Uibh Fhaile Vs Iarmhí

[AZOffaly]

Looks like it's going to be a dogfight around the middle of the field. If Smith, Wilson and that other lad play deep for Westmeath, and Darby, Slattery and Smith do likewise for Offaly, every break is going to be a savage contest. Whoever wins the most of those breaks will win the game I think.

Darby and Slattery are natural half backs I'd have said. Smith is a young lad who is well able to fetch a ball, but he's very green.

I think the game will end up like this...should be fairly compressed around there.

Connaughton


Keane              Gavin              Boyle
McNamee         Kellaghan         Deehan













Healy             Heavin           Natchie
Smith            Slattery          Darby
        Duffy           Flanagan
        McNamee     McManus
Donoghue      Smith      Wilson      Mangan
McConway      Brady      Grennan   Keane










Dolan           Glennon
Rafferty        Sullivan


Kelly

[AN other]

Or it could easily go along the lines of the Dublin/Meath league game!

                                            l_l
                                            l  l

Everybody else





                                         Kelly

                                          l_l
                                          l  l



We all know it wouldn't be Connaughton the lunatic standing peacefully in his goal if there was an all out maul taking place!

[AZOffaly]

Very good

[Roseyland]

I remember they lost to Dublin in O'Connor Park as well one day, it may have been before 1992. I remember that big blondy lad with the mullet, I think he was from Coralstown-Kinnegad (Lynch??) came on and one of the Dublin lads on the hill shouted 'Jaysis, I know Westmeath is bleedin' small, but could they not find 15 bleedin' fellas to play?'

"Jaysus, they have Sindy playing lads" is another one I remember from that game

[Mentalman]

That was Noel Lynch from Killucan, close enough AZ, certainly no mistaking him anyway  article on him here http://www.hoganstand.com/Westmeath/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=57005

Good article, brought back a few memories. The GAA are blessed with plenty of unsung heroes like Noel Lynch.

[Billys Boots]

Ah, what the hell is wrong with ye? 

[AZOffaly]

It's a phoney war Billy.

However, we are in real trouble when you look at the sort of logical thinkers we are up against on Saturday. Ger Heavin was interviewed in the Star, and was defending Westmeath's new style of play. He included this gem.

"Now whoever concedes the least is more likely to win".

Can't argue with that.

[Billys Boots]

This is too polite for words - you're letting the Biffos down AZ.

[AZOffaly]

It's odd alright. The rivalry is there, but the bitterness seems to be absent We're trying to out-cute each other by talking up the other team. For Jaysus' sake, Croí is trying to imply that Brian Cowen is worth a few points to Offaly!

[Croí na hÉireann]

Well now I hardly expect the Biffo to come on in the 2nd half and do a Donaghy on it (or should that be Niall Sheridan)  at full forward but with the amount of flags and bunting around the place you'd swear it was 1982. All this helps to focus the minds of players and give them that bit of confidence, something we need to be wary of...

As for reading the Star, tut, tut, tut... 

[Lone Shark]

There's not really a lot to be said for tactics (two teams funnelling everyone back meaning that the game will probably finish about eight points to six), so we're mainly working ourselves up quietly. There's a few hurls being broken off each other over on uibhfhaili, but we need a Westmeath board to crash to make it all worthwhile....  

[Mentalman]

Well now I hardly expect the Biffo to come on in the 2nd half and do a Donaghy on it

Eugene Magee did say he was a handy corner forward, very civilised....for an Offaly man

It is a bit of a phoney war alright, but it's born out out of agenuine cageyness on both sides - after Longford the wind is truely out of our sails, and the savages to the south are very much an unknown quaintity, it being their first day out. I'm sure their thoughts are similar. Come back after the game though, bound to be some heat generated.

Also with the limited number of posters from each county, I think we kind of know each other a bit too well at this point - wasn't exactly a lot of slagging between ourselves and the Longford contingent either as I recall? What we need is a few Daithi type characters to get the thing going....

[AZOffaly]

Daithi hasn't been the same since I met him at Dermot Brady's wedding Where's Iarmhí abú these days?

There is savage caginess. As it's our first day out, I'm not sure what we'll be like, even if the noises out of the camp are positive. We have the footballers to win, but we have to play a sensible game with the ball, and really lay out in trying to win the breaks in the middle. It'll be like a cattle mart in there.

Both sides know that either could win the game, I think, and it's making us nervous

[Croí na hÉireann]

Well this might get the hurls breaking over here...

Quote from by Bord na Mona man on uibhfhaili on Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:46 am

Plain of the Herbs wrote:I see Jimmy McKee from Armagh is the appointed referee. Does anyone know anything about him?

I presume he will be more tolerant of the Ulster style 'tackling' which mightn't suit the home team.

Correct, Westmeath this year are fairly physical.

I saw them against Monaghan where they should have had a couple of players sent off.
At one stage Michael Ennis came in and launched a drumroll of cowardly punches on a player who was lying facing down on the ground.

Also, if they are playing a blanket defence, an Armagh ref might ignore multiple tacklers on the player in possession, hands on the back and other infringements that go with that style of football.

Presume that is the same BNMM as over here. Firstly the player wasn't lying facing the ground, he landed on his back with the ball clutched to his chest. Nachie was fouled bring the ball forward, lost possession to ur man, obviously felt agrieved at not getting his free and aimed closed fists at the ball Ricky Hatton style. It was a free alright because he didn't use the open hand and yellow was fair enough since he used a flurry of them. Who was the other player???

[Mentalman]

Both sides know that either could win the game, I think, and it's making us nervous

I think, in the bigger scheme of things, both counties don't have very high expectations for the year also. What I mean is neither county expect to be at the business end of the championship. A tilt at Leinster would be brilliant, but possibly with the Dubs in a semi it's a tough assignment. I think we'd be a lot more boyant if we were in the other side of the draw. A quarter final through the qualifiers maybe the extent of either counties hopes. I've never seen it so subdued for games between old enemies, a lot of wait and see going on.