Offaly fall away in second half to qualify as group runners-up

WITH qualification already secured, the stakes were not particularly high for Offaly but they will still be very disappointed at their overall display as they fell away to a defeat to Westmeath in the second half of their final group game in Raharney on Saturday afternoon.

Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Tier 2 Group 1 Round 5

Westmeath 4-15

Offaly 2-17

The result itself is not that important and if there was a time and a place to produce a poor display, this was it. It was not that Offaly were that poor but their intensity levels were not high enough at times, a few players were below par and their defence struggled when Westmeath hit top stride.

It means that Offaly now face into a more difficult preliminary quarter-final against the other tier two group winners, Laois while Westmeath have Carlow. That may be no bad thing and it will be a very much win or bust occasion next Saturday.

Manager Brian Carroll will certainly have several things he will want to highlight to players during the week and with a lot of room for improvement, Offaly are well capable of getting the show back on the road.

This was a very mixed bag of a performance by Offaly. Without hitting top gear, they motored okay in the first half when playing with the wind and were full value for their 0-12 to 1-5 half time lead. They had been fairly flat at the start and the sides were tied three times in the opening six minutes before Offaly began to move at greater pace. They were 0-5 to 0-3 ahead when Westmeath's first goal arrived in the 10^th minute, Conor Williams blasting a free to the net – the Offaly defence were a bit asleep, anticipating a tap over point and they could have had one extra man back on the line, at least.

Offaly's first six points all came from a flying Odhran Fletcher, two of them from play and Ruari Woods finally broke the duck for the rest of them with a 16^th minute point to put Offaly 0-7 to 1-3 ahead. They were clearly the better team from here to the interval, playing their best hurling in the second quarter. Fletcher, Macdara Mitchell, Darragh Phelan and Eamon Maher all got very nice points and that four point half time lead gave Offaly a very solid foundation.

The defence had lived dangerously in the first half and were fortunate not to concede another couple of goals and the roof did fall in on them in the second half. Padraig Monaghan ignited for Westmeath and he got two points and a quality 44^th minute goal to give Westmeath a 2-10 to 0-14 lead.

By the 50^th minute, the gap was 2-14 to 0-15 and Monaghan had wasted a great opportunity from ten metres as Offaly wobbled badly. There were then four goals in a row in an extraordinary two minute spell from the 51^st to 53^rd minute. Aaron Screeney, younger brother of Jack and Adam, got Offaly's two but unfortunately for them, they immediately conceded to Westmeath after each one – and the fact that both of Offaly's were somewhat fortunate and sloppy, from a Westmeath perspective, sums up their second half display, though full credit to Screeney who was lively when introduced, did really well to create the second goal in particular and injected a bit of life into a floundering attack.

Dual county minor Eamon Maher did most to bring Offaly back into it as he began to take on the Westmeath defence and his blistering run led to the first, a real scrambled one from the Kilcormac-Killoughey route. Cian McKeogh immediately responded for Westmeath and Screeney's second was also in the preventable category as his 53^rd minute shot was parried into the net by Niall Brady.

Westmeath swept down the field and Padraig Monaghan got his second goal after James Carroll had saved well from Cian McKeogh. That gave Westmeath a 4-14 to 2-15 lead and while two Fletcher frees brought it back to a goal, a huge long range free by Conor Williams sealed the deal for Westmeath – a draw would have been enough for Offaly to top the group.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Padraig Monaghan (Westmeath): Padraig Monaghan ended up as a match winner for Westmeath with 2-3 and a super second half display. You had to feel sorry for Offaly full back Jack O'Donoghue who did a mountain of very good defensive work in the first half when he was one of their best players and was emerging as contender with Odhran Fletcher for man of the match. However, he got turned a couple of times in the second half and was called ashore after 44 minutes as Monaghan showed his class.

Offaly had a lot of players that tried hard with Barry Bennett excellent in defence at times while Fiachra Carroll did a lot of good work at midfield. Odhran Fletcher was very much the main man up front but was well curtailed in the second half while Eamon Maher finished powerfully and another dual player, Ruari Woods had good moments. Tom O'Dwyer and Aaron Screeney both make positive impacts off the bench with O'Dwyer impressing with some surging runs up the field.

Overall, however, it was all a bit subdued – the collective work rate was a small but short and a handful of players plus were short of their best.

THE SCORERS

Westmeath: Conor Williams 1-9 (1-9 frees), Padraig Monaghan 2-3, Oisin McCauley 0-2, Finn Higgins 0-1.

Offaly: Odhran Fletcher 0-12 (8f and 1 '65'), Aaron Screeney 2-0, Eamon Maher 0-2, Darragh Phelan, Macdara Mitchell and Ruari Woods 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: James Carroll (Birr); Jason Donoghue (Tullamore), Jack O'Donoghue (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Sean Finlay (Tullamore); Barry Bennett (Birr), Oisin Carroll (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Sean Walshe (Coolderry); Fiachra Carroll (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Darragh Phelan (Ballyskenach-Killavilla); Conor Thornton (Shamrocks), Eamon Maher (Ferbane), Macdara Mitchell (Kilcormac/Killoughey); Jack Dunican (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Odhran Fletcher (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Ruari Woods (Belmont). Subs – Tom O'Dwyer (Birr) for Thornton (36m), Adam Martin (Tullamore) for Dunican (39m), Aaron Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Phelan (43m), Philip Larkin (Coolderry) for O'Donoghue (44m).

WESTMEATH: Niall Brady; Dara Mulligan, Ted Aherne, Dylan Gaffney; Eanna Kiernan, Cian Fleming, Conor Cleary; Sean Byrne, Oisin McCauley; Eoghan Beehan, Cian McKeogh, Conor Maleady; MJ Long, Padraig Monaghan, Conor Williams. Subs – Finn Higgins for Beehan (18m), Cian O'Meara for Long (52m), Ronan Lawlor for Cleary (58m), Eoin McGrath for Maleady (60m).

Referee – Owen Beehan, Kilkenny.

REFEREE WATCH

Owen Beehan refereed it well with no big issues. His communication with players was particularly praise worthy as he clearly explained to them why frees were given and when the advantage was over. He also admonished someone on the Westmeath sideline at one stage for the way he was speaking to his own players and that was no harm at all either as there is a right and wrong way to talk to players, particularly underage ones.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Westmeath may not have won it without Conor Williams' first half goal as they struggled to stay in contention.

VENUE WATCH

Raharney have a nice grounds with a good pitch and plenty of stewards but spectator facilities were very basic with no covered occasion and with so many clubs having developed stands, these fixtures really should be played at those venues. Fortunately there was no rain on a warm, dry day but there had been torrential rain in places on Friday but that was the luck of the draw.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly play Laois in the quarter-finals while Westmeath play the runner up in the other second tier group, Carlow.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 7 (2 in first half); Westmeath - 9 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 1 (Adam Martin); Westmeath – 4 (Dara Mulligan, Dylan Gaffney, Oisin McCauley and Eanna Kiernan).

Red cards: 0