Relieved Offaly stay on course for promotion after surviving real struggle in Leitrim

WITH Sligo holding Fermanagh to a draw on Saturday night, a new pathway to promotion opened for Offaly after their disappointing defeat in the Ulster county the previous week and they just about fulfilled their end of the bargain with a very hard earned win in Leitrim on Sunday.

National Football League Division 3 Round 4

Offaly 1-13

Leitrim 1-9

It was a real struggle for Offaly who were never comfortable and were not that far away from suffering a devastating reverse against a side who had found it very tough to date in Division 3.

Offaly were pushed to the pin of their collar and the overwhelming emotion afterwards was one of relief. Five points to no score behind after just eight minutes, Offaly had played very well to turn things around and lead by 1-7 to 0-6 at half time.

They were so superior in the fifteen minutes coming up to half time that it was difficult to envisage anything other than a comfortable away win. In the wind up, Offaly ended up holding on for dear life, doing just about enough to get over the line but not a whole lot more.

There was, however, only one thing that mattered here and that was the result. The ways and means, the general performance did not really matter and it was all about coming home with two points. With Leitrim going so badly and after shipping some big beatings, this was a a banana skin for Offaly, especially after that loss in Fermanagh a week earlier. Venues such as Ballinamore are always difficult places to win in and there was plenty of positives in Offaly's win.

After that shocking start, their work rate was very high and they mopped up a lot of possession. They did make some mistakes and were overturned a bit softly on occasions but the manner in which they responded after Leitrim got back into the game in the second half was very impressive.

For most of the second half, Offaly looked to be operating in a comfort zone. They never really opened up and certainly didn't put their opponents away but their lead alternated between four and five points for most of it.

Offaly had introduced Marcas Dalton and Jack Bryant at half time for Aaron Kellaghan and Dylan Hyland – Hyland was on a yellow card and it had been a tough few days for him after carrying the coffin of a much loved grandfather Tosh Gorry from Geashill to his grave in Raheen on Saturday morning: a moments silence was observed for him before the game. Dalton and Bryant both got crucial points in the second half with Dalton's 37^th minute one making it 1-8 to 0-6.

After this Leitrim cut the deficit to four points on three occasions but crucially, Offaly were able to respond with the next point each occasion. Jack Bryant's delicious point made it 1-11 to 0-9 in the 59^th minute but the downside of Offaly's second half display was that they couldn't manage points back to back for a long time and put Leitrim to bed.

They were rocked with ten minutes left when Darren Cox raced through to score a super goal after a great break forward – though Offaly will be disappointed with the ease that the impressive Conor Quinn fielded the initial ball in midfield.

Suddenly Offaly's gap was only two points and they were in danger of a disastrous draw or defeat. They did do very well to steady the ship from here, playing very steady, composed football. It is a credit to Offaly's patience and ability to do the right thing that Leitrim not only didn't score again but didn't look like doing so.

Still, Offaly supporters could not relax for one second. Paddy Dunican's value to the team was really demonstrated in the second half as he excelled as an extra man going forward. He curled over a super 68^th minute point to leave a very brave Leitrim side needing a goal. Four minutes of injury time was played and Offaly were excellent in this. They kept the ball and Leitrim just couldn't get their hands on it with Keith O'Neill converting a free with three of the minutes elapsed to wrap up the points.

For the second week in a row, Offaly started in first gear and their worse nightmare unfolded as Leitrim took them to the cleaners early on, scoring five points without reply in the first eight minutes.

It looked like it could be one of those days for Offaly who got off the mark with a ninth minute free from Keith O'Neill and they were clearly the better team from here to the interval. With a slight breeze on their backs, Leitrim could only manage one more point in the half and an injury time punched goal from John Furlong gave the visitors a 1-7 to 0-6 interval lead.

A noticeable pick up in Offaly's work rate was pivotal to their turnaround from that bleak early position. They kicked a couple of poor wides and were 0-6 to 0-2 behind after twenty minutes but got completely on top from here to the interval.

Winning a lot of breaking ball in the middle third, the very hard working Kyle Higgins got their first point from play in the 21^st minute. Shane Tierney, Daire McDaid and Keith O'Neill levelled it up and Offaly had an extraordinary miss in the 30^th minute when Leitrim goalkeeper Daire O'Shea spilled a Paddy Dunican ball and the unfortunate Aaron Kellaghan may have got off balance but blazed wide with an open goal.

