Leinster S.F.C. 2015

[Spillane]

Can't argue with the Laois team selection. Wishing them the best of luck. Hopefully our full forward line can cause them problems. We should win the midfield battle as both JOL and Quigley gave an exhibition of fielding and point taking the last day out. I'd be concerned about how weak Laois' bench is. Aside from Finn and maybe Tom Shiels, there are very little options.

Kildare will be a massive step up from the Carlow game. The backs did well against a clueless attacking system that Carlow deployed, but Laois were found wanting when a forward took on his man and went directly for goals.

Should be a close game and hopefully a cracking atmosphere where our boys come out on top. Laois abu.

[Unlaoised]

Finn,Shiel,and Meredith are 3 decent subs to have.....Also there is Hanrahan as cover for backs.

[redsetanta]

Is McMahon back involved with the panel?

[Don Draper]

Left behind us, no doubt about it.

[SCFC]

Left behind alright but could've been beaten too had Kildare been more ruthless with their goal chances.
We badly lack a mix of scoring forwards.

[ILikeStrawberryJam]

Definitely left it behind us. Was sure p Kingston was gonna put it over.
Both team were average but produced an entertaining match but based on that we would be terribly out of out depths if we got through.  I'm still not sure how TOF has set us up tactically. Seems a bit haphazard.
We let them run down the central back channel  unchallenged so often.
Our forward play was poor. Ball into donie has to be better.
I can't understand what Boyle brings to the team. Nice footballer but too slow.
We have to have a better plan for the next day.
When johnno and O'Carroll make those Hugh runs we need ross and shield wrapping around them
We got turned over way more than Kildare.
Donie was immense. What a player. As good a player as there is in the country.
O Connor was very good going forward.
Timmons was solid as always.
Midfield was very good. Like to see johnno release it a bit more.
Shiells will only get better.
Overall I think Kildare have a better tactical manager with a broader spread of players but
We have donie !! Have to get Ross into the game next week.

[The Boy Wonder]

2003
Round 1     Hammered Wexford
Qtr Final     Drew with Offaly
                 Beat Offaly in replay
Semi-final  Beat Dublin
Final          Champions

An omen ?

[Teo Lurley]

We could have won, we could have lost. Paul Kingston made the space well but just couldn't curl it in. It was a pressure kick with everyone screaming and roaring, he's still very young. He'll learn from it.
We kept giving the ball away easily throughout the match. Taking bad options or just not holding onto the ball. Timmons did very well as did Strong and O'Connor. Quigley dominated until Moolick came on and O'Loughlin was good going forward. Donagher ran with it well as did O'Carroll at times and of course Kingston was excellent.
The negatives were that Attride is too light to mark Smith, we have trouble with teams running at us with pace, we're far too dependent on Kingston. Boyle just is too slow to have an impact at this level. Ross just doesn't seem to have the legs anymore, Shiel needs to strengthen up but he's young. Merideth proved that you need to be training all year.
We're doing very well with what we have however. We have very little on the bench and are forced to start very young players and players way out of their preferred positions. I wonder if all the players that decide not to play for their county regret it on days like yesterday and wish they were out there playing championship football.
I think Kildare will be favourites for the replay as they'll have Moolick and Kelly starting. Both teams probably wont be going too far in the championship anyway but hopefully we can get a win for confidence and reward to all the players who put in huge effort throughout the year.

[Giovanni]

I was disappointed with the performance yesterday. I thought we had developed a style of play that suited our players (lot more kick passing, lot less running into contact, feeding small forward players quickly, Robbie Kehoe and Donoher sweeping up a lot of ball in our own half) and I thought there was a really good spirit and confidence in the camp.

Yesterday, I didn't see any of that. I thought the system was ridiculous (almost guaranteeing that we are not using our good forward players properly) and I didn't really see the energy and confidence that I thought was there.

There has been a trend in Laois matches throughout the league to let opponents saunter down the middle of the field unopposed and I don't understand this tactic at all. At the same time, there were dozens of occasions, playing with the wind in the second half, where we had no forward available to run into space for a kick pass. So we have 12 or 13 lads back, none of whom make a tackle and noone available then to launch an attack.

Kildare scored 16 points and really could have scored more. They don't have great forwards. This suggests that there's something wrong with the way we defend. The problem, in my opinion, is our attitude to defence. We have to work harder from the front and we have to put in a lot more tackles way out the field. Unless we do, we are going to end up being hammered by someone along the way.

We should have gone into this match with the same attitude that we had to Carlow. If we had, we would have won handily enough in my opinion.

There was only a handful of players that, in my view, played close to their potential - Brody, O' Connor, Timmons, Strong, JOL and Donie all did well enough. If we play with energy and confidence the next day, I think we have more improvement in ourselves than they do. Whether we win or not, I think we need to see a lot more intensity from our lads, especially when we don't have the ball.

[OTF]

I was disappointed with the performance yesterday. I thought we had developed a style of play that suited our players (lot more kick passing, lot less running into contact, feeding small forward players quickly, Robbie Kehoe and Donoher sweeping up a lot of ball in our own half) and I thought there was a really good spirit and confidence in the camp.

Yesterday, I didn't see any of that. I thought the system was ridiculous (almost guaranteeing that we are not using our good forward players properly) and I didn't really see the energy and confidence that I thought was there.

