Offaly vs Laois Leinster Minor Football Semi-Final JUNE 30

[Phoenix]

Any thoughts, news, team?

Offaly minors have done well to beat Meath away last time and Longford at home before that. Now a local derby in O'Connor Park with a Leinster Final the prize!!

[Offaly2010]

Two changes to Laois minor team
30 June 2010


Mark Dowling and Kevin McGrath have been drafted into the Laois team for tonight's ESB Leinster MFC semi-final against Offaly in O'Connor Park.

Dowling is named at left half back in place of knee injury victim Padraig McEvoy, while McGrath replaces Niall Mullen at top of the right.



Shane McCauley moves out to the half forward line to accommodate McGrath's inclusion, although McGrath will undergo a late fitness test before he can be sure of his spot as he is carrying a slight injury.

Captain Adam Ryan switches from midfield to centre back with Liam Kearney, who was full back up to now, partnering Jamie Farrell in the middle as Laois look to improve on the defensive frailties that almost cost them victory against Wicklow in the last round. Another positional change sees Portarlington's Keith Bracken switch from wing back to full back.

Laois (MF v Offaly): G Brady; S Murphy, K Bracken, R Dunne; J Bolton, A Ryan (captain), M Dowling; J Farrell, L Kearney; S McCauley, D Byrne, D O'Connor; K McGrath, D Hayden, P Kingston.

(taken from HS)

[Offaly2010]

Any thoughts, news, team?

Offaly minors have done well to beat Meath away last time and Longford at home before that. Now a local derby in O'Connor Park with a Leinster Final the prize!!

Didn't hear anything about an Offaly team but I posted the Laois team above. Don't know much about it but I know and have seen in particular the Portarlington lads play,very good footballers. Keith Bracken,Adam Ryan,Shane McCauley,Kevin McGrath,each of them have an All-Ireland Senior Colleges medal with Colaiste Iosagain which was won in 2008. Also,Bracken,McCauley and McGrath won a Leinster Schools U-16 medal last year again with Colaiste Iosagain with Bracken and McCauley centre field partners and Kevin McGrath centre forward. Shane Murphy of Emo,was centre back on that team aswell and lines out at corner back for Laois tonight. Peter Cunningham of Offaly,who is still U-16,was also on that Colaiste Iosagain team which won Leinster last year.

This will be tough for Offaly but hopefully we can pull it off and reach the Leinster Final again!

[DD]

Matt Carragher,
Conor Lowry, Eoin Rigney, Cian Donoghue,
David Hanlon, Declan Hogan, Stephen Hannon,
Noel Andrew Graham, Pat Camon,
Peter Cunningham, Derek Kelly, Stuart Cullen,
Joe O'Connor, Barry Cushen, Paul McPadden

[Heshs Umpire]

Offaly are 4/7 favourites for this one. Don't know much about either team myself but the general view here in Laois is that it's not one of our better minor squads in recent years.
I hear young Cunningham is top class.

[the bare biffo]

Well done to the minors on a one point win. 0-10 to 0-09

Sounded like a struggle but thats always the way when you have to listen to Gerry Russell. Anyway a win is a win and another Leinster final looms.
Sounds like Graham is a good prospect.

[Offaly2010]

Very good win tonight,only one point in it in the end but it should have been more. Good game of football despite the conditions. Offaly's backline was superb tonight I thought. Forwards very good aswell,very pacey but just need to work on their finishing. Great performance from Noel Andrew Graham,0-7 from 0-10 is an outstanding contribution.
Great to be in a Leinster Final again and hopefully with better finishing the next day we'll win this one!
Up Offaly!

[Georgio1]

well done to the lads tonight, great to win these tight games and tey will learn a lot from it.
Kildare will be a seriuos test, but we have 2 more big games to look forward to.
We are in the championship in 3 grades in July, things are looking up!

[Phoenix]

Great to win tonight and Noel Andrew Graham gave a master class in spraying the ball around, intercepting Laois long balls and linking up the Offaly Play. The backs were good although Laois couldn't get it past midfield for long stretches. The forwards tried hard with Peter Cunningham showing up best in general play.

