Heart warming win sets Offaly Minor Footballers up for qualification to knock out stage

OFFALY lifted the spirits of football followers in the county with a very good win over Laois in the Leinster Minor Football Championship at O'Connor Park on Wednesday evening.

Leinster Minor Football Championship Group 1 Round 2

Offaly 2-10
Laois 0-9

An excellent second half display as they overturned a 0-6 to 0-1 half time deficit saw them set themselves up for qualification out of group 1 with a very convincing and impressive win.

After losing to Kildare in the first round and with a home game against Longford to come, Offaly are odds on to claim one of the three qualification spots on offer. Time will adjudicate on the merits of this team but this was a heart warming win and a heart warming display by Offaly.

They played with great spirit and heart, really controlled the game when they got the strong wind on their backs in the second half and were worth every one of their seven point winning margin. Normally Offaly football teams make hard work of winning games they should take and it was a pleasant change to witness a side in no danger whatsoever in the closing quarter.

Offaly displayed a great work ethic as well as playing very composed football and even if limitations emerge later in the campaign, they can reflect very proudly on this win. On a difficult evening for football with the strong wind turning it into a game of two halves, Offaly stood up to be counted all over the field.

Considering the strength of the wind, that five point half time deficit was by no means fatal and with the benefit of hindsight, the writing was very much on the wall for Laois at this stage. Five points was a significant lead but Offaly had competed very well with them in almost every facet of play and it was clear that the second half would be a long one for the visitors.

Having said that, it looked like it would be touch and go and the sheer dominance of Offaly coupled with rather tame resistance from Laois was surprising. Drafting Cameron Egan back as a very influential and effective sweeper in the first half, Offaly curtailed the Laois attack well and six points was not a big tally to concede.

Offaly should have been closer as they had two good goal chances in the first half. Robert Carney drew good saves from Ben Dillon from both and the second one in particular should have been a goal as he was just five metres out and the goals were a large target in front of him. Laois had four points on the board before Kaelem Bryan got Offaly's only first half score in the 22nd minute.

That score was more important than a mere point as failure to score in the half could have undermined morale. Laois got the closing two points for that half time lead but they spent the whole second half chasing their tails.

Offaly wiped out the deficit almost in the blink of an eye with Robert Carney atoning for his earlier misses with an excellent 32nd minute goal, running onto a Cillian Bourke delivery and blasting to the net. Calum Hogg replied for Laois but it was the briefest of respites. Offaly turned the screw on them spectacularly, pushing forward relentlessly.

Cian Bracken, Christian McKeon and Fionn Carney had them on level terms, 1-4 to 0-7 by the 37th minute. Robert Carney's superbly struck free from over 45 metres pushed them ahead for the first time a minute later and Offaly went for the jugular. Cillian Foran added a point and a second goal in the 40th minute put them in complete control, 2-6 to 0-7. Fionn Carney's finish was superb after a great passing movement and Offaly pressed home their advantage.

The efficiency of their football once they got into a winning position was the most pleasing aspect of their performance. They didn't attack with the same raw abandon but they kept Laois off the ball, did the simple thing very well and Brian Carroll, Fionn Carney (free) and Cillian Foran pointed to put them 2-9 to 0-7 inside the last ten minutes. They showed great composure for young players.

Laois never threatened a revival and while they got two late frees, Offaly really cruised home.

It was a fine all round team performance by Offaly. Christian McKeon, Cillian Bourke and Fionn Carney were their three outstanding performers but they were also very pleasing displays by Patrick Kenna, Mark Mulrooney, Robert Carney, Cameron Egan and Cian Bracken, whose power and ability to do the right thing for the most part caused Laois plenty of problems.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cillian Bourke (Offaly): Cillian Bourke had an outstanding game for Offaly at midfield. His work rate and the volume of ball that went through his hands in the first half was immense. It was a big factor in keeping Laois in sight and he nearly always used the ball well. He was not as promiment in the last quarter but may have been taking a breather as he is playing for Offaly minor hurlers on Saturday. Even at that, he continued to pop up to win the ball. Christian McKeon had a super game at the heart of the Offaly defence while Fionn Carney did very well in the attack. The Carney brothers come from “strange” football territory in Ballyskenach-Killavilla but are very much into the game. Robert is a strong physical and effective player while Fionn looks to be a real footballer with his running, movement and general play troubling the Laois defence all evening.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Fionn Carney 1-2 (1f), Robert Carney 1-1, Cillian Foran and Cian Bracken 0-2 each, Christian McKeon, Brian Carroll, Kaelem Bryan 0-1 each.

Laois: Ennae Byrne 0-3 (1m and 1f), Enda Johnson 0-2 (1f), David Donohue, Darren Brennan (f), Fionn McEvoy and Calum Hogg 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS:

OFFALY: Donnacha Keoghan (Ballinagar); Niall Flannery (St Rynagh's), Patrick Kenna (Tullamore), Harry Goulding (Edenderry); Rory Grehan (Raheen), Christian McKeon (Clara), Brian Carroll (Ferbane); Cillian Bourke (Tullamore), Mark Mulrooney (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Cameron Egan (St Brigid's), Robert Carney (Ballyskenach-Killavilla), Cillian Foran (Edenderry); Cian Bracken (Daingean), Kaelem Bryan (Edenderry), Fionn Carney (Ballyskenach-Killavilla). Subs – Aaron Molloy (St Rynagh's) for Robert Carney (51m), Craig Weldon (Gracefield) for Bryan (51m), Harry Grant (St Rynagh's) for Grehan (52m), Enda McLoughlin (Tubber) for Mulrooney (54m), Dara Bates (Shamrocks) for Foran (56m),

LAOIS: Ben Dillon; Fionn O'Sullivan, Danny McGrath, Ben O'Connor; James Dunne, Jack Brennan, Robbie Murphy; Eoin Johnson, Calum Hogg; Patrick Fitzpatrick, David O'Donohue, Darren Brennan; Evan English, Fionn McEvoy, Ennae Byrne. Subs – Jamilio Salvador for Jack Brennan (39m), Tom O'Connell for Donohue (39m), Sean Kirby for Darragh Brennan (45m), Dan Boland for Fitzpatrick (47m), James Hourahan for English (58m),

Referee – Ultan McElroy (Louth).

REFEREE WATCH

Ultan McElroy adopted a let it run policy and every free was hard earned. A few obvious fouls weren't given but these balanced out.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Offaly's first goal two minutes into the second half turned the tide very definitely in their favour. Robert Carney's finish was particularly noteworthy as he had missed two first half chances, one of them especially glaring, but that wasn't on his mind as he gave Ben Dillon no chance.

VENUE WATCH

A very strong wind blew straight down the field, making it a game of two halves. While the real storm stayed away from Tullamore, there was plenty of rainfall in the afternoon but you wouldn't know this looking at the pitch.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly host Longford in Tullamore on Thursday, April 27.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 12 (3 in first half); Laois – 6 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 0; Laois – 1 (Patrick Fitzpatrick).

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.