No Thread on this ;D sums up the interest in it.
Monaghan by a few points - say 3. Monaghan just don't seem to be a team at the minute that puts up big scores without also conceding a big score.
Dessie will be a miss and if Corey still out then we are very short on players to fill No. 3 and No. 6 - if only we hade 2 or 3 Darren Hughes. We also need to get a few scores from the half forward line - Chrissy McGuinness to start and Finlay to drop out to the 40.
No very little about Offaly but if reports are to be believed football is at a low ebb and a number of players have departed the squad - wounded animal with nothing to lose or a squad that don't give a dam?
So who won?
Offaly by 2 I'd say.
It was a draw, replay is tomorrow at same venue ;)
Monaghan team:
1 Mark Keogh
2 Conor Galligan
3 Kieran Duffy
4 Donal Morgan
5 Owen Duffy
6 Darren Hughes
7 Niall McAdam
8 Owen Lennon
9 Dick Clerkin
10 Mark Downey
11 Bernard O'Brien
12 Daniel McKenna
13 Christopher McGuinness
14 Paul Finlay
15 Conor McManus
16 Rory Beggan
17 Dermot Malone
18 David Hughes
19 Vincent Corey
20 Brendan McKenna
21 Ciarán Hanratty
22 Ciaran Hughes
23 Mark McNally
24 James Turley
25 Drew Wylie
26 Cormac Brady
I put up a bit of a spiel about it on my blog.
http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html (http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html)
Here's the RTE highlights from Offaly v Wexford game, looks a nice pitch at Tullamore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT9D2El-418 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT9D2El-418)
The umpires are a bit spaced out, admiring the scenery or the flight of the wayward penalty shot? hard to tell which.
Monaghan win is on the cards, not a certainty though.
Quote from: AZOffaly on June 24, 2011, 12:48:42 PM
I put up a bit of a spiel about it on my blog.
http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html (http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html)
from that blog "Monaghan are big"
What are you on about? The Monaghan team are full of midget sized footballers. I know fear does things to a man's perception but we are probably one of the most vertically challenged teams in Ireland.
Quote from: Main Street on June 24, 2011, 01:04:27 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on June 24, 2011, 12:48:42 PM
I put up a bit of a spiel about it on my blog.
http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html (http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html)
from that blog "Monaghan are big"
What are you on about? The Monaghan team are full of midget sized footballers. I know fear does things to a man's perception but we are probably one of the most vertically challenged teams in Ireland.
Dick Clerkin? But I meant big and strong in the physical sense, not in inches off the ground :)
AZ, a bit optimistic with your Offaly v Monaghan prediction!
Quote from: Offalylad on June 24, 2011, 01:52:54 PM
AZ, a bit optimistic with your Offaly v Monaghan prediction!
Very much so. But sure where there's life there's hope.
Quote from: Main Street on June 24, 2011, 01:04:27 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on June 24, 2011, 12:48:42 PM
I put up a bit of a spiel about it on my blog.
http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html (http://shane-sportsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-gaa-weekend-ahoy.html)
from that blog "Monaghan are big"
What are you on about? The Monaghan team are full of midget sized footballers. I know fear does things to a man's perception but we are probably one of the most vertically challenged teams in Ireland.
Was going to comment on that myself! We must be one of the smallest teams in the country. Dick isn't even tall, well built but not tall by any stretch of the imagination. We're not even as strong as we were.
Surprised malone isn't starting..... don't think Corey is fit
Quote from: Offalylad on June 24, 2011, 01:52:54 PM
AZ, a bit optimistic with your Offaly v Monaghan prediction!
Its his blog so he can dream a while.
Don't see Gallogly in that team list. Did he get some retrosective justice after the Tyrone game?
Quote from: thebandit on June 24, 2011, 02:45:31 PM
Surprised malone isn't starting..... don't think Corey is fit
He seemed to think he was starting based on training games, maybe Eamon will change the team before the off but didn't think he was into that.
Quote from: thebandit on June 24, 2011, 02:45:31 PM
Surprised malone isn't starting..... don't think Corey is fit
Yeah.. Roy would be a big addition to this Offaly team. No Hopers....................but
Paul Finlay and McManus will have their way with the Offaly full back line. I reckon Sean Pender will hold his own but I can really see Scott Brady and Brian Darby getting roasted. They could definitely put up a big score tomorrow.
I think Niall Smith will be able to break-even or better Clerkin at mid-field and we could certainly cause some problems for that Monaghan back-line. Still, no matter which way I look at it, I can't see anything other than a comfortable enough Monaghan win.
The Monaghan team selected to play Offaly, all played some part against Tyrone.
Two players that started, Walshe and Gollogly, have dropped off the panel, injured?
Dessie Mone is 'resting' of course.
3 subs that came on against Tyrone have been promoted to the starting 15, O'Brien, Morgan and McGuinness.
The game should be on local radio, shouldn't it? a break from wall to wall C&W music.
Offaly starting team is very weird.
