Leinster SFC - Offaly v Longford 16 May 2015

[The Insider]

When you consider we lost Paul Barden and Damien Sheridan through retirement, Shane Mulligan , John Keegan, Sean Mc Cormack,  Mark Hughes, Michael Brady,  Niall Mulligan all unavailable from the side who beat Derry last year.,it was some result . We also probably lost Francis Mc Gee for the rest of the championship tonight . Great to see the youth finally getting a fling Dessie Reynolds scored 2 fantastic points . When Colm P scores you know its your night . Looked down and out but everyone of them grew a pair . Thats all any Longford supporter asks , that anyone in the jersey gives his all. Wins like this are a bonus . Good weekend so far an unfancied minir side won against Carlow to reach another Leinster semi final where they play Meath in Pearse Park at the end of June

[Qwerty28]

League is league, championship is championship!!  Great result and performance for periods of the game, the better side won in the finish, although I thought at half time that the penalty miss was going to be hugely costly. Longford played extremely well in first 20 mins and last 20, in between is cause for concern however.

Lads gave it their all, and as the Insider says you cant ask for any more than that. Subs introduced made a telling contribution with 5 scores, youth and enthusiasm played their part from debutants, although the more senior players in particular Masterson, Gilleran and Kavanagh really stood up to the plate.

Delighted with the win, game plan will need to be altered ever so slightly the next day but lets enjoy this win for what it is 

[LaurelEye]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jack-sheedy-calls-for-dubs-move-after-longford-stun-offaly-31228800.html

There might be a slight problem playing it in Pearse Park at the moment. We could offer The Laurels as a gesture of goodwill 

[Thewildcat]

Fantastic by Longford. Always good to beat the BIFFOs.

Too easy for Laois today. Bigger challenges ahead.

i suppose watching offaly win all irelands over the years was hard for a laois man longford and laois have one thing in common they never won Sam

[moysider]

The state of the goalmouths and penalty areas in general in Tullamore. No excuse for that in this day and age. Not a good sign. If a county board can t get that simple housekeeping right, not surprising standards in general suffer.

[Shamrock Shore]

I did see last night that the goal mouth where Quinn took the penalty looked like something you'd see in an auld pitch down home.

That said I was impressed with the set up in Tullamore although the free ham samwiges being handed out need a bit of mayonnaise. Butter on ham sammiges is an affront to civilisation.

The Sunday Game didn't show any of the 'black card' incident where Offaly midfielder go the line. Jazes, had that ref been in Ballybofey yesterday there would have been 6 million frees.

One of the photographers at the game had to be restrained at the end. I think the Offaly mintors took exception to close-up pictures of their pain so they told him to fook off and he went batshit and wanted to take them all on.

Perhaps he should have been wearing a Offaly jersey 

[AZOffaly]

Tullamore would have a name for being a very good pitch. Not sure what was going on but yes it looked a bit ropey alright. Tullamore, Carlow and Croker were probably the best three football pitches in Leinster in my day.

Well done to Longford, and to the Longford lads on here.  My fears were realised in grand style, and it appears to have been thoroughly deserved. I wasn't at the game due to communion commitments, but from what I heard and saw last night it looked like Offaly played fairly well in patches, but Longford had big scores and big moments at important times and kicked for home impressively. That's exactly what you need in championship.

I hope ye go on and give the Dubs a good rattle now.

As for ourselves, I still think (and I've been consistent in this) that this is all bonus territory for Offaly this year. The main aim has been achieved. This is a setback, and it is never nice to lose a championship game, especially against a 'peer' team and at home. However I think Offaly are moving in the right direction and can still have a decent showing in the Qualifiers if they stay focused. We've had a hoor of a time doing that in past years, but depending on the draw we should be aiming to win a game or two there, and then sally forth into Division 3 and further consolidation/progression next year.

[Croí na hÉireann]

The changing faces of Offaly dude tells the story of the game.

[twohands!!!]

As for ourselves, I still think (and I've been consistent in this) that this is all bonus territory for Offaly this year. The main aim has been achieved. This is a setback, and it is never nice to lose a championship game, especially against a 'peer' team and at home. However I think Offaly are moving in the right direction and can still have a decent showing in the Qualifiers if they stay focused. We've had a hoor of a time doing that in past years, but depending on the draw we should be aiming to win a game or two there, and then sally forth into Division 3 and further consolidation/progression next year.

Totally agree.

Getting out of Division 4 means this already qualifies as a successful year for Offaly, especially when you look at the dismal record of Division 4 teams in the championship.

Consolidating their place in Division 3 next year is the next important step in the ladder.