Offaly make solid start to Kearns' reign

AS you would expect from O'Byrne Cup action in January, there was nothing to write home about, little to get excited about but Offaly still made a decent, solid start to Liam Kearns' reign as manager with a comfortable win over Wicklow in O'Connor Park on Saturday.

O'Byrne Cup Senior Football Round 2

Offaly 1-9

Wicklow 0-7

There were plenty of positives to be taken from the game for Offaly. They looked fit, they moved the ball well at times and they always looked like they would have enough for experimenting Wicklow.

Their fitness levels were particularly noteworthy and it is clear that the players have a good bit of work done. It was also pleasing to see the way they tried to play football. The emphasis was on fast movement, quick transfer of the ball and generally moving towards the goals rather than going backwards. There was a spell early in the second half, however, where they got way too defensive, pulling all bar two back to defence and this invited Wicklow onto them.

There were also plenty of flaws in their display. 1-9 was an average return and won't win many league games. Five of those points came in the first quarter as Offaly started off extremely well. They were never as good after that, losing their momentum in the second quarter as Wicklow got the deficit back to three points, 0-6 to 0-3 at half time.

The visitors had it back to two twice in the second half and Offaly looked seriously vulnerable. However, a 53rd minute penalty goal from Anton Sullivan ended the game as a contest. Sullivan had done very well to win the penalty, playing on despite the whistle being blown for a mark and then going to ground in familiar theatrical style, though there was no doubt that he was fouled.

That gave Offaly a 1-8 to 0-5 lead and knocked the stuffing out of an average Wicklow. The closing quarter was a complete non event as both sides emptied their bench. There was no fluidity to the game, it was stop start and for Offaly, it was all about not doing anything silly. They only got one point but hit eight very poor wides in this period and that will concern Kearns and company. Wicklow only got two points in this spell and never looked like salvaging it.

It was still a satisfactory start by Offaly and while they will be down some college players for Wednesday evening in Dublin, they should learn more from this game and about players.

The game saw a return to action by Cian Farrell after a long lay off with a cruciate injury and while he was taken off at half time and needs matches, he showed enough to suggest that he will be Offaly's main forward this year.

Peter Cunningham and Dylan Hyland were Offaly's two best players while new captain Declan Hogan and Lee Pearson also caught the eye. It was not a day for judging subs but Joe Maher and Shane O'Toole-Greene did make a good impression. Maher looked hungry and up for it while O'Toole-Greene, a newcomer at this level, will benefit from any action – he has got really strong in the upper body and while he did make a couple of errors, he did some very good things. Aaron Kellaghan also had very good moments.

Offaly had moved well in the first half and were clearly the better team with Wicklow looking very mediocre at times – as they made some very poor unforced errors. Considering all that, a 0-6 to 0-3 half time lead was not a big advantage and with a swirling wind seeming to favour Wicklow for the second half, Offaly had it all to to.

Offaly played very well in the first quarter, moving very well and they led by 0-5 to no score after sixteen minutes. Offaly were full advantage for that lead but they lost their way after that.

Wicklow gained a bit of a foothold in midfield and they got two points before a lovely point from Cian Farrell put Offaly four in front. An injury time point from Eoin Murtagh left three in it at the break but the gap should have been much wider – in the lead up to half time, Nigel Dunne kicked two bad wides and Anton Sullivan also had one as well as dropping a shot short after a great passing move.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Peter Cunningham (Offaly): A choice between Dylan Hyland and Peter Cunningham. Hyland was very good in the first half with the quality and imagination of his long foot passes commanding respect. He got a black card in the 61st minute that ended his afternoon. Cunningham was brilliant in the first half in particular, running the game from centre half back. He was not as dominant in the second half as subs came on every few minutes but he continued to cut out good ball. His return and his obvious hunger was good to see – he missed last year as he was away on army duty.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Anton Sullivan 1-1 (Goal from a penalty), Cian Farrell 0-3 (1f), Rory Egan, Kevin Nugent, Nigel Dunne, Dylan Hyland (f) and Aaron Kellaghan (f) 0-1 each.

Wicklow: Eddie Doyle 0-2 (2f), Mark Jackson (f), Rory Stokes, Eouin Murtagh, Andy Maher and Adam McHugh 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Corey White (Tullamore); Ciaran Donnelly (Bracknagh), Declan Hogan (Tullamore), David Dempsey (Ballycommon); Rory Egan (Edenderry), Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh), Lee Pearson (Edenderry); Kevin Nugent (Ferbane), Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue); Bill Carroll (Cappincur), Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks), Anton Sullivan (Rhode); Jack Bryant (Shamrocks), Cian Farrell (Edenderry), Dylan Hyland (Raheen). Subs – Joe Maher (Ferbane) for Dunne (HT), Shane O'Toole-Greene (Shamrocks) for Bryant (HT), Aaron Kellaghan (Rhode) for Farrell (HT), Aaron Brazil (Shannonbridge) for Donnelly (53m), Conor McNamee (Rhode) for Nugent (55m), Bernard Allen (Tubber) for Sullivan (57m), Jack O'Brien (Durrow) for Pearson (62m), Cormac Delaney (Clara) for Carroll (63m), Ed Cullen (Clara) for McEvoy (65m), Cian Donohue (St Brigid's) for Egan (70m).

WICKLOW: Mark Jackson;Tadgh Miley, Paul McLoughlin, Karl Furlong; Simon Bouchier, Cillian McDonald, Conor Byrne; Jack Kirwan, Padraig O'Toole; Rory Stokes, Eddie Doyle, Patrick Whelan; Tommy Kelly, Eoin Murtagh, Kevin Quinn. Subs – JP Hurley for O'Toole (HT), Andy Maher for Whelan (HT), Dean Healy for Quinn (HT), Adam McHugh for Byrne (44m), Arun Daly-Danne for Miley (44m), Jacques McCall for Bouchier (53m), Matthew Ging for Kirwan (57m), Cian O'Sullivan for Doyle (57m), Sean Phelan for Furlong (69m), Craig Maguire for Murtagh (69m).

Referee – Colm McCullough (Louth).

REFEREE WATCH

Colm McCullough had a good game with no big issues.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Offaly could have struggled without Anton Sullivan's penalty goal and that strike ended it as a contest.

VENUE WATCH

The O'Connor Park pitch did not look its best and cut up a bit better than you would expect considering it had got a rest for a few weeks and the weather has not been bad. It needs to be very well looked after on an ongoing basis to maintain its high standard. It doesn't get much rest over the full season and the County Board have to keep on top of things to make sure it remains in tip top shape, with state of the art maintenance carried out as recommended.

TALKING POINT

It is early days for Offaly and the league will tell the true story but it was nice to see the way they tried to play football here.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly play Dublin in Parnell Park on Wednesday evening.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 14 (6 in first half); Wicklow – 8 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 1 (Jack McEvoy); Wicklow – 1 (Jack Kirwan).

Black cards: Offaly – 1 (Dylan Hyland); Wicklow 0.

Red cards: 0.