Big new rules call goes against Offaly as powerful second half revival almost rescues unlikely point

OFFALY senior footballers had their first brush with reality in 2025 as Fermanagh ended their winning streak in Ederney, a few miles north of Enniskillen on Sunday afternoon.

National Football League Division 3 Round 4

Fermanagh 1-13

Offaly …....3-6

With their confidence sky high after winning their opening three games, a win here would have made them odds on for promotion.

Their chances of going up remain very much alive but they are now on much rockier ground. Offaly left themselves with a mountain to climb here after a very thought provokingly poor first half when they trailed by nine points after playing with the wind.

However, they almost came back from the dead in the second half, getting the deficit back to a point and it would not have taken much more to have pulled off an extraordinary against the head win.

A major turning point came in the 31^st minute when Dylan Hyland was controversially punished for a new rules infraction. With Offaly trailing by a point and the ball bobbling just inside the Fermanagh half of the field, Hyland knew he was the third man forward and hesitated before playing the ball. He was immediately blown for going outside his own half and Fermanagh got a 14 metre free that Garvan Jones tapped over for a two point lead. However, by the time Hyland had put his toe to pull the ball back, Keith O'Neill was certainly gone inside the Fermanagh half as others raced forward as well. While it will require a second viewing to confirm all this, it certainly looked a wrong call in real time – the referee did consult with one linesman before giving the free and it was a huge factor in Offaly's defeat.

Another key moment emerged in the 68^th minute when Fermanagh sub Conor McGee was penalised for not releasing the ball after fouling. Trailing by two points, Offaly went back outside the 40 metre circle to go for the two pointer. With the wind having died down at that stage, there was logic in that but Paddy Dunican's strike floated agonisingly wide. With hindsight, it was a wrong call by Offaly as Daire McDaid cut the deficit over a minute into injury time and Offaly were left to rue what might have been.

They could have got a free in right at the death too as Keith O'Neill looked to have been pushed around 14 metres out and it was a very relieved Fermanagh that held on for a crucial win

Playing with a wind that may have been tricky to take advantage of, Offaly were in serious bother when they trailed by 1-10 to 1-1 at half time.

They didn't manage a solitary point from play in the first half. Their point was a '45' from goalkeeper Paddy Dunican while the goal was an excellent fourth minute strike from new kid on the block, Cillian Bourke. Bourke's goal after a great build up that involved Cormac Egan, Cathal Flynn and Shane O'Toole-Greene cancelled out Declan McCusker's first minute three pointer for the home side.

Offaly didn't build on that goal, despite fleeting moments of promise when Cormac Egan, Cathal Flynn and Keith O'Neill ran at their men. A few things went against them. Dylan Hyland was wide with two point attempts from frees, opting to bring the ball back outside the circle after Fermanagh were penalised for not having enough men forward. They were very scoreable with the wind but Hyland was wide at the left hand post on each occasion while Fermanagh's fourth point, a Garvan Jones free came after the Raheen man was punished for not handing the ball back to his opponent after fouling.

1-4 to 1-1 behind after 16 minutes, Offaly had a very substandard second quarter with the defence opened up regularly and ultimately, this was where they lost the game. Their energy levels did not look right and Fermanagh took nearly every chance, scoring six points without reply after Dunican's '45'. It could have been worse for Offaly as impressive midfielder Darragh McGurn blasted wide with a goal chance in the 31^st minute and Ryan Lyons rattled the crossbar in injury time with Oisin Smyth fisting over the rebound for a nine point half time lead that in no way flattered Fermanagh.

With pouring rain making conditions a lottery in the second half, it was impossible to envisage any way back for Offaly in the second half but they were a much different side after the resumption. They fought with much greater tenacity, turning over the ball and battling with terrific heart. It was great to see the way they fought in the second half and it almost got them there.

