Knockout draws made on messy, unsatisfactory weekend for Offaly football

THE draws for the semi-finals of a couple of championships have been made on a messy, unsatisfactory weekend for the Offaly club football scene, while the quarter-final pairings emerged in senior football.

The final round of group games in the Senior Football Championship saw Edenderry join Tullamore in the semi-finals while the quarter-final pairings are: Rhode v Bracknagh and Shamrocks v Ferbane.

The final round of group games left a lot to be desired. Firstly Durrow conceded a walkover to Rhode on Thursday evening after the bulk of their dual players made themselves unavailable – nine of the Durrow football team are likely to start for Ballinamere in their make or break Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final against champions Kilcormac-Killoughey next weekend and most of them informed Durrow early last week that they wouldn't play the football game.

Durrow are out of contention and it is a controversy that is being debated far outside Durrow and Ballinamere borders. The fall-out from that is an internal matter for Durrow and Ballinamere and will hopefully blow over in time without their agreement of providing hurlers and footballers for each other being ended, but the suggestions being floated by some that Durrow should have got fifteen together and fielded a team with juniors does need to be nailed to the mast.

That would be very disrespectful to Rhode and a senior championship and would have just have opened up Durrow to the likelihood of a really bad beating – it was a dead rubber game for them as they couldn't reach the quarter-finals and there is no relegation this year. Offaly senior hurlers didn't attempt to field a second string team when Covid forced them to give a walkover to Kildare in the Christy Ring Cup a few years ago and the same principle applies here, even though they are very different levels,

Apart from that, the results in the three games that were played gave real food for thought with three very one sided affairs. Tullamore ended a calamitous year for Clonbullogue with a 5-27 to 1-5 trouncing. A Shamrocks side with definite limitations destroyed Bracknagh by 4-18 to 2-11 and Edenderry got away for an convincing 2-18 to 1-10 win over Ballycommon. Ballycommon at least gave a better account of themselves, leading by 1-6 to 1-5 at half time but they were down two of their key players, brothers Karl and Conor Dunne, who opted for a Tullamore rugby Leinster League fixture on Saturday – it was not their first time to have a sporting dilemma and rugby seems to be their first choice code, though both had potential to be county footballers, particularly Conor.

With Ballycommon out of quarter-final contention, they travelled to Wexford for Tullamore's 26-18 win over Wexford Wanderers.

Taking everything in its entirety, Durrow's walkover, the one sided games, and players choosing another code over a senior football tie, it was certainly not a good weekend for the Offaly Senior Football Championship, though things will improve now that it is down to the knockout stages.

Both the Intermediate and Junior Football Championship semi-finals are down to the semi-final stages and the draw was made for them on Sunday evening.

St Brigid's and Tullamore qualified direct for the semi-final as group winners and St Brigid's will now play Ferbane while Tullamore have St Rynagh's.

Ferbane had an expected win over Walsh Island in their quarter-final, 3-16 to 3-9 and are definite contenders.

Tullamore are the championship favourites while Raheen's 2-7 to 0-10 win came as a terrific cost as their star man, Dylan Hyland was red carded in the first half, Hyland looked to have stamped but there was a person there recording the match and Raheen will examine that minutely in the coming days to see if there is any leeway for getting the red card overturned. It looks unlikely, though and Hyland would be a fierce loss for the Tullamore game – Raheen have been able to beat them in big games in the past but Tullamore have been moving much better this year and it is a huge ask for them to win without their talisman.

SEE HERE: Hyland red carded as St Rynagh's run out of steam and Raheen grind out chaotic, costly win

The Junior Football Championship semi-final draws were also made on Sunday evening. Clodiagh Gaels and Rhode had topped the groups and Clodiagh Gaels meet Doon while Rhode have Erin Rovers.

Doon impressed in a big 6-13 to 3-7 win over Clara in the quarter-final while Erin Rovers, relegated from intermediate last year, edged out the 2024 beaten finalists, Shannonbridge, 3-12 to 2-11 in the other one. This championship looks fairly open and Doon's form will command early attention.

The Senior “B” Football Championship is the only big one not down to knockout stages.

SEE HERE for details of it: Five in the hunt for four semi-final places in Offaly SFC “B”