1. Alan Mulhall
2. Brian Darby
3. Joe Quinn
4. Sean Pender
5. Stephen Lonergan
6. Scott Brady
7. Niall Darby
8. Richie Dalton
9. Niall Smith
10. Ross Brady
11. Ciaran McManus
12. Karol Slattery
13. Bernard Allen
14. Ken Casey
15. Niall McNamee
Cribben must be more clueless than I thought.
Cribben gets a reprieve.
Sounds like an easy win for Offaly.
Desperate performance from Monaghan..... beaten out the gate
Quote from: AZOffaly on June 24, 2011, 02:01:06 PM
Quote from: Offalylad on June 24, 2011, 01:52:54 PM
AZ, a bit optimistic with your Offaly v Monaghan prediction!
Very much so. But sure where there's life there's hope.
Indeed there is!
Fair play to the Offaly that win should lift the doom & gloom who would you like to get in round 2?
Who can we get? Feck it, Kerry :D
How did your other predictions work out AZ?
Quote from: Denn Forever on June 25, 2011, 09:28:33 PM
How did your other predictions work out AZ?
Tipp and Fermanagh lost.
Offaly, Meath, Longford, Wicklow, Antrim and Down (barely) won.
Cork and Antrim both won, but I had Cork and Down winning more comfortably.
Quote from: Offalylad on June 25, 2011, 12:56:52 PM
Offaly starting team is very weird.
1. Alan Mulhall
2. Brian Darby
3. Joe Quinn
4. Sean Pender
5. Stephen Lonergan
6. Scott Brady
7. Niall Darby
8. Richie Dalton
9. Niall Smith
10. Ross Brady
11. Ciaran McManus
12. Karol Slattery
13. Bernard Allen
14. Ken Casey
15. Niall McNamee
Cribben must be more clueless than I thought.
Ah the hindsight post. Bet you feel stupid now :D
Feck it don't fancy a trip to Tullamore next round..
Unbelievable performance. Still shocked over it really. Everyone on the Offaly side did their part tonight.
1. Mulhall- Excellent under the high ball, brilliant display.
2. Darby- Got a bit of a roasting when he was on McManus for a while but he was very lively and got on a lot of ball. Good game.
3. Quinn- Excellent, very powerful.
4. Pender- Very, very good
5. Lonergan- 2pts. Good game
6. Scott Brady- His tackling was tremendous, super performance
7. Niall Darby- Played pretty well
8. Richie Dalton- 3 pts and a pretty decent display
9. Niall Smith- Really got on top in the 2nd half, caught a lot of ball. A great display but he could have seen red.
10. Ross Brady- Scored a great free and played well.
11. Ciaran McManus- Tremendous- Covered every blade of grass
12. Karol Slattery- Created the 1st goal by leaving Dick Clerkin on his arse with a shoulder and popping the ball loose.
13. Bernard Allen- Got a lot of ball but wasted some of it. A decent display
14. Ken Casey- Excellent in the play-maker role.
15. Niall McNamee- Scored 1-4 from play and caused problems all day.
Disappointed to see Monaghan ounumbering us in the Stand and terraces. It must have been 2:1
Mc Manus has been some servant for Offaly.
Also, Clerkin was taken off at h/t. He was anonymous, very surprised.
Well done Offaly! I would have bet the house on a Monaghan win.
I never rated Monaghan that highly.....they've had a few exceptional players in the Freemans and Paul Finlay and McManus but the remainder of the team was average at best IMO. Banty had them playing a brand of football which worked though was hard to watch.... but without him and the Freemans its a very ordinary team beatable by anyone. In saying that I'm surprise about this result.
Fair play to Offaly....keep er lit!
Tony Davis said tonight "it would be hard to write off Offaly, especially as everyone has written them off". Have to say it threw me a bit.
It's a sad day when Monaghan Utd are the only senior team from Monaghan competing at a national level that you can reley on to compete and not make a f**king show of themselves.
Quote from: The Subbie on June 26, 2011, 08:44:34 AM
It's a sad day when Monaghan Utd are the only senior team from Monaghan competing at a national level that you can reley on to compete and not make a f**king show of themselves.
"Magic Mons" all the way. Playing great stuff these days under Collins. Way more entertaining than the senior GAA team anyway.
Poor result for Monaghan - if i had been told the margain of victory ahead of the game, i'd have put good money on it being Monaghan on top.
It was always going to be a tough year for Monaghan, losing the 2 Freemans, JP Mone, McQuaid and Woods - to be missing Dessie Mone, Walshe and Corey not being able to start didn't help either. We're never going to have a bench to absorb such losses.
Many had doubts about the new management before the start of the year and I think the same questions have to be raised again. I'm wondering what those people who were pushing Banty out the door are thinking now.
Relegation and Championship exit after the minimum 2 matches - not a good year.
Anyone notice the Offaly jersey in the front row in Centre Court watching Nadal beating Del Biffo?
Yes!