OFFALY V CAVAN 06/02/2011

[black and red exile]

Might as well get the ball rolling here on this one, a tough opener for Offaly and a must win, lose this one at home in the first game and promotion is gone with more than likely a relegation battle ahead, it will probably be a scrappy affair with two fairly even teams with no more than a point or two at the final whistle hopefully in Offaly's favour. I don't believe it matters how Offaly perform so long as they get a win at all costs, winning breeds confidence and god knows this panel of players will need plenty of it as the league progresses. I take Offaly to shade it by 2 points.

[the Untouchable]

As supporters I think we should forget about getting promoted...this year is goping to another year of watching the same Offaly football failures donning the jersey again & taking us no where again this year!!! I don't think we'll get relegated either...but honestly I reckon we'll be in a relegation fight this year rather than a promotion battle!!!

This year for Offaly supporters we should set our goals so low, that no one cares if we achieve them or not...talking about league promotion or a good Championship run is as likely with this lot of players as the Celtic tiger roaring once again!!!

[ironmike]

Has the team being named yet ?

[High School Musical]

Have to agree, it'll be a very tight game. Theres very little to separate 5 or 6 teams in this division and on any day a game could swing either way. Hopefully Offalys reasonable home record will stand to them and we can scrape a 1 or 2 point win. A win is a win and I agree that the performance isn't that important. A win or a loss on Sunday could determine whether we're in the promotion or relegation shake-up come the end. Very important to start with a win, it'd set us up nicely. Promotion is achievable, but if I'm honest I think we'll place 4th out of 8 in the division this year. Relegation is equally as possible as promotion though so it could be a dark year for Offaly football yet. If we did mange to get promoted I cant see the improvements being rapid enough for us to maintain a Division 2 status next year. I know its very early to talk like that but thats just the way I feel. Promotion is still the goal, regardless of what lies ahead. The quality gap between division 2 & 3 actually looks like the biggest gap between any of the divisions next to each other (i.e. 1&2, 2&3, 3&4). Offaly and teams of a similar standard (Wexford, Louth, etc) will have to work hard to bridge that gap over the next year or 2

[Lone Shark]

I would argue that the gap between divisions three and four is the huge one. To compare to the Rossies this year, they'll only have realistically two or three games to test out players against decent opponents. While Carlow, Leitrim, Clare and the like can give you a stubborn test on a given day, real flaws in your team simply don't become evident in those kind of matches.

From an Offaly point of view, I'd be quite happy to keep playing football in division three - if promotion can be obtained so be it, but if not I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Avoiding relegation is the big thing and Sunday's game is a big first step in that regard.

Very strong Cavan attack coming to town. Gerard Pierson and Seanie Johnston should both be lining out in the inside forwards, while Cian Mackey is on form as well. Ronan Flanagan and Martin Reilly are two good scoring half forwards, so there is plenty of talent there. I'd say there should be plenty of scores in this game myself.

[joe123]

Tough enough opener, Cavan can play very well sometimes but then other times they're not very good at all.
Offaly are like that too and are well capable of putting in good performances in O Connor Park but at times they can be shocking. A lot will depend on how Offaly handle the Cavan forwards who are very talented and Offaly have had very loose full back lines over last few years, which is always particularly evident in the early stages of the league. Also very important that Offaly dont mess around and be ponderous on the ball, vital its moved quickly into the hands of Niall Mac and John Reynolds. Important to avoid defeat, which won't be easily done.

[Johnno81]

Alan Mulhall Walsh Island
Brian Darby Rhode
Scott Brady Clara
Sean Pender Edenderry
Karol Slattery Gracefield
Joe Quinn (Clara)
Stephen Lonergan (Birr)
Richie Dalton (Edenderry)
John Coughlan (St Sylvesters)
Graham Guilfoyle (Clara)
David Egan (St Brigids)
Ciaran McManus (Tubber)
Bernard Allen (Tubber)
Anton Sullivan (Rhode)
Niall McNameee (Rhode)

[True Red]

must have been seconds in it.......

Offaly team V Cavan - Alan Mulhall; Brian Darby, Scott Brady, Sean Pender, Karol Slattery, Joe Quinn, Stephen Lonergan, Richie Dalton, John Coughlan, Graham Guilfoyle, David Egan, Ciaran McManus, Bernard Allen, Anton Sullivan, Niall McNamee.

[Lone Shark]

And Johnno81 takes it by a nose......

There's a lot to like about that team. I'd expect the two wing backs to swap since I much prefer Karol on the left and Stephen would be equally capable either side and you've a nice balance in the half forward line as well - one ball winner, one natural playmaker and one speedster to run at them. I would expect Mac to drop into midfield and Anton to play a little deeper as well, but there's plenty of scores in that group.

Then you have the likes of Seán Ryan, Nigel Dunne, John Reynolds and Thomas Deehan all to come in, so as long as there is no delay in doing that, then we should be competitive at least.

I would wonder about the freetaking situation there though. No Niall Darby, no Tommo, no Ross Brady. I'm not sure about Bernard Allen, maybe he'd take a few, particularly from the right where I can't imagine who would?

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Where's Brian Connor gone? He looked an outstanding prospect at midfield last year.