Leitrim had a legitimate enough penalty appeal turned back moments later while John Furlong turned the game around before the interval. First he made a great diving block to deny Leitrim corner back Eoin McLoughlin a goal and then, with the two minutes of injury time just up, he cropped up at the other end, getting his fist to a dropping Paddy Dunican ball to give Offaly what looked to be a decisive interval lead – Cathal Flynn had edged Offaly ahead in the 34^th minute with an audacious point from out on the right.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cormac Egan (Offaly): Once again two of Offaly's outstanding young players, Cormac Egan and Cathal Flynn vied for selection. Egan is my choice by a breath and gets the nod by virtue of a quite stunning first half display. When Offaly were struggling early on, he turned over a couple of balls and his hunger shone like a beacon. It galvanised everyone and got the whole team going – they had little option but to follow suit. Egan's ball carrying forward was sensational as he broke tackles and created openings for Offaly. He almost got in for a goal as well and while he tired a bit in the second half as well as being overturned on a couple of occasions after carrying the ball into traffic, he continued to prosper – winning one crucial ball against the head when Leitrim were back in it and using most of his ball very efficiently.

Cathal Flynn is in terrific form this year and is a man of the match contender in every game. He was as effective in the second half as Egan was in the first, so composed on the ball and probing very patiently. Egan and Flynn are two of the 2021 All-Ireland U20 champions coming good now and it augurs well for the future while John Furlong was also excellent and Keith O'Neill had very good moments.

Paddy Dunican's influence was considerable while Lee Pearson and Daire McDaid did a lot of very good work in a hard working defence. Jack McEvoy had a good first half at midfield before tiring in the second half while Jordan Hayes continued his rich vein of form. Kyle Higgins, a late call up for Cillian Bourke who has a knee injury, put in a great shift, drifting out to help midfield and showing great drive.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: John Furlong 1-0, Keith O'Neill 0-3 (2f), Paddy Dunican 0-2 (1 '45'), Cathal Flynn, Dylan Hyland (f), Jack Bryant, Shane Tierney, Kyle Higgins, Daire McDaid, Marcas Dalton, Nigel Dunne (f) 0-1 each.

Leitrim: Paul Honeyman 0-4 (4f), Darren Cox 1-0, Keith Keegan 0-2, Conor Quinn, Ben Guckian, Riordan O'Rourke 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Paddy Dunican (Shamrocks); Lee Pearson (Edenderry), Aidan Bracken (Ballycommon), Rory Egan (Edenderry); Daire McDaid (Tullamore), John Furlong (Tullamore), Cormac Egan (Tullamore); Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue), Jordan Hayes (Edenderry); Kyle Higgins (Ferbane), Cathal Flynn (Ferbane), Keith O'Neill (Clonbullogue); Dylan Hyland (Raheen), Aaron Kellaghan (Rhode), Shane Tierney (Daingean). Subs – Jack Bryant (Shamrocks) for Kellaghan (HT), Marcas Dalton (Clara) for Hyland (HT), Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks) for Tierney (56m), Morgan Tynan (Ballinagar) for McEvoy (58m).

LEITRIM: Daire O'Shea; Eoin McLoughlin, Kieran Clancy, Eanna McNamara; Jack Foley, Mark Diffley, James Rooney; Keith Keegan, Conor Quinn; Jack Flynn, Ben Guckian, Paul Honeyman; Riordan O'Rourke, Darren Cox, Tom Prior. Subs – Sean Harkin for Foley (55m), David Mitchell for Rooney (60m), Stephen McLoughlin for Keegan (68m), Keith Beirne for Quinn (69m).

Refereee - Alan Coyne (Westmeath).

REFEREE WATCH

Leitrim did plenty of complaining at the performance of Alan Coyle, arguing that they should have got a first half penalty and that John Furlong's injury time goal was in the square. Both of those calls were very marginal while Leitrim also complained vociferously at some second half decisions. The referee was definitely right with some of those contested decisions while Offaly were harshly penalised a couple of times as well and he did most things very well.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Just seconds before John Furlong's injury time first half goal, a Leitrim supporter remarked that they would be very happy if they got to the half time dressing room with a 0-7 to 0-6 deficit. Instead Furlong's goal gave Offaly breathing space and was a major factor in their win.

VENUE WATCH

Ballinamore provided a lovely, rural venue and the host county had loads of stewards to manage the fixture.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly host Kildare on Sunday week.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 8 (7 in first half); Leitrim - 2 (0 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 2 (Dylan Hyland, Aidan Bracken); Leitrim – 2 (Ben Guckian, Mark Diffley).

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0