OFFALY V KILKENNY.

[The Biff]

Maybe the best team won?

Seriously lads & lassies, there was a clear gulf in class on display yesterday. This Kilkenny team has a few class acts that we simply cannot match at the moment. We can outmuscle Sheflin for 10 or 15 minutes but a player of his class will always find a gap at some stage and then he just doesn't miss. Tommy Walsh reads the game like no other. If the ball comes within 10 yards of him, he just seems to be able to get it, no matter how many are around him. Then you'll have Comerford, Hogan, Brennan and a few others who will have their moments too and you just have to accept that we were beaten by a team that is far superior to most, and probably heading for a significant 3-in-a-row.

Given all that, I was heartened once again by a gutsy Offaly performance, which predictably (and understandably) ran out of gas when all they could see was a monotonous routine of the ball sailing over Breeder's bar from all angles. We just couldn't seem to catch a break. Even Diarmuid Horan for all his good clearences, how many of them dropped into Tommy Walsh's hands only to be returned with significant interest?

In fairness to Joe Dooley, he wasn't afraid to make changes and to do so early. Maybe Paul Cleary shouldn't be put in the forwards, but there is some logic to suggest that it might have worked, that the defence didn't completely collapse in his absence, that when it didn't work then the plan was changed; similarly for other changes. (Contrast this with the Football mgt team!

This season is not lost because we were soundly beaten by an exceptionally good team. Realistically we were never going to win this game unless KK had a collective shocker. The Qualifiers is still a step up for us based on the past few years. This year still has scope for improvement, and I think there was at least some seed for hope shown yesterday.

[midfield]

who do Offaly hurlers play next??

[brokenman]

The losers of one of the Munster semi's - either Cork or the losers of Clare v Limerick next Sunday. All will be revealed then. Either way choppy waters lie ahead!

[jimmyeatworld]

Kilkenny 2-24 Offaly 0-12.
I think its a very unfortunate sign of the times that when Offaly are beaten by 18 points at a canter form Kilkenny that so many of the posts are highlighting the good workrate and defensive play from Offaly.

Are expectations in Offaly really that low that when Offaly muster 6 points in the opening half and concede 1-9 that the lads are given great credit for working so hard and its said that Kilkenny were only in second gear - this doesn't really add up to me. Surely the least you would expect from any reasonably well prepared inter county senior team is that they can maintain a high work rate for the vast majority of the game. This should be taken as a given, not a noteworthy positive.

At times it was like watching two different games.
The Kilkenny half back line absolutely destroyed the Offaly half forwards. Kilkenny were unbelievably superior in the air to Offaly. The Kilkenny game revolved around getting the ball into hand as quickly as possible, a quick delivery forward or handpass to man in a better position and an almost innate ability to remain composed,focussed and capable of scoring points at ease under pressure. Their ability to easily dispossess the Offaly players was like taking candy from a baby.
The Offaly game was to take the one or two compulsary unnecessary touches on the hurl before taking the ball into hand which automatically puts you under pressure, looking shell shocked while being tackled and striking the ball with no purpose. The over exuberance/inability to tackle man on man was unacceptably naieve at his level. Offaly's ball watching and lapses in concentration were terrible to watch.

Over the past five years have any Offaly management actually assessed the points that make Kilkenny so good and have tried to develop these qualities within the Offaly players or is it just a case of "Go out there and hurl lads"
It boils my blood to see the kind of perofrmance that was put in yesterday compared to the great days of the 90's.

[Lone Shark]

I think the point is that 1-9 to 0-6 at half time was an unfair reflection - which it was.

You won't find too much praise for the second half, while even the best defenders in the world would struggle once the forwards don't hold up the play every so often at least.

[Plain of the Herbs]

The match has been well summed up in the posts made during the day and I don’t have much to add.

Another second half collapse and it’s difficult to reconcile that Offaly scored six points in each half despite contrasting fortunes.

As stated earlier the defence generally hurled well during the first half. David Franks did well on Shefflin, David Kenny did well at full back and got out in front of his man betimes while Eddie Brennan was largely anonymous and Michael Verney snuffed out the threat of the Boy Wonder. The real bonus was Diarmuid Horan’s performance on Martin Comerford. I don’t think Comerford caught a single ball while he was marked by Horan and I thought the turning point came when Comerford was switched to full forward with the goal following soon after.

The Offaly forwards didn’t hurl as a unit at all and fellas in possession often had to belt the ball away when under pressure. Any scores they got came from broken play rather than any kind of teamplay or passing moves, which is a worry. Perhaps Brendan Murphy could have lined out on the opposite side of the field, as he tended to turn towards the sideline and away from the play at times rather than turn infield and play a cross-field ball betimes.

