NFL Div. 4

Zulu · February 09, 2008, 06:29:01 PM

Thought Clare would give this division a right lash, however with Offaly still to come I'd say their league is already over. Some result for Offaly today, as far as I know it was 1-7 to 0-6 at half time, what happened to Carlow in the second half I wonder?

Bogball XV · February 09, 2008, 06:52:57 PM

Quote from: Onlooker on February 09, 2008, 06:11:16 PM
Good win for Tipperary today against Clare. The visitors led by 1-2 to 0-0 after about 10 minutes, but Tipp turned it around to be level at half time. The 3rd quarter was pretty even, but Tipp finished stronger and were clearly the better team in the last 10 or 12 minutes. Clare won the McGrath Cup a couple of weeks ago, beating Limerick in the Final, so they can't be that bad. Tipp will be happy with this result, which was their best National League performance for a couple of years. These first 2 weeks suggest that there is every chance that Offaly will win the Division comfortably enough, with a real battle for the second promotion place.

No disrespect to Carlow, but the big games are still to come, away to Wicklow and away to Antrim. The likes of Clare and Carlow can still influence the promotion spots by taking points off the big boys though, I think Offaly have to head to Clare too.
Are Tipp shaping up again? Btw, is/did Browne lining out for Moyle Rovers in the hurling today?

Maguire01 · February 09, 2008, 08:32:22 PM

Antrim v Kilkenny NFL half-time

Allianz NFL Division Four half-time
Antrim 2-15 0-03 Kilkenny

Zulu · February 09, 2008, 09:12:35 PM

Any ideas on how to improve the situation down in Kilkenny, with the proper support from their CB and some investment at underage they could surely be semi-competitive at division 4 level.

Minder · February 09, 2008, 10:07:37 PM

Would the fact that they are participating in this years league have any link to the impending player grants?

Aristotle Flynn · February 09, 2008, 11:14:40 PM

Could a neighbouring county not lend them a couple of footballers in the same manner that they lend out hurlers to weaker counties?

Bogball XV · February 10, 2008, 12:28:15 AM

Quote from: Minder on February 09, 2008, 10:07:37 PM
Would the fact that they are participating in this years league have any link to the impending player grants?

Nicky Brennan (the gaa president) is from Kilkenny and undertook to have them back playing senior (or as close as they can manage) football.

Lone Shark · February 10, 2008, 05:56:23 PM

Got this one wrong all right.

Still, when you've been in this game a while, it's very easy stick the hand up and acknowledge calling something badly. It's the same as when you play a game or watch your county and lose to a better team - it's an easy thing to get over. It's the ones where you feel you've got fecked over that stick in the craw.

(e.g I backed Laois plus 3 against Galway a few weeks ago in the NFL - I recorded the match and the final whistle went before Mullally kicked the ball. The ref let the score count anyway, and the bet loses. Much smaller stake, bugged me much much more)

stevecw · February 10, 2008, 09:39:28 PM

Quote from: Zulu on February 09, 2008, 06:29:01 PM
Some result for Offaly today, as far as I know it was 1-7 to 0-6 at half time, what happened to Carlow in the second half I wonder?

A day later im still trying to work out what happened to us aswell! Hard to believe we fell apart and gave up so easy in the 2nd half.
1st half was a fairly even game. Ok Offaly were 4 pts up at HT, but they had a goal chance and took it. We had 2 goal chances & both were brilliantly saved by the Offaly keeper. That was only real difference is 1st half. And with wind behind us for the 2nd half, we were confident of getting the win.

But who knows what happened them from then on, Offaly came out and knocked over about 4 points in 4 minutes after the break. And all the Carlow heads went down, most just gave up even trying bar 1 or 2 of the lads. From about the 40th minute to the end it was a joke, Offaly strolling up the pitch, no pressure on them. Kicked 2-12 with only 2 late points from us in reply! It was shocking to see after so much promise so far this year.

