Laois minor hurlers 2015

[redsetanta]

The minors will have to score goals. They nearly got caught by Offaly last year but a high points tally saw them through. No goals against Wexford this year undid us.

It's all well and good goaling against the likes of Meath but we have to start doing it against the better teams if we are going to make an impact in this years championship.

If we get past Offaly I cannot see us beating the likes of KK or Dublin without scoring goals.

[merman]

We have dismantled this Offaly team time and again over the years at this grade.

Hopefully the weather clears and if our full-back line hold up ok then I think we are the better team and should progress to a Leinster semi-final.

[merman]

I misspoke above;
I meant this particular team have dismantled their equivalent Offaly team at other grades, U14/15/16...

[Buffalobull]

It'll be a tough day for the lads tomorrow! Have a feeling it'll be a close one with the lads just pulling over the line. Mark Kav to show his class tomorrow

[merman]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Offaly drop an extra man back into defence today,
If they do, I hope we have the composure to work the ball to the extra man in space as our half-back line are all excellent point-takers from distance...

[merman]

Laois 3.15 - 1.13 Offaly

Laboured at times against pretty abysmal opposition but I think that's a sign of progress in itself.

Goals were from Stephen Phelan, Mark Kavanagh and Robbie Phelan.

[Thewildcat]

We have dismantled this Offaly team time and again over the years at this grade.

Hopefully the weather clears and if our full-back line hold up ok then I think we are the better team and should progress to a Leinster semi-final.

i think beating poor offaly minor teams over the last 4 years has not stood to laois as they have no sliverware to show for it any year after beating offaly, if laois are just happy to beat offaly fair enough but if they want to progress they have to win leinsters like Dublin have over the last few years.  there has been a few minors who have came on the scene for laois seniors the last two years, who are fine hurlers let me add, but there a world apart from hurling and winning minor matches again offaly and doing it at senior level in championship, ex, losing to Antrim last weekend who were beaten by kerry who sent them down to division 2 a few weeks earlier, laois need to at least win leinster this year or all the work underage will count for nothing in the coming years best of luck in the semils  also great win for westmeath over wexford today.

[TheGreatGame]

First of all well done to the minors.  When Offaly cut the lead to just two points with a very soft goal our lads showed great character to boss the game from there til the end. 

I'd have serious worries however that we could let a genuine opportunity to win silverware with this group slip.  A few weeks ago I questioned a positional switch that made absolutely no sense to me and after today it makes even less sense.  The player in question is a really fine hurler but not a centre-back and needs to be returned to his natural habitat ASAP.  Kevin O Rourke to full-back where he excelled with Mountrath CS and Conor Phelan to number 6 is one option.  Another is Robbie Phelan to centre-back where I think he would dominate.  For me this really is a critical issue and if it's not sorted I don't see us going any further.  It also has to be questioned why Andrew Mortimer was not on from the start.  I'm aware that form in training is important in picking any team and Pat and the lads have the birds eye view, but there was a sense of bewilderment at times today in the stand.  A quiet word in the ear of a couple of players is needed too as there was some selfish hurling at times.  I hate writing any of that as I have huge respect for any management team that puts in time for our county, but the reality is that we are 20 points better than that Offaly team and yet at one stage in the second half they were within two points of us.  We won't have this level of talent to work with too often, and I'd hate to see an opportunity missed.

To finish on a positive note, there really are some super hurlers at this age group in the county!  Lee Cleere probably impressed me the most, as all players had their good spells today but I thought Lee was outstanding throughout.  Fonzy played a captains part when needed most and almost looks a man amongst chaps at times.  We also have some hardy bucks in the forwards that are needed along side the more natural forwards.

[crow]

I agree with every word you said and if those positions are not addressed, we will not be in contention at the end of the year and I can not understand our lack of fire, or is it our slow reaction, is it a Laois thing, I would give anything to see a Laois team drive into everything and everyone for the first ten minutes and the same tommorow, we seem to stroll through these games, was a little disappointed today if the opposition had been stronger it could have been so different.

[Buffalobull]

Kevin O Rourke to full-back where he excelled with Mountrath CS and Conor Phelan to number 6 is one option.

I think this would be an excellent option! Aaron must be moved back to full forward where he is so dangerous! Also Conor Phelan at 6 and Kevin O'Rourke at 3 where they both hurled exceptionally well for Mountrath CS and would be up to them positions at an inter county level!

It also has to be questioned why Andrew Mortimer was not on from the start.

This is absolutely baffling! He's an outstanding hurler who has the talent to trouble any defence. He's a player I think we'll need from the start against the likes of Kilkenny or Dublin!

Just one last thing to add, although Robbie Phelan managed a superb 1-2 today, he needs to be moved out to the half forward line where he excelled in last years championship. Imagine him out at half forward and Aaron Dunphy back in at full forward, serious fire power there.

[redsetanta]

Young Dunphy is no centre back and struggled today. I wasn't impressed with our keeper either. Goal aside, as that can happen to the best of them, but his puckouts were very poor with some going directly out over the sideline and giving the possession back to Offaly. The passing wasn't crisp today either with alot of possession given away through sloppy passing.
O'Connell had a great game at 5 and cleared some amount of ball. No problems with either wing back. Thought young McEvoy did well in the corner too. Great point from Phelan at the end from under the stand and it was brilliant to put 3 goals away.
The minor championship is wide open this year and as the GreatGame said it would be an opportunity badly spurned if we don't take advantage of it.

[redsetanta]

On another note some win for Westmeath to get a win in Wexford Park.

[portlaoisekid]

As a Laois supporter you have to be happy to beat Offaly by such a a large margin playing poorly enough but if we as a county get what we expect from this panel of players in terms of a leinster title and beyond we need to improve and we need to integrate a confidence that is not bred into us .To beat either Dublin or Kilkenny we need to be on our game for 60 minutes +.

The players are there, the set up is there and I just hope the mentality is there. We are more than good enough to win this Leinster title.

[G@@]

It was clear yesterday that our CB position was in huge trouble and if we were playing stronger opposition we would have been in huge trouble. Its something that Zoom and co. will have to address urgently.

While Offaly were nipping our heels one felt that they didn't possess the necessary skills to overcome us and incredibly I thought Offaly were a very soft bunch yesterday - something I have never seen from an Offaly side that took to the field against Laois in the past at any level.

An interesting draw awaits us on Monday, and I hope to get Dublin and avoid Westmeath with Kilkenny the middle choice. It could be something of a novelty to see Laois V Westmeath in a Leinster Final!

[merman]

We can't meet Westmeath.
Kilkenny and Dublin won their quarter-finals whereas ourselves and Westmeath came through the back-door.
Leinstergaa.ie have it very clearly explained on their website.
http://www.leinstergaa.ie/fixtures-results.10.html

Another option for the CB position would be bringing a fit Eric Kileeen back into the defence. He had pushed himself into the first 15 before the Meath game, played very well, albeit against negligible opposition, and would likely have started yesterday but for injury.
I'd agree with the praise for Lee Cleere and though I'd be reluctant to move a player who's on the very top of his game; I am coming to see that maybe he might be the best option for the centre-back role.

Does anyone know if Sean Downey came off because of an injury?