The annoying Offaly game

OMAR wrote:Both of the Galway goals were a result of 6 to 7 step carrys.

Correct. But I think Galway are allowed certain indiscretions (just as U8s are when starting Gaelic games) - it means they may have some chance of competing in Leinster. I mean take away those two goals and it would've been a bit of a hammering ....

Hopefully this will be the making of this Galway team a stroll through Leinster would have being no good for them.....Offaly gave it everything and still came up short Galway should win the replay handy enough..

mullins wrote:Hopefully this will be the making of this Galway team a stroll through Leinster would have being no good for them.....Offaly gave it everything and still came up short Galway should win the replay handy enough..

Excellent point Mullins man. A lot of lads coming on to this thread just to have a dig, says more about them and their lost souls than anything else.

History is in our favour. The Galway football team were lucky to beat Roscommon in extra time in a replay back in 98. They went on to win one of the great All-Ireland finals of all time that year, and indeed are now considered one of the most stylish and successful teams who ever played the game. The draw on Sunday was the nightmare result for Cody, now its an extra game of high intensity championship hurling. Kilkennys stroll in the park in the first game may well be their very undoing this year.

mossbags wrote:The draw on Sunday was the nightmare result for Cody, now its an extra game of high intensity championship hurling.

So what was a walk in the park last week has now become two games of high intensity hurling ...

As for Kilkenny's stroll in the park ... they've been having strolls in the park mostly now for four years (including finals) ... hasn't hindered them at all.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:
As for Kilkenny's stroll in the park ... they've been having strolls in the park mostly now for four years (including finals) ... hasn't hindered them at all.

You were there to see all this yourself Jayo, I take it?

mossbags wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:
As for Kilkenny's stroll in the park ... they've been having strolls in the park mostly now for four years (including finals) ... hasn't hindered them at all.

You were there to see all this yourself Jayo, I take it?

.........

I couldn't make it to the pub on Sunday to watch the game (a shocking state of affairs I know!) but just managed to watch it on the net. Started well, terrible defending, Ollie got shown up a couple of times by Shane Dooley and the sending off seemed to hinder us more than Offaly, it was a very ugly game to watch from that point onwards.

I'll try and take the positives out of it though, we came back strong at the start of the second half and at least we know we need to be 100% in every game from now on, something we should have known before but at least the penny will have dropped louder now.

Moss, Clash, I might be missing something obvious but was there any reason John Lee didn't start?

I'd say it was mainly because Tony og or any of the backs had been playing well up until then. John Lee missed most of the league due to exams so Tony og got his place and managed to hold onto it.

6inarow, One of Macyntire's primary objectives when he took over was to build a settled team or at least some semblence of one, as this was perhaps the chief failing of the Loughnane era.
He made a decent fist of this last year but injuries to Shane Kavanagh and Adrian Cullinane at crucial times seriously curtailed the management teams efforts. This year was going along very steadily(bar one dodgy 2nd half display in the league in Thurles) with Galway winning the Walsh Cup and the league its been even tougher to break into the first 15 with the likes of Cullinane and Hynes not regaining their places after returning from injury and the likes of Lynch and Lee not getting a look in, the former after a sustained club campaign, the latter after exams. They have been willing to keep the faith and that meant young lads who were there from the start this year are still there now, the likes of Barry, Harte and Burke and also lads like Regan and Collins who returned to the panel this year.
The Offaly game last Sunday of course has the potential to change all this and its Galways responce to this that will define their year. A planned training getaway had to be cancelled during the week and word is that practise games have been so savage in training in Athenry that Macyntire doesn't want to name the team for the replay until just before the off. Personally the only change I would make would be a straight swap with Lee coming in at no 6 for Regan. I thought they were too quick to call Donal Barry ashore the last day as he was doing no worse than anyone else at the time and wouldn't be great for a young lads confidence getting subbed before haft time their first senior appearance in Croke Park. I'd give the team the benefit of the doubt for the last day and the chance to make amends in Portlaoise.

