Offaly vs. Galway 20/06/2010

[Hurler on the Bitch]

Antrim could maybe win it this year!!!

Still kicking ourselves! May not have beaten Galway today but I feel at least that we could have given them a decent game. I fancy a crack at Limerick though at Casement!!!!!

[Bord na Mona man]

Reeling in the years for Offaly today. It was the sort of gutsy performance that hasn't been seen in a decade.
And for the second game in a row, Offaly managed to pull back a deficit with 14 men.

It looked ominous at the start. Galway cruising into a 4-0 ahead. Joe Ramhar shooting for goal from an early close in free showed how easily the Tribesmen thought they'd have it.

The Offaly burst of goals in the first half fired the team with self-belief and showed the weakness in the Galway full back line. It wasn't a perfect performance from Offaly, but the way the players fought for every against their much hyped opposition was admirable.

David Kenny did well on big Joe Canning, as every Galway attack seemed to seek him out. As I suspected, the supporting cast of Galway forwards are nothing to write home about.
Dylan Hayden had his best performance in an Offaly jersey.  James Rigney is playing like an Offaly version of Tommy Walsh these days. James Dempsey also looks more reliable than his predecessor Brian Mullins.

For the second time in 2 weeks Shane Dooley stood over the last puck of the game, both being difficult frees with Offaly about to exit the Leinster championship. This is the sort of clutch player that the Offaly football team lack.

The Tipp ref did his bit for Galway - a couple of handy frees to the maroons and a couple of blatant ones not awarded to Offaly. However, one of his umpires was even worse.

The second point awarded to Galway from a sideline cut was well wide, but the clown of an umpire didn't even look upwards to see it tail a few feet wide.
The same fella waved wide when Joe Bergin's shot was deflected over the endline. Luckily the linesman was able to overrule.
There are all sorts of committees assessing and meddling with referees, but where is the quality control on the various nameless and bewildered characters who don the white coats?

They say that underdogs only get one chance and I'd expect Galway have more scope to improve for the replay. Offaly are unlikely to smash and grab 3 first half goals, which is what launched them into the game. Galway may have a few lads who wouldn't go into a dark room, but I think they that little bit more ability than Offaly and a deeper squad to draw from.

However this was a performance for Offaly to be proud of.

[Declan]

Very enjoyable game. Fair play to Offaly who really showed a great hunger -something which Dublin sadly lacked.
Kilkenny still the team to beat though

[seafoid]

Reeling in the years for Offaly today. It was the sort of gutsy performance that hasn't been seen in a decade.

It would be nice to see Offaly back in the big time winning all-Irelands. I think it is great to have Galway playing in Leinster for a bit of a change and matches like that one yesterday will bring everyone on. The 5 in a row looks ominous though but if either team could win an all-Ireland in the next 3 years it would represent a welcome change to the natural order of things. Great to see young Carrolls and Dooleys shining. 

[imtommygunn]

It will be interesting to see how this type of game brings Galway on. While they were in Leinster last year they only played KK so wouldn't have seen that much benefit from it.

A few questions I suppose we will find out later on this summer... Have Offaly improved significantly or are they showing they were good all along and Kilkenny have just broken their spirit? Are Galway just not as good as they(or most people) think they are? Do Galway just lack match sharpness and will they improve?

A few names of old starting to appear for Offaly in Dooley and Rigney. Is Rigney the son of the CHB from the 90s?

I'm not sure Damien Hayes in WHF is working out for Galway. Like someone else said aside from Canning the rest of the forwards seem much of a muchness.

[bottlethrower7]

Antrim teams HATE parnell park, both club and county and with the possible exception of Cushendall performance against St Joseph's a few years back have never played to their potential.

thats exactly the game I had in mind when I wrote that.

I'm not too surprised by that outcome yesterday. I just wonder how many times Galway are going to turn in performances like that before people stop lauding them and stop considering them as potential all-Ireland champions. When is the last time Galway have turned in a good performance in a game that mattered? Or more specifically, when is the last time Galway turned in a good performance in a game that mattered, and won it? 2005 perhaps?

That Galway team are awful. It wasn't a below-par performance. Its a typical performance from them. Canning is an obvious shining light, but if he can't do enough by himself to beat a team, then forget it. The others aren't going to chip in any.

The fullback and halfback lines were porous as can be. When John Lee was warming up, we were figuring it'd be Kavanagh called ashore, Tony Og moved back to 3, and Lee at 6. That would maybe have given the defense more of a stable look. But Lee is not a natural 5 in my book. Their midfield did not work hard enough. Both Burke and Farragher are good on the ball, but neither work hard enough to win possession. Galway need to play one or the other of these alongside a mullocker whose gonna win the dirty ball. And the forwards, Canning aside, are too full of bluster. Tannion is a good-trier, but if hes not going to be played on the wing and be used as a target man, then I don't think hes worth a start. Hayes for me should be midfield on that team. His shooting is too wayward to be that near the goals, and he needs to be somewhere where he can get the ball in space, kind of like what Cathal Naughton is doing for Cork these days.

