Offaly U20 football team announced for big quarter-final clash

THE Offaly U20 football team has been announced for this evening's big Leinster U20 Football Championship quarter-final clash with Longford.

Offaly travel to Clonguish's ground at Newtownforbes for a 7.30pm throw in and three changes have been announced for the starting line-up – as with a lot of announced teams, it does come with a warning and there is the possibility of changes before throw in.

We can take it that the vast majority of the team will start but it will be a surprise if it lines out as selected. Offaly qualified for the quarter-final with a win over Wicklow last week after losing to Kildare in the first round. Clodiagh Gaels' Eoin Dunne, Walsh Island's Dara Cuddihy and Ballinagar's Conor Bracken are selected with Brian Carroll, Colm Egan and Cillian Foran on the bench.

Ferbane man Brian Carroll started at midfield last week but went off injured in the 50^th minute and he is not named among the subs now. Carroll played well while Eoin Dunne's demotion to the bench was a talking point as he has been on the Offaly senior football panel this year – the physically strong Killeigh man wasn't one of the five subs used, even though he was on the bench for Offaly's Leinster Senior Football Championship loss to Laois on Saturday.

It remains to be seen if Foran starts. Conor Bracken started in the first round against Kildare and was named to start against Wicklow but was replaced by Cillian Foran before throw in – a fast, skilful, exciting forward, Bracken, who came on as a late sub for Ballinagar in their Division 2 Football League loss to Cappincur last Sunday, has loads of football in him and is new to intercounty football as he didn't play county minor or feature on underage development squads. Edenderry man Foran went very well against Wicklow, scoring three of his four points from play and playing the full game – he certainly did enough to earn a start, unless management want an option coming off the bench.

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The selection of Dara Cuddihy is interesting. Cuddihy has pace and talent but didn't feature in the first two games and again, we will have to wait and see what team lines up at throw in time.

Offaly have a decent chance of progressing, and it looks to be a 50-50 game. Longford qualified as runners up from group 2, beating Laois by 2-17 to 1-15 and Carlow, 2-20 to 1-13 before losing to Meath by 3-15 to 0-12.

It pits the Leinster minor football champions of the last two years against each other. Longford won in 2024 with Offaly having a sensational against the odds success last year. Many of these players will feature and the fact that Longford's are a year older is a help to them as physical power and conditioning is a big factor at this level.

The Offaly team features minors from last year in Tomas Carroll, Eoin Rouse, Charlie Duffy, Dylan Dunne and Cian McNamee while Ruari Woods, who is in close contention for a starting place, and Tony Furey are subs – Furey is a new addition to the subs bench for this game as is Ballycumber's Conor Daly with Brian Carroll and Kilclonfert's Tadgh Kelly not named.

Offaly have a very nice team and they have prospects but will have to improve to stay on the road.

The announced Offaly team is: Jack Ryan (Doon); Tomas Carroll (Erin Rovers), Jack Maher (Tullamore), Patrick Kenna (Tullamore); Jake Maher (Ferbane), Christian McKeon (Clara), Harry Goulding (Edenderry); Charlie Duffy (Edenderry), Eoin Dunne (Clodiagh Gaels); Dara Cuddihy (Walsh Island), Dylan Dunne (Clara), Eoin Rouse (Tullamore); Conor Bracken (Ballinagar), Cian McNamee (Rhode), Kaelem Bryan (Edenderry). Subs – Adam Wallace (Ballinagar), Cillian Foran (Edenderry), Colm Egan (Ballycumber), Ruari Woods (Belmont), Aaron Molloy (St Rynagh's), Conor Daly (Ballycumber), Luke Fitzgerald (Doon), Eoghan Cullen (Edenderry), Tony Furey (Edenderry).