Thanks lads. I knew Lee had a lot of time out because of exams but come Championship time he'd be one of the first names down on my teamsheet, he's been a rock for us recently.

Alright, fair play to the management for sticking with the team that did so well during the league, I wouldn't argue with that logic but I'd make an exception for John Lee. It's very tough on whoever he's replacing but tough decisions have to be made, that's just my opinion though and in no way critical of the management.

I thought Burke was handy enough against Offaly, I really liked the look of him.

Good to hear how well the training is going, if we can transfer that intensity to the pitch for the whole 70 minutes plus then you never know what we can do.

Game is on MSK if anyone is interested. Super game.

Some cakewalk for Galway alright. Well mossbags - any respect for Offaly now?

Galway can count themselves lucky that Antrim frooze and threw away the win against Offaly.....

Could have been embarrassing....for Galway.

RMDrive wrote:Game is on MSK if anyone is interested. Super game.

How can you get that.

hurlingguru wrote:

RMDrive wrote:Game is on MSK if anyone is interested. Super game.

How can you get that.

Do you have sky? Or freesat?

11681
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27.5
2/3

Galway showed yesterday that they don't roll over anymore and showed great fight to win in the last few minutes even thought they were a man down and a point down with not much left. Joe Canning showed his class and that he has nerves of steel to land a difficult point out by the sideline, it was one of few occasions when there wasn't an offaly player holding his hurl.

Ref was absolutely desperate yesterday, totally inconsistent. Gives a free against Canning for charging, then in the 2nd half Hannify just jumps into Joe Canning and its a free to Offaly. David Franks gets injured, the ref stops the game, Shane Kavanagh goes down injured, tells the goalie to play on and puck it out. Offaly were getting frees for fouls that Galway weren't getting any frees for, in the end Galway had to resort to Offalys tactics of diving in order to get a free off the ref.

I reckon Offaly could have been on to the ground staff in Portlaois, the sideline was so close to the wall that it made it near impossible to take a sideline, the grass was also cut really short.

I'm not complaining though and I'm glad we have gotten into our first Leinster final. Bring on the Cats.

RMDrive wrote:

hurlingguru wrote:

RMDrive wrote:Game is on MSK if anyone is interested. Super game.

How can you get that.

Do you have sky? Or freesat?

11681
V
27.5
2/3

Thanks RMD

clash-of-da-ash wrote:Galway showed yesterday that they don't roll over anymore and showed great fight to win in the last few minutes even thought they were a man down and a point down with not much left. Joe Canning showed his class and that he has nerves of steel to land a difficult point out by the sideline, it was one of few occasions when there wasn't an offaly player holding his hurl.

Ref was absolutely desperate yesterday, totally inconsistent. Gives a free against Canning for charging, then in the 2nd half Hannify just jumps into Joe Canning and its a free to Offaly. David Franks gets injured, the ref stops the game, Shane Kavanagh goes down injured, tells the goalie to play on and puck it out. Offaly were getting frees for fouls that Galway weren't getting any frees for, in the end Galway had to resort to Offalys tactics of diving in order to get a free off the ref.

I reckon Offaly could have been on to the ground staff in Portlaois, the sideline was so close to the wall that it made it near impossible to take a sideline, the grass was also cut really short.

I'm not complaining though and I'm glad we have gotten into our first Leinster final. Bring on the Cats.

