Disappointed Offaly manager hopes players rise for Tailteann Cup

A DISAPPOINTED Martin Murphy is hoping that his Offaly senior football side will find the enthusiasm and drive to give the Tailteann Cup a go.

The Offaly manager saw his side come very close to a big win over Louth in the Leinster Senior Football Championship semi-final in Croke Park on Sunday.

While Offaly were beaten 0-27 to 2-15 in extra time, they almost won it in normal time and they now face into a Tailteann Cup group with London, Laois and Cavan. They will begin at home to London on the weekend of May 14-15, followed by Laois away and then Cavan at a neutral venue – the top two will definitely qualify along with the best three third placed teams and New York.

The Gracefield man talked about the Louth defeat. “It was the closest an Offaly team has come to winning a big championship match in a long time. We came back from four points down and to hold Louth scoreless in that period was testament to their attitude and how far they have come mentally. We got a couple of chances to win it and didn't take them. Hopefully we can learn from that. It is fine margins at that level. The lads were really up for it and I was thrilled at them. I was really proud and it was a privilege to be involved with a group of lads who were so committed.”

Louth's Ciaran Downey scored seven points from play in normal time, five in the first half and Murphy acknowledged that this was too big of a contribution from one player.

“We did a bit of homework on them and were looking at Mulroy and Grimes as the men who could do most harm. We tied them down fairly well for the seventy minutes but Downey got away from us in the first half. He got five points from play. We had a chat about him at half time, he got two in the second half but it was a bit too late.”

As Downey ran onto ball from deep positions and kicked points for sport in the first half, the manager found it hard to get messages into the players. A runner is no longer allowed and he remarked: “You can't even call a player over. You are chastised if you go a foot onto the field. It was nearly impossible to get messages in to change the system or get a man to pick up someone different.

“The maor foirne was a great asset to management teams, especially in Croke Park when there are 30,000 shouting. The sound in the stadium is deafening. It is not ideal.”

He knew himself that Offaly would find it very difficult to survive once they didn't snatch it in normal time. “I said to someone that the seven day turnaround was the only threat to us getting over the line and if it went beyond seventy minutes, we would be under severe pressure. When that came to the fore, we were done and dusted. We had emptied the tank and I give players the credit for that. We were within touching distance. Our chance was in the 73rd minute when we had the opportunity to score. It was gone from us then. Lads were tired. Lads were coming up to me after the final whistle and saying their legs were gone. They were honest and they had drained themselves. Credit where credit is due, they have made leaps and strides from where we were.”

Would U-20s such as John Furlong, Cormac Egan and Keith O'Neill have made the difference? “If they weren't there, they weren't there. It is up to a few U-20s to step up and show their wares over the next few weeks. Some will get their chance no doubt and fully they will take it.”

Keith O'Neill has joined the panel while John Furlong is giving his groin injury a chance to recuperatre further and Cormac Egan has gone onto the Offaly U-20 hurling panel. Management will consider calling in other players for the Tailteann Cup but Murphy acknowledged that they have to be fair to the squad who have trained all year. “They have to get preference selection wise instead of bringing in lads from outside. It is difficult bringing in people who have not the same fitness levels. We have a panel of 32-33 lads.”

Jordan Hayes has returned from army duty abroad and will be on the panel while Rory Egan, injured last Sunday, has told management that he is going to America for the summer in a while. Murphy has heard talk of others going but hasn't been told it yet.

Jack Bryant, almost a match winning sub last Sunday, is also going later in the summer but may be around for the early Tailteann Cup games at least.

Murphy is happy to have Edenderry man Jordan Hayes back on board. “He should be an addition. He may not play the first game but he is around and we need to get football into him.”