Brilliant Raftery runs riot for Dubs as hard working Offaly let decent opportunity slip

A SENSE of missed opportunity filled the Parnell Park air for Offaly in the opening round of the Leinster Minor Football Championship as they endured a loss to Dublin on Tuesday evening.

Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship Group 1 Round 1

Dublin 3-14

Offaly 1-13

With a hugely promising talent in Cian Raftery running riot and scoring a sensational 1-9, including three two pointers, Dublin certainly deserved to win but Offaly gave a very decent performance and spurned different chances to take control.

They were in a promising position when trailing by five points at half time after playing into a powerful wind. The game was there to be won for them but a couple of things went against them in the second half. Their attack didn't flow quite good enough to win while the wind also died down and was not as influential in the second half but even with that, it could have been done. They were right there on a couple of occasions, two points behind after 38 minutes, three after 50 but immediately conceded a goal to knock them back on their feet.

The losing margin ended up at seven points and Offaly definitely could have been a lot closer than that. They were honest and hard working, played some very efficient football and can take a lot more positives out of this than they could have from last year's opening round loss to Dublin in Tullamore – and Offaly went onto win the Leinster title in quite sensational fashion.

We are not saying this Offaly team will do the same and the jury is out of them but the basics of work rate and desire are there, and they are clearly capable of playing football. On the day, they just couldn't live with the quality of Raftery who looks a real special talent while Mobarak Salami ran the game to an extent for Dublin in the second half.

With games to come against Longford and Westmeath and three qualifying from the group, this loss is not a disaster for Offaly. There is something to build on and on the basis of this display, they certainly have the potential to qualify.

Playing against a very strong wind in the first half, Offaly put themselves in position to snatch a morale boosting win when they went in trailing by 1-7 to 0-5 at half time.

They made a nightmare start, conceding a goal after ten seconds and a two pointer just a few seconds later. Both of them were scored by the outstanding Cian Rafterty and the goal could perhaps have been kept out by Ryan Casey, who just couldn't get his body behind the powerful strike.

It looked ominous for Offaly when Rafterty made it 1-4 with another two pointer in the ninth minute but the visitors did very well from here to the interval. Rafterty was the difference in the first half, arrowing over a third outrageous two pointer in the 21^st minute to make it 1-7 to 0-3.

Yet Offaly would have been quietly content at half time as their heads didn't drop and they worked their way back into the game. They had started with centre back Cathal Carroll at corner forward but back as a defender with Patrick Duffy centre back, spending some time out midfield.

Offaly outscored Dublin by 0-5 to 0-3 from the 10^th minute to half time. All of their scores came from frees, four from Paddy Burns and one from Oliver Goulding but against that wind, that was not the cardinal sin it would normally be. Offaly's football in the second quarter was impressive in an understated way.

They held onto the ball very well, keeping possession for extended periods and running the clock down. That was the right approach against the wind but strangely, Dublin helped them, standing off them and not pressing up on them. This meant that Offaly had a lot of uncontested ball between the two forty metres line and you would wonder what Dublin were at.

Still five points was a nice lead for the home side but apart from Raftery, they were nothing special. It was definitely a 5-6 point wind and the big question at half time was could Offaly haul it in and what would they be like with the wind on their backs.

The big difference in the second half was that Dublin had more of a scoring threat against the wind in open play than Offaly had in the first. Whereas Offaly concentrated on holding the ball against the wind and attracting fouls, Dublin attacked with more menace.

Mobarak Salami and Raftery got early points to put them into a 1-9 to 0-6 lead before Offaly got right back into it with two great two pointers from James Slevin and Paddy Burns. Now just two points behind, 1-9 to 0-10, it was set up for Offaly to turn the screw but instead Dublin got the all important second goal in the 38^th minute. The Offaly defence were guilty of standing off Cian O'Dwyer and he took advantage, running down their throat. He was close to over carrying but managed to drive the ball to the net and that goal knocked the stuffing out of Offaly.

Dublin always looked like they would win from here. They led by 2-10 to 0-10 after 50 minutes. Offaly gave themselves a lifeline with a Darragh Stewart tap in goal after Oliver Goulding's shot was saved in the 50^th minute but again, they conceded devastating scores just after getting into position.

Again a raiding Dublin forward, the very effective Mubarak Salami was allowed make too much ground and his ball across was toe poked into the net by Eoghan Madden moments later. That man Raftery added another breathtaking point for a 3-11 to 1-10 lead.

Oliver Goulding gave Offaly a glimmer of hope with a great 54^th minute two point free but time was against them and Dublin played their own version of keep ball as they secured the wind with three of the last five points.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cian Raftery (Dublin): Still underage next year, Cian Rafterty had a magnificent game for Dublin. Only for his 1-6, all the points from two pointers, Dublin would have been in dire trouble at half time. His kicking was sensational and he was technically, an excellent footballer. He added a very good point at the start of the second half, a tap over in the middle of the half, a fantastic late one and was the best player on the field by a country mile.

Offaly had a lot of players who performed well. The survivors from last year's minor team, Patrick Duffy and Darragh Stewart performed really well, leading the way with their work rate, drive and hunger. Players such as Cathal Carroll, John Carroll, Paddy Burns and Dara Waldon also caught the eye in a collectively very honest display.

THE SCORERS

Dublin: Cian Rafterty 1-9 (3 x 2p), Eoghan Madden 1-1, Cian O'Dwyer 1-0, Jamie Heavey 0-2 (1f), Mobarak Salami and Andy McDonnell 0-1 each.

Offaly: Paddy Burns 0-6 (1 x 2p, 4f), Darragh Stewart 1-0, Oliver Goulding 0-3 (1 x 2pf, 1 f), Dara Waldron and James Slevin (2p) 0-2 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Ryan Casey (Tullamore); Cormac Staunton (Clodiagh Gaels), Oran Kenny (Ferbane), Jake Conlon (Tullamore); James Slevin (St Rynagh's), Patrick Duffy (Tullamore), Stephen Murrihy (Tullamore); John Carroll (Clara), Darragh Stewart (Tullamore); Evan Daly (Ballycumber), Dara Waldron (Ferbane), Jamie Harvey (Tullamore); Oliver Goulding (Edenderry), Paddy Burns (Daingean), Cathal Carroll (Erin Rovers). Subs – Robbie Minnock (Daingean) for Slevin (51m), Sean Monahan (Edenderry) for Daly (55m),

DUBLIN: Jamie Galvin; David Lombard, Adam Brecton, Finn Carroll; Cormac Doran, James McCaghy, Bobby Doyle; Colm O'Carroll, Cillian Wilde; Cian Raftery, Mobarack Salami; Calvin Reilly; Eoghan Madden, Jamie Heavey, Cian O'Dwyer. Subs - Max Robinson for Wilde (HT), Archie Champ for Reilly (41m), Andy McDonnell for Robinson (55m),

Referee – Lee Moore, Kildare.

REFEREE WATCH

Lee Moore had a good game. He refereed it very fairly and there were no big issues.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Dublin's second goal from Cian O'Dwyer in the 38^th minute had a huge bearing on the outcome. Offaly had just got the deficit back to two points and it was set up for them to take control. Instead, that goal gave Dublin breathing space and it always looked like they would win from here on.

VENUE WATCH

Parnell Park is never as easy venue to get to and on a dirty day, a small Offaly crowd made the trip to Dublin. The venue was in good order and as usual, Dublin were welcoming hosts.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly are at home to Longford on April 7.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 5 (3 in first half); Dublin - 8 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: 0

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0