For The Players -
Nothing should be left on the field Wednesday night, these players have a responsibility, yes even at their young age they have a huge responsibility. They are not just representing themselves on Wednesday night, they are representing their families, clubs and more importantly they are represnting us the people of Offaly.
How great it would be to see an Offaly team in an All-Ireland Semi Final again.
For too long now Offaly hurling has been in the doldrums and even though this result wont change everything it will certainly help in going forward if they can win.
Now is the chance for these players to stand up and be counted for, if they feel they got a raw deal with the seniors or they feel that people dont rate them, well here is their chance to prove us all wrong.
For me though there seems to be too many if's and buts.
Again i hope i'm wrong.
" In The Presence Of Confidence Doubt Cannot Exist "
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Lone Shark
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On a night when many puckouts could reach the full line, there is a logic for having height in there too. Also, unlike many of these Offaly forwards, Molloy would not really be confident of hitting the target from 50 m out - it's not his strength. I'd prefer to see him in closer where he's a real goal threat.Offalys Future wrote:Molloy i would feel would be better in the half forward line.
Over the course of a season I'd agree with you, but looking through the Dublin team I have no idea who they have that could exploit that lack of height. Peadar Carton yes, but he's the only big inside forward they have. Possibly they could put Diarmuid Connolly in a bit closer to goal, but I'd be surprised if they went with that - he gives them too much out the field. Unless Dublin chose to spring a surprise by using someone like McCaffrey up front, I can't see where they have the height to exploit Colm and Conor.Offalys Future wrote:My worries are that,
Coughlan and Hernon could be exposed in the corner due to their height.
Mahon i would hav my doubts about as i would with Watkins.
The two lads are hurling well enough - but the presence of Michael Verney gives an option if they do start to struggle.
At the risk of deja vu, I'm wary of potential that we rarely see. Ciarán Slevin was on this panel two years ago and he has barely progressed since then. There's no question but the lad has it in his wrists, but much like Eamonn Lee, he really has to start moving past potential and into the realm of consistent leader at club and under 21 level. By all means if he chooses to do this on Wednesday, then no better night....Offalys Future wrote: Ciaran Slevin gets his start, this to me is a player with massive potential, i hope he can produce it on Wed night.
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Offalys Future
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I feel that he has huge potential, as i said two months ago Sean Ryan has too and i was proved right. But people should not think for one second that Ryan is anything near the finished article, he was very poor against Cork and needs about 8 months of constant hurling i feel to be considered as a good hurler.At the risk of deja vu, I'm wary of potential that we rarely see. Ciarán Slevin was on this panel two years ago and he has barely progressed since then. There's no question but the lad has it in his wrists, but much like Eamonn Lee, he really has to start moving past potential and into the realm of consistent leader at club and under 21 level. By all means if he chooses to do this on Wednesday, then no better night....
Again every hurler has potential, some alot more than others, a good manager can get this out of a player.
Take Slevin for instance he has been training with the seniors and u-21's for the last 2 months and doing very little with his club.
Now we all know the type of training that was going on with these two teams so i cant see how he can be given a chance to improve.
Players like him and Ryan need to be coached properly as does all these u-21 players.
" In The Presence Of Confidence Doubt Cannot Exist "
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Lone Shark
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Slevin in for Parlon - otherwise as you were.
DUBLIN - P Curtin; R Drumgoole, P Callaghan, D Webster; K Dunne, T Brady, M McGarry; J Boland, A McCrabbe; E Moran, D Connolly, S Lehane; P Carton, D O'Dwyer, R O'Carroll.
OFFALY - M Mulrooney; C Hernon, P Cleary, C Coughlan; D Kenny, B Leonard, B Watkins; S Ryan, C Mahon; D Horan, D Molloy, C Slevin; S Dooley, J Bergin, A Egan.
DUBLIN - P Curtin; R Drumgoole, P Callaghan, D Webster; K Dunne, T Brady, M McGarry; J Boland, A McCrabbe; E Moran, D Connolly, S Lehane; P Carton, D O'Dwyer, R O'Carroll.
OFFALY - M Mulrooney; C Hernon, P Cleary, C Coughlan; D Kenny, B Leonard, B Watkins; S Ryan, C Mahon; D Horan, D Molloy, C Slevin; S Dooley, J Bergin, A Egan.
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Plain of the Herbs
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kinnittyman
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Plain of the Herbs
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On the map, it’s at the junction of the Malahide Road and Collins’ Avenue.
Either go around the M50 as far as the Malahide Road (Hilton Hotel), turn right and keep driving until you come to Donnycarney church on your left.
Alternatively, from the City Centre, head out Amiens Street and, Mahahide road. Again, the church and the Parnell Park floodlight pylons are your landmark.
You should be OK parking on the houses around the area.
Either go around the M50 as far as the Malahide Road (Hilton Hotel), turn right and keep driving until you come to Donnycarney church on your left.
Alternatively, from the City Centre, head out Amiens Street and, Mahahide road. Again, the church and the Parnell Park floodlight pylons are your landmark.
You should be OK parking on the houses around the area.
kinnittyman wrote:Lads could someone tell me how to get to parnell park. Heading from tullamore at dinnertime and will be going in by the lucan spa. Or anyone know a streey its near as might get the loan of the brothers sat nav. Would Collins avenue bring me close enough?
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Lone Shark
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The game being on TV kind of rules me out of it, but there should be a good gathering there - there's at least six or seven of the board regulars going along, I'm sure one or t'tother will give you an indication, though if previous form is anything to go by it'll be the covered terrace opposite the stand.Skippy wrote:Hey Lads, Im hoping to get to this match, but ill be on my own and i don't want to get stuck in the middle of a crowd of Dubs! Is many of the readers/posters going? where are ye setting up base camp? I wouldn't be too familiar with Parnell Park.