There has been a trend in Laois matches throughout the league to let opponents saunter down the middle of the field unopposed and I don't understand this tactic at all. At the same time, there were dozens of occasions, playing with the wind in the second half, where we had no forward available to run into space for a kick pass. So we have 12 or 13 lads back, none of whom make a tackle and noone available then to launch an attack.

Kildare scored 16 points and really could have scored more. They don't have great forwards. This suggests that there's something wrong with the way we defend. The problem, in my opinion, is our attitude to defence. We have to work harder from the front and we have to put in a lot more tackles way out the field. Unless we do, we are going to end up being hammered by someone along the way.

We should have gone into this match with the same attitude that we had to Carlow. If we had, we would have won handily enough in my opinion.

There was only a handful of players that, in my view, played close to their potential - Brody, O' Connor, Timmons, Strong, JOL and Donie all did well enough. If we play with energy and confidence the next day, I think we have more improvement in ourselves than they do. Whether we win or not, I think we need to see a lot more intensity from our lads, especially when we don't have the ball.

Yes Giovanni
I often wondered why(even under McNulty) with so many bodies behind the ball why we still concede such high scores, I think it's poor tackling and giving away soft frees as a result.
We also need to get faster players nearer to Donie  maybe switch Boyle and OConnor.

[Saint75]

A Game we should have won. 3pts up with minutes to go. Brody: Very good, very sharp and brave. Attrite: in trouble in the corner, Keogh not an Intercounty 6, Quigley: went missing in the second half when we needed him. Can barely remember him touching the ball. Johnno: Drove us on at midfield. Boyle: Absent, too slow. Evan: great game, great work rate. Donie: Great performance. Ross: Frees great but nothing else.

Kildare are still not great. Laois have a great chance the next day.

[Faugheen]

I was disappointed with the performance yesterday. I thought we had developed a style of play that suited our players (lot more kick passing, lot less running into contact, feeding small forward players quickly, Robbie Kehoe and Donoher sweeping up a lot of ball in our own half) and I thought there was a really good spirit and confidence in the camp.

Yesterday, I didn't see any of that. I thought the system was ridiculous (almost guaranteeing that we are not using our good forward players properly) and I didn't really see the energy and confidence that I thought

There has been a trend in Laois matches throughout the league to let opponents saunter down the middle of the field unopposed and I don't understand this tactic at all. At the same time, there were dozens of occasions, playing with the wind in the second half, where we had no forward available to run into space for a kick pass. So we have 12 or 13 lads back, none of whom make a tackle and noone available then to launch an attack.

Kildare scored 16 points and really could have scored more. They don't have great forwards. This suggests that there's something wrong with the way we defend. The problem, in my opinion, is our attitude to defence. We have to work harder from the front and we have to put in a lot more tackles way out the field. Unless we do, we are going to end up being hammered by someone along the way.

We should have gone into this match with the same attitude that we had to Carlow. If we had, we would have won handily enough in my opinion.

There was only a handful of players that, in my view, played close to their potential - Brody, O' Connor, Timmons, Strong, JOL and Donie all did well enough. If we play with energy and confidence the next day, I think we have more improvement in ourselves than they do. Whether we win or not, I think we need to see a lot more intensity from our lads, especially when we don't have the ball.

Yes Giovanni
I often wondered why(even under McNulty) with so many bodies behind the ball why we still concede such high scores, I think it's poor tackling and giving away soft frees as a result.
We also need to get faster players nearer to Donie  maybe switch Boyle and OConnor.

Robbie kehoe giving away too many frees... Attride never got to grips with Smith... Players running into blind alleys with the ball...Are Ross's legs gone ??. These issues need to be addressed if we are to win the replay.

[Spillane]

Overall a good performance only we didn't see out the game. Couldn't believe Paul missed the chance late on, 99% of the time he knocks them over. Fierce displays by Johno and Donie who continuously drove us forward at every opportunity they got. The introduction of Moolick at midfield stopped Quigley's dominance as Kildare finally got a foothold in the game.

Next day out, I feel Kildare can only be sharper in front of goal after getting a Championship game under their belt. But credit to our backs who tackled hard and have their all especially O'Connor who got in a vital hand on numerous occasions.

What changes do you expect to see to the starting 15? I can't see Shiels starting ahead of Paul/Meredith. With Donie on the 45 we had no size in front of goal and the ball going into Ross and Shiels didn't suit them. Also Boyle at 11 is questionable, in fairness to him, he's not a forward plain and simple.

[Hospital Pass]

What changes do you expect to see to the starting 15? I can't see Shiels starting ahead of Paul/Meredith. With Donie on the 45 we had no size in front of goal and the ball going into Ross and Shiels didn't suit them. Also Boyle at 11 is questionable, in fairness to him, he's not a forward plain and simple.

We should have seen the game out but we went into a sit back and hope formation in the last 7-8 minutes. its slight advantage kildare now after the draw. id expect them to start with niall kelly and definitely moolick the next day. From our own side i would throw in hanrahan at corner back, attride had a problem with smith and hanrahan may be better equipped physically for that challenge. shiels is probably more of an impact sub, paul kingston will start in the corner saturday.
the one thing that was obvious on saturday was our lack of strength in depth. when the game needed fresh legs we had very little options. 

[From the Terrace]

I think the laois defence has too many attack minded players, who cannot defend properly & this is where we are constantly let down, but as performances go thought they played well & just couldn't see it out. Evan O'Carroll yellow card was a joke at this rate bad referring will take the shoulder to shoulder challenge out of the game which is a mortal sin in my eyes.