At half time I was actually looking forward to the qualifiers though the inevitable second half collapse wasn’t long coming, with Tommy Walsh and Brian Hogan (who was deservedly awarded the Sunday Game MOTM) mopping up every Offaly puckout. Kilkenny upped the intensity a gear and Offaly were unable to even get in a decent ‘dunt’ on a Kilkenny player as they slalomed their way out of trouble.

The physicality of Kilkenny was always going to create difficulties for Offaly and it’s very difficult for lads in the 20-24 age bracket to compete physically with seasoned 26-30 year olds. There are signs this year that Offaly are rightly leaning away from nifty 5’9” hurlers in favour of bigger stronger players such as Mahon, Molloy & Healion which is a step in the right direction.

In the rush to explain Offaly’s fall from grace since the 1990’s people often forget that a not inconsiderable part of this was the more physical approach taken by Brian Cody’s team and Offaly’s inability to be able to compete physically with of bigger and stronger men.

Next thing is the draw. This will range from a worst-case scenario of a trip to face Cork to a home tie with the loser of Clare or Limerick. Don’t forget that within three weeks of losing to Kilkenny by 31 points in 2005, they almost beat Clare that wet evening in Portlaoise. We live in hope!

The focus falls on the under 21’s for the next ten days who will welcome the additional week to prepare collectively.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Sorry, don't know what happened there!

[black and red exile]

Bottom line, If we get the draw from hell with Cork we are looking at a bigger beating than yesterday. A fully fired up rebel county will cut us to pieces from the word go. If we get Clare we are talking about a beating in the region of about 10 points and if its Limerick it will probably be something like mid teens as in 13 to 17 points. There is no point in codding ourselves lads, we are seriously way of the pace of the top 7 teams. Im sick to death of this latest craze that seems to have crept in to the county that we are great fellas that can stay with Kilkenny for 30 mins or so, sure so what if we get humiliated again and again and again by the same opposition year after year. TOTAL BULLSHIT. I have been following Offaly hurling since the late 1970s, just before the famous breakthrough in 1980 and apart from doomsday of 12th June 2005 yesterday was almost as humiliating. I felt sorry for breeder and the 6 backs yesterday who tried everything in their power to stem the tide in the second half. from midfield upwards, well Im not going to say what I really think in case I regret it tomorrow.

[hailthegloriousCats]

He he. talking of taking positives from this game is madness. Yere crap and finished for good. Good riddence. The arrogant attitude of the likes of Johnny Pilkington who felt they were above training has infected ye. Go on the stripey men.

[black and red exile]

To the Kilkenny creep who has sneaked on to this site, DROP DEAD.

[hailthegloriousCats]

the trueth hurts buddy. Offaly hurling, as a serious senior intercounty entity, is dead. yE became fat and lazy with success and completely neglected the game and have suffered for yere folly. Offaly wont be back as a force till ye start winning underage All Irelands. Given yere underage standard this is never going to happen in our life time unless ye totally change yere pathetic ways. I see no evidence of any kind to suggest ye'll take the bull by the horns and put in the hard work required at underage. OFFALY HURLING RIP

[gutless08]

can the cat please be removed from this site and let back 2 his sheep,he mite cum good there and mark my words offaly hurling will again 2.

[naasmanxrhode]

To hailthegloriouscats, fuck back to your own site if ye have one, ye dont play football, ye got rid of yer soccer team, ye cant play anthing other than hurling, we beat the crap out ye for many a year and it will happen again ye creep, so fuck off.

[DD]

I have me doubts he's even from Kilkenny

Edit: Maybe he is, but no more than 12 I reckon..

[duckdiggler]

long time listener - first time caller !!

admire the work at all times on this site - postings good and bad - agreeing or disagreeing with peoples points

Last Sunday was good for 30 minutes - a pity the game lasts 70 !- Our team and mgt need to address that in a big way. 2 and 3 touches to get ball in hand in forward line killed us wherras KK had it in hand in a flash and cleared. Fair play to them as a team. Awesome.I always support a leinster team to win the all-ireland if Offaly are not going to ( which they are not for a while yet ) A pity about the KK eejit who is gloating but I'd d like to thank him for rising the dander in us - please forward it to the team - great inspiration for the future. Any motivational tool is useful.

I'd just like to point out that I have huge respect for counties that promote the gaelic games ( note the plural - that implies hurling AND football) I hate Tipp and Meath but I respect them way above Kilkenny because they try to promote the gaelic gameS - plural ! Even Kerry make a better fist of the hurling than KK do in football.

We as a county have punched beyond our weight for a long time in BOTH codes and at the moment we are not the greatest - but we're not called the faithful county for nothing, and over time we will eventually get it right in one of the TWO games we promote at ALL age groups.

Asa nipper from 1980 who was in attendance when we won first LHC , I can vouch that defeats only make victory at a later date all the sweeter .As an old Irish organisation once said - Tiocfaidh ar la !

Keep the faith

Duckdiggler