[townman]

Where's Brian Connor gone? He looked an outstanding prospect at midfield last year.

no Niall Smith either or has he left the panel again

[bracknaghboy]

I'm not convinced by this lineup. Straight away we are playing with just 1 midfielder because Dalton doesn't have what it takes for intercounty football but Cribbin will not or cannot accept this embarrassingly obvious fact. Guilfoyle and Anton might find the conditions hard going on Sunday but this Cavan team have plenty of light players themselves (if i remember correctly seeing them the last couple of years on TV). I wouldn't worry about who will take the frees as we have one of the top forwards in the country in Niall so if can't can't kick a few placed balls over then we may all pack it in and go home. I'll give Cribbin credit for sticking with Scott Brady at full back. He is not the best full back in the world but I think he has settled in as best he can and is coping albeit just in a position we havn't filled properly in 20-odd years! Offalys home record in the leaue has been very reasonable in recent years as we've struggled to win away so there is hope for Sunday but Cavan should shade I fear. Sunday afternoon is to be wet and windy so some of our lads will run the risk of getting their hair tossed about a bit but all part of a days work representing the county at the highest level!

[True Red]

taken from this weeks Midland Tribune

Winning Start Crucial As Offaly Aim For National Football League Promotion
Thursday, 3 February 2011

IT is very early in the season to be talking about must win games but Offaly face an absolutely crucial one when they begin their National Football League Division 3 campaign at home to Cavan on Sunday.
Any team with ambitions of promotion must win their home games and it is vitally important that Tom Cribbin's charges make a winning start on Sunday next.
A defeat would leave them facing an uphill battle in a division that is not exactly brimful of quality but which will still provide a real challenge for Offaly - They also face games against Limerick, Louth, Westmeath, Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford.
Offaly displayed some mixed form in the O'Byrne Cup and Shield. They were well beaten by DCU in the O'Byrne Cup proper while in the shield, they recorded a good away win against Longford but were badly beaten by Dublin in Parnell Park.
Offaly, however, fielded a very experimental team in the O'Byrne Cup and they will definitely be putting their strongest hand forward on Sunday next.
Some of the new or younger players that featured in the O'Byrne Cup will not make it, though U-21s such as Noel Graham and Michael Brazil may be carried to give them the experience and newcomers such as Padraig Bracken and Nigel Dunne are likely to make the panel.
Cribbin will be under pressure from the County Board to cut the panel ahead of the league - New guidelines mean that there is only a panel of 26 for match days but Cribbin told the Tribune on Monday that he hopes to be allowed to retain 32 players, including some U-21s, both to give new players the benefit of a year's training as well as ensuring that training numbers are kept up.
Rhode's defeat by Kilmacud Crokes in the Leinster club football final means that their players are back on board and Niall McNamee, Brian Darby, Niall Darby, Anton Sullivan and Shane Sullivan were all expected at training last night (Tuesday).
Long serving midfielder, Alan McNamee has not been asked back after making a late season come back last year but the presence of Niall McNamee and the two Darby's and the two Sullivan's on the panel greatly strengthens Offaly's hand.
Encouragingly Clara's Thomas Deehan also returned to training last week - The Clara marksman did not come on board last year and there were fears that he would opt out again but these have now been dispelled. Deehan is in good shape but is unlikely to start on Sunday, though he may well feature at some stage.
Niall McNamee is a definite starter in his usual left corner forward position while Anton Sullivan is also likely to start in an attack that may include a debutant in Tubber's Bernard Allen.
The defence is likely to be backboned by Scott Brady at full back and Joe Quinn at centre back with Alan Mulhall, Eoin Brennan, Brian Darby, James Keane, Sean Pender, Stephen Lonergan, Niall Darby, Karol Slattery and Sean Ryan all in contention for places.
Brian Connor is carrying a hamstring injury at the minute but is expected to be okay and he will definitely start at midfield if he gets the all clear - Where he will be partnered by John Coughlan or Richie Dalton.
Graham Guilfoyle and Ciaran McManus are likely to start on the half forward line and Sean Ryan, Nigel Dunne and David Egan are also in contention for places in the attack.
Offaly are without Ross Brady who suffered a broken jaw in a challenge game defeat by Sligo last week while Niall Smith is suspended.
Cribbin confirmed to the Tribune on Monday that he would definitely be starting his strongest possible team.
'We will be putting our best foot forward for Sunday,' he said, adding that the O'Byrne Cup gave them an ideal platform to try out new players, even if some of them were 'thrown in at the deep end'.
He stressed that promotion was their target this season and he acknowledged that a winning start on Sunday was crucial.
Sunday's game should attract a reasonable crowd to O'Connor Park and it will be interesting to see how Offaly fare. They are definitely capable of winning but will have to produce a good performance to do so.

[Bord na Mona man]

Brady sidelined by broken jaw
04 February 2011

Offaly manager Tom Cribbin will have to plan without the versatile Ross Brady for the majority of the league campaign after the Clara forward suffered a broken jaw in a challenge game against Sligo last weekend.

Brady will be a loss to Cribbin as he looks to get off to a winning start in the national football league. Offaly host Cavan in the opening round on Sunday and Cribbin revealed that he would be fielding the strongest side available to him.

"We will be putting our best foot forward. Promotion is our target and we need to get off to a good start, especially in this division," admitted the Offaly manager.

The Faithful County have been boosted by the return of their Rhode contingent, who return to the panel after their Leinster final defeat to Kilmacud Crokes.

[Bord na Mona man]

Its a fairly strong team.
There should be decent options on the bench also, given that the panel should also be close to full strength.

...That is until the usual procession of walk outs begins.
Should we take bets on who will spit the dummy first!