2012 county hurling championships

[Muck Savage]

Pity for Thurles that KK didn't do what "Offaly teams do at the first sign of trouble". PE stick that one up your arse.

No doubt weather, ref, looking to the final etc will be the reason KK got lucky here.

Two different Offaly teams in AI final last two years and neither of them Birr. Well done all involved!

[AQMP]

Pull on a red white and blue shirt ref!!

Why do players go crazy when they win a free??

[AQMP]

To be fair St Thomas look the hungrier for this.  Seamroga making a lot of basic errors.

[theticklemister]

Great match.

What a shite pitch pamrnell pk is for hurling. Terrible.

St. Thomas coming away with all 50. 50 balls here. A lot of missed chances here fpr them.

[cicfada]

Great match !! More to come from both teams!! Thomas should have sealed it really! God that loughgiel manager never smiles does he? Spectacular lack of personality !

[theticklemister]

Great match !! More to come from both teams!! Thomas should have sealed it really! God that loughgiel manager never smiles does he? Spectacular lack of personality !

He knew he was under pressure for the majority of that game thats why!!!! Lougheil second best throughout. Glad of another game. Hopefully a better pitch can be found.

[Seamroga in exile]

Great match !! More to come from both teams!! Thomas should have sealed it really! God that loughgiel manager never smiles does he? Spectacular lack of personality !

he smiled on the way out for extra time. he's actually one of the nicer fellas about. You obviously know feck all about him. 

[cicfada]

Great match !! More to come from both teams!! Thomas should have sealed it really! God that loughgiel manager never smiles does he? Spectacular lack of personality !

he smiled on the way out for extra time. he's actually one of the nicer fellas about. You obviously know feck all about him. 

I only know what I see from the TV pictures so that's the only way I can form an opinion about him. I bet he smiled after extra time allright as his team was fortunatre enough to get a replay but they hung in there and that's what counts I suppose! St Thomas ill discipline cost them dearly as the back chat to the ref cost them yards which effectively ensured that the last free landed in the goal mouth! Both teams  have players that can play better, david burke and Liam Watson to name  2!!It's still up in the air but please god the conditions of the pitch will be better the next day as that's the least that both teams deserve!

[Premier Emperor]

Pity for Thurles that KK didn't do what "Offaly teams do at the first sign of trouble". PE stick that one up your arse.

No doubt weather, ref, looking to the final etc will be the reason KK got lucky here.

Two different Offaly teams in AI final last two years and neither of them Birr. Well done all involved!

Thurles didn't show up and KK took their chances.
These things happen in sport.

[johnneycool]

Thurles -6..........

This offaly team are something else!!

The beauty of club hurling predictions are very hard at this stage of the competition. Could very well be KK vs St Thomas final yet. Hope I'm wrong though. Loughiel are playing a lovely brand of hurling at the moment. The diagonal balls mixed with the doubling and the ground hurling is not only easy on the eye but it provides loads of ammo for the forwards. Lets see...

IMO ground hurling is the only cure for that blight on hurling that is bunching with everyone hoking like hens for a ball stuck in a ruck, open the shoulders and let the ash see leather as Paddy McGuinness would say!

There was always a simplistic beauty to Offaly hurling when in their prime and K/K had it in abundance. Sars didn't look up for the battle as much as their less illustrious opponents who were better clued in and avoided Paudie Maher with almost every puck out and clearance where he couldn't impose himself on the game and a bit like Martin Scullion in the later game stayed deep in front of his fullback line, sweeping but that left his man a lot of space to work in unless midfield are working like dogs to close the space down allied with a very deep lying half forward line. It can work for you, but if the right man is in No 11 as St Thomas' had then it can cause problems if he can pick off points on a regular basis. Lar was never let get too many runs at his opponent and was maybe too fond of the big handpass away rather than take it on himself. Big Bourke looked dangerous in and around the edge of the square but didn't get a lot of ball to work with and redser was a bit unlucky with his overhead flick as it hit the keeper rather than any great save, but fortune often favours the brave as they say.
K/K had ball winners smattered all over their forwards with the No13 in the corner and both wing forwards catching good ball, big Healion is a more mobile version of Joe Brady, he just gobbled up anything that came his way, they'll be no push overs for whoever comes out of the other semi-final.

enjoyed the second game immensely as it swayed too a fro all the way, so no team was ever on top for too long and considering how shíte the pitch was both teams deserve credit for it.
Loughgeil weathered the early storm as St Thomas got off to a good start rattling over three points but Shay Casey had the speed for the fullback when the ball was put into space for him to run on to and he was a good outlet for them. Watson couldn't find any space to operate but it wasn't for the want of trying but St Thomas's got that particular match up right, maybe Loughgeil should look to start Watson in Full forward and allow him to roam a bit in the replay, Joey Scullion isn't a stranger to playing in the half forwards either. At the other end Martin Scullion stayed deep to cover in front of Richie Murray and that worked to an extent, but left Conor Cooney too much time and space to operate in. Not sure if Joey Scullion was meant to be covering in there when he was drawn out from full forward but it didn't work out.
Another worry for Loughgeil was they'd no options for long puck outs, their half forwards struggled to win ball and DD resorted to short puck outs to Ding Gillan, was a bit dodgy at times, but they just about got away with it.
Loughgeil's resilience was unreal, but they might need to get a bit smarter to shake off a very good St Thomas outfit.

