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the weekend matches really showed that the championship is there for any 1 to win it. tubber, ferbane, and gracefield pulled off unexpected victories and shannonbridge should really have beatin rhode only for bad refereeing and kickin a huge amount of wides. gracefield proved that they are gonna be serious title contenders with a excellent performances against a very disappointing shamrocks and ferbane pulled off a big upset against a poor tullamore team. clara desroyed rynaghs and ballycumber defeated erin rovers by 2 points. the defending champions tullamore now have to defeat shannonbridge by 5 points or more to reach the quarter finals notin else will be good enough. shamrocks might also require a similar victory over edenderry if they are to advance, rhode and ballycumber are already thru to the knock out stages while clara and gracefield are almost certainly thru aswell. whos the favourites now??

I wouldn't blame the ref for Shannonbridge's loss. I'd have been delighted to see the Bridge pull off an upset there but they let that one slip themselves, and while some of the frees weren't for aggressive fouls, pulling a jersey and push in the back are still fouls.

As for the odds, Rhode would still be bookies favourites on the grounds of proven class but Gracefield have gone way in after the weekend - on form they're way out in front right now. Hard to know how the bookies would see it - you'd have to talk to Hacketts!

Shannonbridge threw this away. First half tactics were excellent for the most part. they one a tonne of ball around the middle with Ryan and John Egan playing well. Unfortunately one of the other players kicked 8 to 10 balls either wide or into the keepers hands and as the game went on the wrong players were finding themselves in possession rather than Corbett who had showed very well early and had the run on Byrne.
Kilmurry had a great game but I think Niall Darby was the real difference. On a day when Rhode didn't get out of first gear you always felt they could push on and Darby more than anyone stepped up when needed.
I think one of the problems with the bridge is that alot of them walk when they get the ball around the half forward line. They were unbelievably pedestrian passing it from on lad to another with Rhode just getting loads of lads behind the ball and forcing terrible shots. If one or two of them would just inject a bit of pace into the thing. The wing back Flannery always impresses me and he scored two fine points. They need to take a leaf out of his book.

For Rhode's part they look very beatable. There is no doubting that when Pascal, Niall etc click they are still the top players in the county but you'd wonder given Offaly's terrible time and their past success at this level if the hunger could still be there. No offence to Shannonbridge who I have a lot of respect for but maybe when the bigger challenge is there they will rise to the occasion though I have doubts as there are 5 or 6 fringe players now on the Rhode team who I think would have struggled to make the team of 3 or 4 years ago.

I was shocked at how poor the Gracefield Shamrocks game was. Fair play to Gracefield but I think the real story here is the complete capitulation of a team that would have been one of the favourites for the Dowling. Gracefield were really up for this game and they seem a close knit team who may shock others as the championship goes on. They seem to have a lot of new faces and in Smith they have the premier fielding midfielder in the county. Duffy at centre forward also impressed me with some fine scores from play.

the one thing that stood out for me over the weekend was that the standard was poor enough . i was surprised ferbane beat tullamore but i still think the town will gop throughbut they wont win it .shamrocks look off the pace .gracefield look ok without being a team that looks like a team that could go all the way .i think it will come down to rhode and clara and i beleive when it comes to the knock stage that there is no better in the county than rhode and will win the dowling cup once again .

Ballycumber are the only team qualified to the next stage. Gracefield impressed and that was without the Fitzpatricks. I wouldn't write off Shamrocks yet - Thomas Coughlan will be a big throw in for them- although if Tubber and Gracefield could manage a draw it would be immaterial how they get on against Edenderry. Rhode were very poor, Shannonbridge really left this one behind them. I felt Jason Kelly wasnt decisive enough on the ball and squandered alot of chances. Any comment here Hocker?

The standard of football was terrible. Rhode were a total mess and only for Darby they would have been beaten. The other players were brutal, never got out of first gear and I'm begining to wonder if there even is a second gear never mind a top gear. The only positive from a Rhode point of view is that they won and that they always get it hard to beat Shannonbridge.