Relieved Offaly scrape win to book quarter-final berth

DESPITE doing their utmost to lose it, Offaly just scraped home to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Leinster Minor Football Championship in Tullamore on Thursday evening.

Leinster Minor Football Championship Group 1 Round 3

Offaly 1-11

Longford 1-10

They would still have ended up in the preliminary quarter-finals with a defeat but the win secures second place in the group and a quarter-final berth.

It was a very close run thing as a battling Longford came back from the dead and almost snatched it against the head. Offaly finished with fourteen men after midfielder Cillian Bourke picked up a second yellow card in the 59th minute but got the winning point after this. Showing great character when the odds were against them, they attacked well late on and their best forward Kaelem Bryan floated over the winner just on the stroke of full time after a super surge forward by Cameron Egan.

Offaly held on well in the three minutes plus of additional time but will be wondering how it was so close. They really should have won with a bit to spare as they missed a handful of great goal chances and then conceded some very soft scores.

1-7 to 0-5 ahead at half time, Offaly had missed three clearcut goal chances in the first half and they really should have killed the game off in the third quarter. Kaelem Bryan missed another opening while the outstanding Cameron Egan hit the post in the 41st minute after breaking inside the cover. Cian Bracken's 42nd minute point could have been a goal but even with those misses, Offaly looked comfortable.

Longford also missed goal chances in the second half with Cameron Egan and Harry Goulding making tremendous last ditch saves to deny Patrick Mollahan and Daniel Lee.

Fionn Carney, one of twins from very strange football territory in Ballyskenach-Killavilla, converted a 43rd minute free to put Offaly 1-10 to 0-7 ahead. It should have been all over but they played some kamikaze football after this and didn't score again until Bryan's late winner.

In the meantime Longford got back on terms with 1-3 without reply and the statistic that 1-1 of those were own scores sums of the way Offaly fell to pieces. The goal was punched into his own net by the otherwise very solid full back, Patrick Kenna in the 49th minute while goalkeeper Donnacha Keoghan had his hands on Kevin Baskett's free a minute later but deflected it over the bar.

That made it a one point game and Longford got on terms with a 54th minue Baskett point, 1-10 each. Full credit to Longford for the way they battled back. With two defeats, they were really up against it but they showed great heart and fought for everything, even though Offaly were the better team.

At that stage, the odds favoured them for the win as Longford were piling on the pressure, Offaly's error count has creeped towards the inexcusable region and they just couldn't get their hands on the ball. Yet they somehow managed to rally when they were down a man. They found their shape and composure again, retained the ball better and broke the line more efficiently. They were able to lift the siege for the last few minutes and it is a tribute to them that Longford never really threatened to score again.

Considerable improvement will be needed for knockout football but this Offaly team have done very well and will be delighted to be in the quarter-finals. Their defence was very good here with Kenna, Cameron Egan and Harry Goulding all catching the eye.

Offaly struggled a bit at midfield where Shane Donoghue had a super first half for Longford. Cillian Bourke was not as influential as normal – he looked tired in the first half, though he was much better in the second half and had moments of real class. Mark Mulrooney had a decent first half while Kaelem Bryan was the outstanding forward, scoring four points and he really should have crowned his good work with a goal. Fionn Carney once again showed some real ability, Robert Carney worked hard and Cian Bracken floated in and out of the game but broke the line very impressively at times.

The first half was a mixed bag for Offaly. They were the better team but struggled to make it count on the scoreboard, missing three very good goal chances in the opening sixteen minutes.

Robert Carney drew a good save Darragh Egan in the 11th minute; Kaelem Bryan chipped over the bar two minutes later with a great chance after a wayward Egan kickout and Cillian Foran blasted against the crossbar when through in the 16th minute.

Those misses allowed Longford hang on until near the interval. Longford midfielder Shane Donohue had an excellent first half, scoring three quality points as the visitors put it up to Offaly.

The sides were level twice early on before three points in a row put Offaly 0-5 to 0-2 ahead after thirteen minutes. Those misses inspired Longford and they got three points to level it up at 0-5 each after 26 minutes.

Offaly finally made their superiority count on th score board before the interval. The impressive Bryan got his third point, Fionn Carney added one and then the move of the half in injury time resulted in a goal and 1-7 to 0-5 half time lead. Cameron Egan made a great break upfield, Fionn Carney sent his twin, Robert in and the Ballyskenach-Killavilla man confidently found the net from close range.

It put Offaly in a very strong position at the break but in the wind up they survived on their wits as much as anything else and their second half display was not good.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cameron Egan (Offaly): The defence put in some great blocks, tackling without fouling. Cameron Egan show cased this. He defended superbly, tackling tenaciously and working hard. He made some tremendous bursts up the field and was instrumental in Offaly's win – he did give a couple of balls away and got caught on the wrong side once but was on a huge volume of ball and used most of it very well.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Fionn Carney (3f) and Kaelem Bryan 0-4 each, Robert Carney 1-0, Mark Mulrooney, Brian Carroll and Cian Bracken 0-1 each.

Longford: Kevin Baskett 0-4 (2f), Shane Donoghue 0-3, Daniel Carey, Patrick Molahan (f) and Luke Donnelly 0-1 each. Note: Goal was an own score by Patrick Kenna.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Donnacha Keoghan (Ballinagar); Niall Flannery (St Rynagh's), Patrick Kenna (Tullamore), Harry Goulding (Edenderry); Rory Grehan (Raheen), Christian McKeon (Clara), Cameron Egan (St Brigid's); Cillian Bourke (Tullamore), Mark Mulrooney (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Brian Carroll (Ferbane), Cian Bracken (Daingean), Fionn Carney (Ballyskenach-Killavilla); Kaelem Bryan (Edenderry), Fionn Carney (Ballyskenach-Killavilla), Cillian Foran (Edenderry). Subs – Aaron Molloy (St Rynagh's) for Grehan (51m), Dara Bates (Shamrocks) for Foran (51m), Callum Kelly (Doon) for Mulrooney (56m), Enda McLoughlin (Tubber) for Robert Carney (61m).

LONGFORD: Darragh Egan; Ryan Keogh, Patrick Clancy, Daniel Lee; Kevin Baskett, Alex Nugent, Jack Fitzpatrick; Shane Donoghue, Sean Egan; Jamie Dorr, Daniel Carey, Marc Cooney; Patrick Mollahan, Davin Donnelly, James Hagan. Subs – Cormac Flynn for Fitzpatrick (HT), Luke Donnelly for Donnelly (HT), Conor Doherty for Cooney (37m), Tommy Killian for Clancy (37m), Paul Eivers for Hagan (50m).

Referee – Enda Kelly (Westmeath).

REFEREE WATCH

Replacement referee Enda Kelly did well for the most part. He did seem to give Longford a couple of soft frees late on and there was a couple of moments of indecision by his umpires but he was fair.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Kaelem Bryan's late point won it for Offaly at a stage when the game looked like slipping from their grasp.

VENUE WATCH

O'Connor Park was in great shape. There was a very small crowd here while the 7pm start was a bit late and it the light was getting uncomfortably poor in the last few minutes.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 4 (3 in first half); Longford – 7 (?3 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 3 (Cillian Bourke 2 and Robert Carney); Longford – 1 (Sean Egan).

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: Offaly – 1 (Cillian Bourke, 2 yellows); Longford – 0.