Good luck in the Leinster final against Kildare or Longford!!!

[Offaly2010]

Offaly advance to Leinster Minor Football Final

Offaly 0-10 Laois 0-9

TOWERING mid-fielder and influential captain Noel Andrew Graham kicked seven points as Offaly booked their place in the ESB Leinster MFC Final against Longford or Kildare on Sunday week at Croke Park.

Graham’s accuracy was the highlight of a tight and dour midlands derby in O’Connor Park, Tullamore tonight (Wednesday June 30th).

Denis Lalor managed Laois began very impressively and they stormed three points clear in as many minutes as Paul Kingston converted a free and Damian O’Connor added two quality scores from play.

Thanks to towering mid-fielder and influential captain Noel Andrew Graham, Offaly regained their composure and they kicked six unanswered points to lead 0-6 to 0-3 by the 15th minute. Graham was on target four times split equally between frees and play, while Paul McPadden and Peter Cunningham also contributed to the ‘Faithful’ tally.

Laois enjoyed the upper hand in the scoring stakes during the second quarter. Kingston (two) and Daryl Hayden split the uprights, with Graham’s successful 26th minute ’45 ensuring his side led by the minimum, 0-7 to 0-6, at the break.

Within three minutes of the restart Laois, who’d introduced two replacements, tied proceedings for the second occasion courtesy of Jamie Farrell and his point proved to be the only one from play of a scrappy concluding period. Offaly restored their three point advantage by the 45th minute, 0-10 to 0-7, as Graham (2) and Stuart Cullen dispatched accurate frees.

Ken Kellaghan’s Offaly tended to indulge in far too much over elaboration and their poor finishing left Laois hanging in their with a chance of snatching a dramatic win. Successful frees by Shane McCauley and Kingston got the O’Moore’s back to within a point and in the final minute alert Offaly ‘keeper Matt Carragher smothered a McCauley strike to ensure his side reached a fourth provincial decider since 2005.

OFFALY: M Carragher; C Lowry, E Rigney, C Donohoe; S Hannon, D Hogan, D Hanlon; NA Graham (0-7, 0-4 frees & 0-1 ‘45), P Camon; P Cunningham (0-1), D Kelly, S Cullen (0-1 free); P McPadden (0-1), B Cushen, J O’Connor.

LAOIS: G Brody; S Murphy, K Bracken, R Dunne; J Bolton, A Ryan, M Dowling; J Farrell (0-1), L Kearney; D O’Connor (0-2), D Byrne, B Kenna; S McCauley (0-1 free), D Hayden (0-1), P Kingston (0-4, 0-3 frees).
Subs.: L McGovern for Kenna (half time), N Mullen for Dowling (half time), J Campion for Byrne (43 mins)

Referee: E Craul, Wicklow.

(taken from Offaly gaa.ie)

[doobane man]

A game we should have won by more but could easily have lost.
Offaly were guilty of some poor finishing and some mediocre forward play in a scrappy second half.
But the defenders excelled and many Laois attacks were repelled through confident backs getting to the ball first or preventing clean possession for their opponents.
Ken Kellaghan’s side should really have this game sown up long before the finish but some poor finishing, gross over-elaboration and –at times- poor option taking left the O’Moore men hanging in but Offaly deserved to reach a fourth provincial decider since 2005.
For his scoring exploits alone Noel Andrew was probably man of the match and his good positional sense was important defensively in the last ten minutes. All six backs played extremely well and up front both wing forwards and Paul McPadden carried ball, took the hits and did most to ensure progression to a Leinster Final.

[Bord na Mona man]

Well done to the Offaly lads.
For the last 5 years our minors have been pulling off some great wins.

Noel Andrew Graham seems like some prospect. Last night one auld was describing how Graham can kick points with two men on his back and a man holding onto each leg!
Lets hope he keeps developing and stays injury free.

[naasmanxrhode]

Great win again for the minors, it would be nice to win a leinster now as we have been very unlucky in the last 6 years not to have won some silverware. Won't have any fear of Longford.