Where was that young corner forward who captained the minors last year? I can't recall his name - Kinvara I think. He looks a class act and I'd have had him in there ahead of Healy anyday.

As for Offaly, well I'm not really surprised they put on the show that they did. They're fierce skillful hurlers, and showed that often enough during the league. On such a perfect day for hurling, their touch was always going to be far superior to Galways'. I thought Rigney was the best player on the field. His battling, his touch, and his overall attitude were all spot-on. Best moment of the game was when Shane Dooley blocked, dispossessed, and controlled the ball, from Ollie Canning in a single move. I've never seen Ollie humbled like he was yesterday. Taken for 2 goals when at 15-a-side, he was clearly not comfortable as the extra man when Currams went off.

The ref was shocking too. Anytime anyone got within 2 foot of Joe Canning in the first half he gave a free. I felt sorry for Kenny because he was called unjustly at least twice. I'd be less critical of the ref over the Currams sending-off. It was reckless, and though maybe a little harsh, I think the ref was probably justified enough in his own opinion that it deserved a red. Still, overall he was awful.

I'd guess the replay will be in Kilkenny or Portlaoise? Both smaller fields, both will suit Galway's more physical team more than Offaly.  Hard to write the biffos off, but if it comes down to a physical battle, and I expect it will on those 2 fields, its hard to see Offaly being able to mix it with them for the full 70. Galway to scrape by.

[ormondeboy3]

Not surprised by Offaly's show, liked the cut of them against us in the League. Especially Hayden. How did he go at midfield? I saw 2 points against his name, how was his general play?

"The Tipp ref" is an interesting one alright. I wonder was he some sort of covert equalizer for Kirwan's erraticicism last September? Hardly?

[mckieran]

I thought the red was fair enough. I was sitting in the hogan stand and immediately thought red card. Ger Loughnane said it didnt look like a red card from the hogan stand side 

As for Galway, they are better than what we saw today. The likes of Damien Hayes & Joe Canning will have much better games on other days. In a way, I think it is the best result for Galway and will bring them on a lot. In 1998, Galway footballers were awfully lucky to draw with Roscommon in the Connacht final. Many people following Galway that year agreed that it was that draw & the replay with Roscommon that brought that team to a new level and allowed them to go on to win the all ireland. I think we could see something similiar happen with the hurlers this year. I prefer seeing a drawn match like yesterday than seeing Galway giving Offaly a hammering. Interestingly, Galway have found it tough against Offaly every time they have played this year. Maybe Offaly is just a team that doent suit Galway

[Milltown Row2]

Antrim teams HATE parnell park, both club and county and with the possible exception of Cushendall performance against St Joseph's a few years back have never played to their potential.

As for the Galway Offaly game like many i fancy Offaly to make a decent fist of it but for galway to run out 7 points plus winners in the end.
[/quote]

we beat the Galway champions at Parnell this year in Club semi finals in football and hurling!!!

[Catch the high ball]

Great game yesterday, without Shane Dooley Offaly would have been out a long time ago.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Antrim teams HATE parnell park, both club and county and with the possible exception of Cushendall performance against St Joseph's a few years back have never played to their potential.

That Galway team are awful.

I think there is a danger of ridiculous hyperbole here over one game in fairness. That Galway team are far from "awful" and in fact it's a knock on Offaly to say they are. Offaly played really well on the day and I think would probably have given any team in the country bar maybe Kilkenny their fill of it yesterday.

For Galway I don't think the attitude was right coming into the game no matter what they say. The work-rate from the league final and most of the Wexford game had disapperared. Offaly lads had acres of space yesterday. In contrast in the first game Cody again had Kilkenny players swarming in numbers over Dublin players until they coughed up the ball. Cody nearly always has Kilkenny primed like that even when they are hot favourites. Which is one of the reasons why they have won so much. Galway just seemed to think it would happen without putting the work in yesterday and before they knew it they had leaked 3 goals in the first 20 minutes. Cody himself said if Galway are not right on the day then Offaly would beat them and Galway were not right but they just about got away with it.

Whoever wins the replay will be all the better for it for the remainder of the championship but either way Kilkenny will go into the Leinster final as red hot favourites after their destruction of Dublin.

[bottlethrower7]

I think there is a danger of ridiculous hyperbole here over one game in fairness. That Galway team are far from "awful"

how about answering the question I asked then?

[GalwayBayBoy]

I think there is a danger of ridiculous hyperbole here over one game in fairness. That Galway team are far from "awful"

how about answering the question I asked then?

Which was what?

[seafoid]

Galway usually beat Kilkenny when nobody expects it 

[bottlethrower7]

I think there is a danger of ridiculous hyperbole here over one game in fairness. That Galway team are far from "awful"

how about answering the question I asked then?

Which was what?

when is the last time Galway turned in a good performance in a game that mattered, and won it? 2005 perhaps?

(what seafoid said)