Nice to see Dinny Cahill along the line on saturday, he'd be no stranger to a lot of the Loughgeil players..

[Milltown Row2]

Aye Johnney spot on, there are too many CHF out there at the minute that could take the scores he did on Saturday. Possibly Loughgiel were more worried of Murray in FF and he only got the one shot in on goal and it was shite!! While Cooney was given the freedom. Can't see that happening again and I'm sure if St Thomas's are smart they won't play the same game. Was listening to the build up of the game on the radio and at Half time when I nipped round to the shop.

They had a Galway man on talking about St Thomas's and how they play, he said they don't score a wile amount of frees and most scores come from open play, poor discipline also, which was noticeable with some silly rash tackles.

Refereeing I thought was pretty poor, Barry is usually a better referee than that. As for the free that led to a 21 metre free, he said he scooped the ball off the ground, the lad picked the ball twice legally but the umpire give it. At what point did umpires call free during play? Very strange

[johnneycool]

Aye Johnney spot on, there are too many CHF out there at the minute that could take the scores he did on Saturday. Possibly Loughgiel were more worried of Murray in FF and he only got the one shot in on goal and it was shite!! While Cooney was given the freedom. Can't see that happening again and I'm sure if St Thomas's are smart they won't play the same game. Was listening to the build up of the game on the radio and at Half time when I nipped round to the shop.

They had a Galway man on talking about St Thomas's and how they play, he said they don't score a wile amount of frees and most scores come from open play, poor discipline also, which was noticeable with some silly rash tackles.

Refereeing I thought was pretty poor, Barry is usually a better referee than that. As for the free that led to a 21 metre free, he said he scooped the ball off the ground, the lad picked the ball twice legally but the umpire give it. At what point did umpires call free during play? Very strange

I thought that free was for deliberately lying on the ball and Kelly would be right to award the free in rather than the soft option of a hop ball on the 21.

It's hardly surprising some of the Galway lads were caught out with Kelly's adherence to the rule book when you consider the eejit who refereed the Galway final. They're used to getting away with blue murder.

[Milltown Row2]

Aye Johnney spot on, there are too many CHF out there at the minute that could take the scores he did on Saturday. Possibly Loughgiel were more worried of Murray in FF and he only got the one shot in on goal and it was shite!! While Cooney was given the freedom. Can't see that happening again and I'm sure if St Thomas's are smart they won't play the same game. Was listening to the build up of the game on the radio and at Half time when I nipped round to the shop.

They had a Galway man on talking about St Thomas's and how they play, he said they don't score a wile amount of frees and most scores come from open play, poor discipline also, which was noticeable with some silly rash tackles.

Refereeing I thought was pretty poor, Barry is usually a better referee than that. As for the free that led to a 21 metre free, he said he scooped the ball off the ground, the lad picked the ball twice legally but the umpire give it. At what point did umpires call free during play? Very strange

I thought that free was for deliberately lying on the ball and Kelly would be right to award the free in rather than the soft option of a hop ball on the 21.

It's hardly surprising some of the Galway lads were caught out with Kelly's adherence to the rule book when you consider the eejit who refereed the Galway final. They're used to getting away with blue murder.

That was for the last minute winner, the free the umpire called was earlier on, Waston's resulting shot was defelected out for a 70

[mouview]

Aye Johnney spot on, there are too many CHF out there at the minute that could take the scores he did on Saturday. Possibly Loughgiel were more worried of Murray in FF and he only got the one shot in on goal and it was shite!! While Cooney was given the freedom. Can't see that happening again and I'm sure if St Thomas's are smart they won't play the same game. Was listening to the build up of the game on the radio and at Half time when I nipped round to the shop.

They had a Galway man on talking about St Thomas's and how they play, he said they don't score a wile amount of frees and most scores come from open play, poor discipline also, which was noticeable with some silly rash tackles.

Refereeing I thought was pretty poor, Barry is usually a better referee than that. As for the free that led to a 21 metre free, he said he scooped the ball off the ground, the lad picked the ball twice legally but the umpire give it. At what point did umpires call free during play? Very strange

I thought that free was for deliberately lying on the ball and Kelly would be right to award the free in rather than the soft option of a hop ball on the 21.

It's hardly surprising some of the Galway lads were caught out with Kelly's adherence to the rule book when you consider the eejit who refereed the Galway final. They're used to getting away with blue murder.

They're just as used to proper referees who can interpret rules correctly and not give frees for incidents which didn't happen. If Kelly reffed a game like that in Senior championship he'd be run out of town on a rail. 

[johnneycool]

It was tongue in cheek mouview, but you have a point on Kelly.