Ok Offaly are very good, not a Div 4 side on that display for sure, but for us to totally give up and let them hammer our scoring difference could well come back to haunt us later in this campaign.
Was just like last year all over again, just when we thought those kinda days were over for us

Suddenly next weeks trip to London is looking tricky after that display.

Aristotle Flynn · February 10, 2008, 09:52:45 PM

What do you mean?

stevecw · February 10, 2008, 10:20:51 PM

Quote from: Aristotle Flynn on February 10, 2008, 09:52:45 PM
What do you mean?

Who me??? I think its obvious what i mean about Carlows display yesterday!

mannix · February 11, 2008, 09:36:08 AM

Not from carlow or even near it but to give up is terrible after all the ass busting training, why bother? Its not as though offaly are that good, they split something like 60,000 population between football and hurling and cannot be that much better than carlow, can they?
Thats the problem with weaker counties, thay just roll over and take what they deem to be their lot in the worst possible way. I watched carlow give the dubs plenty to chew on in the obyrne cup drawn game, what happened to the fight in them since then?

irunthev · February 11, 2008, 10:13:37 AM

It will be an interesting game for Carlow next week when they go to London. Both sides have been well beaten by Offaly so far in the league, although London only had about half of their first choice team available that day and it was their first game of the year of any description. I'm not sure if they will be any better this time out, but they couldn't be any weaker that's for sure.
I know Carlow are a far superior team than London, but when Carlow were at their lowest ebb last year they came to London for a league game and were hammered. It was in fact London's first since 2004 in the league... their previous victory was again against Carlow. So London are a bogey team for the Carlow boys and on top of that, despite the obvious great work that Bealin has done in pulling all the troops together, if they have a soft centre, and who knows, if they treat the London trip as a novelty, then their could be a shock in the offering.
Having said that though, given that London are still trying to get everyone back together (they only had a couple of their Tir Chonaill Gaels players available) and have only played one game all year, Carlow would need to be very bad to lose it.... but they've done it before.

stevecw · February 11, 2008, 10:22:23 PM

Quote from: irunthev on February 11, 2008, 10:13:37 AM
It will be an interesting game for Carlow next week when they go to London. Both sides have been well beaten by Offaly so far in the league, although London only had about half of their first choice team available that day and it was their first game of the year of any description. I'm not sure if they will be any better this time out, but they couldn't be any weaker that's for sure.
I know Carlow are a far superior team than London, but when Carlow were at their lowest ebb last year they came to London for a league game and were hammered. It was in fact London's first since 2004 in the league... their previous victory was again against Carlow. So London are a bogey team for the Carlow boys and on top of that, despite the obvious great work that Bealin has done in pulling all the troops together, if they have a soft centre, and who knows, if they treat the London trip as a novelty, then their could be a shock in the offering.
Having said that though, given that London are still trying to get everyone back together (they only had a couple of their Tir Chonaill Gaels players available) and have only played one game all year, Carlow would need to be very bad to lose it.... but they've done it before.

We after last Saturdays game will be well afraid of London next weekend. Last year when we lost to ye over there, we were struggling to get 15 guys over for the game. That loss was no surprise at all. Things were at an all time low then.
Interesting you point out that other time London beat Carlow was 2004....that was the year we beat Dublin in the O'Byrne Cup!!
Thats a lot of what we are basing our hope on this year...beating Wexford away, drawing away with Dublin...but it was all O'Byrne Cup.
We thought we got a great result in league in Clare last wkend, but now we see they lost to Tipp too...so maybe we were getting hopeful too soon.
That Offaly 2nd half on Sat brought us crashing back down to earth...word is players who were taken off early say they wont go to London etc. Usual Carlow Sh!te...but if Bealin & co can sort that out we should easily win in Ruislip Saturday

Owenmoresider · February 11, 2008, 10:26:14 PM

Quote from: stevecw on February 11, 2008, 10:22:23 PM
We after last Saturdays game will be well afraid of London next weekend. Last year when we lost to ye over there, we were struggling to get 15 guys over for the game. That loss was no surprise at all. Things were at an all time low then.

How come things were so bad last year? Was Hayes in charge or was that the year before?