They got the early break they needed when awarded a penalty for a foot block on Dylan Hyland, Sean McNally caved Keith O'Neill's shot but Dylan Hyland scrambled the ball into the net. Ronan McCaffrey got the next point for Fermanagh but a great Cormac Egan goal brought Offaly right back into it in the 46^th minute – the Tullamore man arrowed a delicious left foot kick into the net after racing onto a pass.

Amazingly the gap was now only three points, 1-11 to 3-2 and it was an extraordinary turn around. Offaly still didn't score from play until Keith O'Neill's 56^th minute point. That made it a three point game again and Fermanagh were only to score once between the 52nd and 68^th minutes. That was that controversial point and Fermanagh were hanging on for dear life at that end, out on their feet and praying for the final whistle.

Points from Kyle Higgins, who made a huge positive impact when introduced and a rejuvenated Dylan Hyland had brought the gap down to a point – in the wind up, Offaly deserved a draw for the way they played in the second half, though they did leave themselves with too much to do in the first half and having to wait until the 56^th minute for a point from play was a cardinal sin.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Declan McCusker (Fermanagh): Declan McCusker did some great work for Fermanagh, scoring a crucial goal and a point and delivering some quality passes forward.

It was very much a game of two halves for Offaly. Cathal Flynn was instrumental in them going so close and was a man of the match contender. His ball carrying was excellent and him, Cormac Egan, John Furlong and Keith O'Neill led the second half charge while Lee Pearson also came good, Jordan Hayes got going at midfield and Shane Tierney was one of the players that performed in both halves, doing some great work in attack.

THE SCORERS

Fermanagh: Garvan Jones 0-4 (2f), Declan McCusker 1-1, Conor Love 0-2, Jonathan Cassidy, Ronan McCaffrey, Darragh McGurn, Ryan Lyons, Josh Largo Ellis, Diarmuid King 0-1 each.

Offaly: Dylan Hyland 1-1, Cormac Egan and Cillian Bourke 1-0 each, Keith O'Neill 0-2 (1f), Paddy Dunican ('45'), Kyle Higgins and Daire McDaid 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Paddy Dunican (Shamrocks); Lee Pearson (Edenderry), Aidan Bracken (Ballycommon), Rory Egan (Edenderry); Shane O'Toole-Greene (Shamrocks), John Furlong (Tullamore), Cormac Egan (Tullamore); Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue), Jordan Hayes (Edenderry); Cillian Bourke (Tullamore), Cathal Flynn (Ferbane), Keith O'Neill (Clonbullogue); Dylan Hyland (Raheen), Jack Bryant (Shamrocks), Shane Tierney (Daingean). Subs – Kyle Higgins (Ferbane) for Bourke (51m), Daire McDaid (Tullamore) for O'Toole-Greene (52m), Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks) for Bryant (60m).

FERMANAGH: Sean McNally; Lee Cullen, Che Cullen, Fionan O'Brien; Jonathan Cassidy, Declan McCusker, Ronan McCaffrey; Oisin Smyth, Darragh McGurn; Shane McGullion, Ryan Lyons, Paul Breen; Josh Largo Elis, Garvan Jones, Conor Love. Subs – Sean Cassidy for Che Cullen (40m), Conor McGee for McGullion (56m), Joe McDade for McGurn (60m), Oisin Murphy for Lyons (65m), Diarmuid King for Love (69m).

Referee – Kevin Faloon (Armagh).

REFEREE WATCH

Kevin Faloon had a solid game but was at the centre of two huge late calls – the decision to penalise Offaly for not having three men forward and not giving them a free in right at the end.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

That free against Dylan Hyland had a huge bearing on the outcome and if footage confirms that it was wrong, then Offaly are very hard done by.

VENUE WATCH

The game was switched to St Joseph's grounds in Ederrney, Fermanagh on Saturday. It meant an extra fifteen miles of a journey past Enniskillen for Offaly fans but it was a beautiful venue with very impressive facilities and a genuine welcome for the visitors from the hosts.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 11 (4 in first half); Fermnagh - 9 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: 0

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0