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Going to be a tough one next Thursday. Kildare won the corresponding minor championship 3 years ago ans put up big scores. They are well able kick a high amount of points. Throw in a goal or 2 and 2-20 becomes a huge score to try and overcome.

Offaly will need goals to win this game and probably 3 of them as I dont think they are capable of posting a huge point tally.

Best of luck to the lads. Wouldn't read too much into the minor of 3 years ago as much change all around. Bottom line for Offaly is as above, will have to hit a couple of goals. Disrupt their kick out as they are a big side and we aren't, tackle effectively and stop them getting shots away with the ease that Louth seemed to in the first half.
Options off the bench will be crucial, and will need extra legs around the pitch.

But a semi final again with a couple of wins is a positive place to be in, and if we can get a solid start and hang in there, all the pressure will mount on Kildare who always fancy themselves against us.
We best them in the minor 2 years ago and a kick of a ball between us in the 2019 20's championship, so we shouldn't be that far off the mark.

I think Frank if they score 2-20 its lights out for most teams!

Under 20 Hurlers playing KK tomorrow.

Team as per below. What should we expect from this team? Is it a strong team or how are we faired out. Some lovely forwards

JimBwobb wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:09 pm Under 20 Hurlers playing KK tomorrow.

Team as per below. What should we expect from this team? Is it a strong team or how are we faired out. Some lovely forwards

Best of luck to Offaly u20s tomorrow night. I hope it will be covered on Mids103, then there is always CKR radio as an option.

Game on Tg4 YouTube this evening at 6.15.p.m

Couple of decent plumbings tonight, tales of our new found relevance are greatly exaggerated me thinks

Two losses last night. The U20 footballers have a big big, challenge tonight v Kildare. I hope it will be on local radio.

SearingDrive wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:54 pm Two losses last night. The U20 footballers have a big big, challenge tonight v Kildare. I hope it will be on local radio.

Better again it's live on TG4 YouTube

Compliments to the ground staff. OCP field is shining.

Great crowd here at the match. Fine evening and all that.

Good performance by Offaly in the first half. Goal will be disappointing on the review. We seem to have that bit more class up front with Keith O’Neill to the fore.

Strong breeze at our backs in the 2nd half. Really is there to be won. Drive on lads.

That result is a right kick in the nads.

3 points up in the 2nd half, looking comfortable and then bang 15 men behind the ball inviting Kildare onto us.

Defensive tactics don’t win championships.

Offaly should have won that game. Simple.

frankthetank wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 8:38 pm That result is a right kick in the nads.

3 points up in the 2nd half, looking comfortable and then bang 15 men behind the ball inviting Kildare onto us.

Defensive tactics don’t win championships.

Offaly should have won that game. Simple.

100%. Absolutely gutted at losing that game.

left behind sadly. best team lost. best of luck to kildare.

Offaly looked likely winners for most of the contest but the goals mainly decided it. Towards the end Offaly looked a bit fatigued and Kildare fresher. A couple of unwise Offaly shots and a couple of Kildare points where their forward was able to find the extra step or two of space were another swing factor.

It's not the end of the world. We already know there are some decent players there who can make the step up. Maybe a reality check is no harm either. If this team had blazed a trail of glory like last year it could feed the complacency that all has been turned around in Offaly. There is plenty of steady progress being made but still a lot of weaknesses to be addressed too.

Tuned in for the game.

Decent first half showing, particularly the response to the goal. Offaly have a terrific swarm defence, especially in the middle third, which bore fruit in the 3rd quarter of the game. Offaly were on top at this point but never looked like threatening the goal.

The downside of this swarm defence is that it is extremely demanding and it was clear our lads tired while kildare stayed fresher overall. Couple this fatiguing with the couple of goals conceded and it would have been easy to see heads drop. Credit to them they stayed in it right till the end.

15 scores to 13 overall, the goals decided it but theres a couple lads who will surely give senior a go. Tynan, O Neill, Pearson and furlong (despite his wayward shot at goal in the 2nd half) will all add depth to the senior panel. Few more lads will benefit from heightened expectations at this level, looking at that other midfielder (strong?) in particular. A strong possibility that a fit and firing cormac egan would have had the winning of that game were he fit, alas, c’est la vie.