Bring on the Cats indeed!!
Your right about the ref, the biffo's got everything last night and I'd say this was influenced by Mcyntires comments after the first game that Galway got a lot of the 50/50 decisions the first day. I know Mcyntire works in the media himself but he needs to learn to keep his mouth shut about some things.
The pitch was hard as a rock last night and I'd say Offaly wern't too perturbed by this as sideline pucks were next to impossible
Was delighted to get the win after two great battles with this Offaly team. Damien Hayes, after being slightly disappointing last year is clearly back to his best this time around, and relished his full forward role.Canning's point from the side at the death after being wonderfullly played in by Farragher won't be topped this year. Canning was being harassed to death by Offaly lads more often than not illegally. He's well used to it but it's still not right.
Burke saw red for reacting after he was chopped and kicked by two biffo's. He re-acted, yes but where were the cards for the Offaly fooks? Ref went to his linesmen and his umpires who were evidently all just as retarded as he was. He's a big loss for the final as he's been hurling out of his skin this year. Lynch , Hynes or Niall Cahalan will have to come in here now.
Galway's never say die attitude was a joy to see last night. Even when the game was on a knifedge it was the lads who knuckled down and created all the chances, eventually getting their just rewards with fine scores by Joe and Ger at the death. Offaly hurled brilliantly again at times last night but it would have been a travesty if Galway had not taken the honours.
Ollie upped his game even if he did get the slip again for a goal, this time by Joe Bergin who finished superbly in fairness to him. David Kenny was also excellent for them as were Carroll and Healium when he came on. His goal though that started the Offaly revival was a total fluke mind you and Callanan shouldn't have been caught for it.Galway have conceded 5 goals now in two games against Offaly and this is a major worry with the Cats up next.
Its the game everyone wanted. Galway have done a serious amount of hurling this year, winning the League and the Walsh Cup. Its the Championship that counts though and now we arrive at the Leinster Final. Galway will be battle-hardened going into it and haven't beaten Kilkenny since 2005. Mind you no one else has either.
Im already drooling just thinking about it

I looked at Offaly's first goal again and it looks like it deflected off a hurl and spun in over Callanan's head. I thought one of the Offaly players should have got the line, it was directly after the Burke incident, referee threw in the ball between Canning and the Offaly player and the Offaly player made no attempt for the ball but instead swung high and hit Canning across the hands. Another incident I remember was an Offaly player shoving Smyth's head into the ground and the ref just ran around it and did nothing.

With Collins back the next day, I reckon they should go with either Collins or Lee to play midfield with Farragher, more than likely he will go with Cullinane since he came on the last day.

Lads, that was a nail biter. I had to listen to it on the radio over heer which isn't the best for the blood pressure!!! Nice to see a bit of steel, in years gone by we would have folded. Agree with you Moss, the goals conceded is a huge worry.

Fair play to Offaly though, they've really pushed us this last couple of games, this is what championship hurling is all about though, nothing comes easy.

As silly as it sounds I expect a much more solid performance against Kilkenny as we play better when we're tagged as underdogs.

6inarow wrote:Lads, that was a nail biter. I had to listen to it on the radio over heer which isn't the best for the blood pressure!!! Nice to see a bit of steel, in years gone by we would have folded. Agree with you Moss, the goals conceded is a huge worry.

Fair play to Offaly though, they've really pushed us this last couple of games, this is what championship hurling is all about though, nothing comes easy.

As silly as it sounds I expect a much more solid performance against Kilkenny as we play better when we're tagged as underdogs.

That's true enough Turlough. They've done everything asked of them up to this point but to be honest, the season only starts now. KK are quite possibly the greatest team of all time and our lads will clearly be up against it. I have no idea what the result will be but I know for a fact that our lads will fight to the death. That is the difference this year.

Your midfielder will be a big loss.

mossbags wrote:[ I have no idea what the result will be but I know for a fact that our lads will fight to the death. That is the difference this year.

On the evidence so far, the mortician will be summoned around the 50th minute.......

Boxtyeater wrote:

mossbags wrote:[ I have no idea what the result will be but I know for a fact that our lads will fight to the death. That is the difference this year.

On the evidence so far, the mortician will be summoned around the 50th minute.......

You never know Boxty, they might make a Lazarus like recovery on 60

This is generally the problem when we play Kilkenny, great for 50 - 60 minutes and then bang.

Burke will be a loss alright, I've been impressed with him.

I'd argue that this Kilkenny team could well be the greatest sports team in the world full stop at the moment. I'm not sure there's another team out there in any sport that is so dominant?