Offaly's rematch with Kildare looks very hard to call

Kevin Egan Column

The news this week that the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final will take place on Sunday, April 9, in Páirc Uí Chaoimh feels like a fitting conclusion to what was a desperately forgettable top flight campaign.

Despite the fact that there is a full round of Leinster championship football games that day, and that there is nothing noteworthy on the night before, they’ve chosen to put the game on in the middle of the afternoon, in a notoriously difficult venue to access, instead of going for the no-brainer that was Saturday night in Thurles, in a much easier and more local venue for both counties.

Nothing about this year’s hurling league feels like it has been a success. It’s impossible to trust what we see in front of our eyes after last year’s league proved utterly deceptive and, if anything, it feels like teams are even more guarded in 2023. Perhaps Tipperary are going to be a force again, but it’s a lot easier to believe that Liam Cahill had his troops wired and ready for the competition, while others simply weren’t pushed.

The continuation of the utterly daft structure where there are two Division One groups that are theoretically of an equal standard only serves to ensure that there is no real jeopardy, and that the structure is completely unfit for purpose for the three teams that aren’t quite on the same level as the rest.

If Westmeath, Antrim, Laois and whoever else had two games against each other and then three games against three of the more beatable opponents from the top table, presumably Dublin, Wexford and maybe either Clare or Tipperary, that would be a much more beneficial structure than what they have now, where Westmeath played five games and conceded an average of 33 points per match.

But it suits the top counties, and hurling people are not known for their ability to take constructive criticism of the sport very well, so it will be continued.

The question now is whether it will be Offaly or Kildare that replace Laois in that top tier next year, and on the face of it, Kildare would seem to be that bit better poised. Offaly’s four-point win over Kerry last Saturday was a good result, but it came about purely because of Kerry’s dreadful shooting. This was particularly the case in the first half when they put 0-13 on the board, but also shot 12 wides, largely from very scorable positions.

From Offaly’s perspective, issues such as the team’s inability to stop Kerry running through the centre back channel from midfield will no doubt be a big part of this week’s training, and to a certain extent, that mightn’t get found out to the same degree as Kildare tend to prefer moving the ball through the lines rather than carrying.

But it’s still hard to believe that a team that was arguably the better side in Tullamore a fortnight ago, and who also had last weekend off to help prepare for this game, isn’t entitled to be the slight favourites this weekend.

Add in Charlie Mitchell’s likely absence due to U-20 commitments and it definitely looks like Offaly have their work cut out for them this Sunday in Portlaoise (throw-in 2pm).

Hurling double header in Tullamore

Saturday will tell a lot about Offaly’s prospects at both U-20 and minor level for 2023, with hopes surrounding the minors having increased considerably following a performance in Parnell Park last Saturday that gave plenty of cause for optimism.

After struggling to find their feet in the opening half, Offaly were outstanding after the break, and looked right at home at this level. They weren’t quite able to push over the line and the concession of some late goals distorted the final scoreboard (4-18 to 0-19), but if those sides were to meet again, Enda Mulhare’s side would be entitled to go in with more than a little bit of optimism.

However, that’s not the same as saying that they should easily overcome Kerry this week, despite what last weekend’s landslide win for Wexford over the Kingdom might suggest. At minor level, sometimes a group simply doesn’t click, but sometimes they just need time to figure out their best team and best approach – and when we consider that Tralee CBS won a Munster Junior ‘C’ hurling championship this year, there could be more in the tank for them. Add those into the mix with the Ballyduff and Kilmoyley lads who tend to go to Causeway Comprehensive, and they have the potential to be more than capable opposition this week.

At U-20 level, Offaly will take on a Westmeath side that they beat comparatively easily in the 2020 minor championship, albeit that was a Westmeath side that underperformed after knocking over Dublin in the previous round. There is ample scoring power in this Offaly group, with older players like Luke Carey, Lochlann Quinn and Charlie Mitchell boosted by Adam Screeney and his 2022 minor colleagues.

There are plenty of players to watch in this Westmeath group, particularly Eamon Cunneen, Peter Clarke, David O’Reilly and Mark Cunningham, but Offaly still should expect to win with a little bit to spare here.

U-20s footballers now unlikely to progress

A late winner for Wicklow last Tuesday night in Kilcormac is likely to prove fatal to Offaly’s chances in the Leinster U-20 football championship, as it means that Ken Furlong’s side now have to beat Dublin and to get a favour from Louth in their game against Wicklow.

Given Offaly’s strong record in this competition in previous years, and the calibre of players that are eligible, it’s hugely disappointing that this is how things have played out, but there can be no complaints about the defeat during the week. The amount of scores that were left behind in the first half was almost criminal, and in the second half too, there were goal chances, and even point-scoring chances after Jamie Guing’s equalising ‘45’ that went astray.

Offaly supporters don’t need to be told that a team like this can gather momentum – let’s not forget that the All-Ireland winning side from 2021 started their season with a very narrow win over Wexford – but Louth’s anaemic display against Dublin would suggest that they aren’t in great shape.

And even if Offaly do pull off a shock against a Dublin side that have nothing to play for (other than making sure to knock out a Faithful County side that might pose a slightly more significant threat later in the championship than Wicklow) then the smart money would suggest that Wicklow will get the result they need in Louth.