Sensational injury time winning goal puts Offaly into knockout stages

OFFALY had a sensational win over Meath in the Leinster Minor Football Championship at Navan on Saturday afternoon to keep their season alive.

Leinster Minor Football Championship round 2

Offaly 3-6
Meath 2-8

A bizzarre scrambled goal over six minutes into injury time pulled Offaly back from the brink of a devastating defeat and puts them on course for a place in the knockout stages.

The goal was a pure fluke as Cillian Lowry pulled on a breaking ball but it was blocked. Meath sub Jamie Murphy tried to blast it clear from two metres out but it hit the back of Offaly sub Sean Brennan who was prone on the ground. Brennan didn't know a whole lot about it but as it went towards the net, frantic Meath defenders scrambled it out but both umpires immediately signalled that it had crossed the line and the green flag went up.

It means that Offaly are into the knockout stages and Meath are out. It is a four team group with Offaly playing Longford last and Meath playing Kildare. However, Meath have lost to both Offaly and no matter what combination of results emerges in the last round, they will be gone under the head to head if not on points alone.

Over the balance of the game, it was a very deserved win for Offaly but they looked to be gone when Michael O'Sullivan gave Meath a 2-8 to 2-6 lead with the four minutes of the announced injury time played.

Had the final whistle went, Offaly wouldn't have had much ground for complaint but the referee allowed one final attack with a free being awarded in after Christian McKeon received treatment for an injury. The free dropped in short and in the frantic goalmouth scramble, Offaly got the goal and a shell shocked Meath had no time to respond.

It was an amazing end to a low scoring game that only truly sprang to life and opened up in the closing quarter. Offaly were the better team and did not deserve to lose but they certainly snatched it at the end.

Offaly gave a much improved performance from their first round malfunction against Kildare. Meath were not as good as Kildare but Offaly still displayed a much greater work ethic and hunger, on and off the ball. The volume of ball they turned over in the second half in particular was a telling factor in their win, though they did get sloppy late on and it was defensive mistakes that allowed Meath edge in front so close to the end.

With Kildare having ran through them in the first round, Offaly set up defensively and were the better team for a good 20 minutes plus while playing into the wind in the first half.

An injury time penalty goal from Michael O'Sullivan, harshly awarded after a Meath attacker went down under a dual tackle, gave Meath a 1-2 to 0-3 half time lead and there is no way they should have been ahead at the break.

Scores were at a premium but Offaly controlled the game and a three or four point half time lead would not have flattered them. Instead they missed way too much for their own good, registering seven first half wides while dropping another couple of shots short.

The only point in the opening 19 minutes was a Mason Farrell one while Conor Fox should have goaled in the first minute when he hit the post. Meath equalised with their first shot at the target from Michal O'Sullivan in the 19th minute and took the lead through a Neil McGinley free. Offaly's forwards sharpened up after this and found the range with points from Niall Furlong (free) and Cillian Bourke before that penalty goal gave Meath a lead they didn't deserve.

The second half continued in a similar vein though Meath were now as wasteful as Offaly. An excellent 34th minute goal from wing back Shane Rigney when he raced into space and drove a lot shot into the net gave Offaly a 1-3 to 1-2 lead. Meath equalised through a free from Rian Stafford, a son of shooting legend Brian Stafford and those were the only scores in the third quarter.

Offaly were turning over a lot of ball and attacking with more menace but shooting remained an issue. The game came to life in the fourth quarter. Offaly should have got a penalty when Cameron Egan was pulled back and Meath edged in front with a Conor McWeeney point. Niall Furlong (free) and Finn White exchanged points to leave Meath 1-5 to 1-4 ahead after fifty minutes.

Furlong equalised with a free and Offaly got a crucial goal in the 51st minute after an excellent move ended with Niall Furlong sending Conor Fox in and he finished superbly.

The closing ten minutes made up for a lot of the previous mediocity as both sides went at it. Rian Stafford and Padraig McLoughlin swopped fisted points as the game entered injury time. Then Offaly lost their way, struggling to get their hands on the ball. Neil McGinley brought it back to the minimum with two points, the second after a bad kickout from Regan Kelly. Offaly were out on their feet and Michael O'Sullivan's goal came after Offaly went backwards while attacking and gave the ball away.

There was one final twist in the tail and Offaly made it by the skin of their teeth. On the day, Offaly had fine performances from Darragh McKeon, Shane Rigney, Padraig McLoughlin, Ben Kennedy and Niall Furlong.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Daragh McKeon (Offaly): Daragh McKeon had a very solid game at the heart of the Offaly defence. He was very solid, strong on the ball and did very little wrong. Niall Furlong was also a contender as he helped drive Offaly forward with a super closing quarter.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Conor Fox and Sean Brennan 1-0 each, Niall Furlong 0-3 (3f), Cillian Bourke, Padraig McLoughlin and Mason Farrell 0-1 each.

Meath: Michael O'Sullivan 1-1 (goal from a penalty), Neil McGinley 0-3 (1f), Rian Stafford 0-2 (1f), Fnn White and Conor McWeeney 0-1 each.

OFFALY: Regan Kelly (Daingean); Christian McKeon (Clara), David O'Rourke (Shamrocks), Cathal Guinan (Ballycumber); Cameron Egan (St Brigid's), Daragh McKeon (Clara), Shane Rigney (St Rynagh's); Cillian Bourke (Tullamore), Padraig McLoughlin (Tubber); Mason Farrell (Edenderry), Conor Fox (Tubber), Darcy Thomas (Ballinamere); Ben Kennedy (St Brigid's), Donal Shirley (Tubber), Niall Furlong (Tullamore). Subs – Cillian Lowry (Edenderry) for Shirley (46m), Steven Doran (Ballinamere) for Thomas (48m), Jack Daly (Tullamore) for Egan (48m), Conor Melia (Bracknagh) for Kennedy (54m), Sean Brennah (Kilclonfert) for Christian McKeon (66m).

MEATH: Oisin Black; Oisin Daly, Eoghan Drysdale, Eoghan Ryan; Finn White, Aidan Mackey, Seimi Byrne; Tadgh Martyn, Cian Commons; Matthew Scanlon, Michael McIvor, Conor McWeeney; Robbie Finnegan, Neil McGinley, Michael O'Sullivan. Subs – Rian Stafford for McIvor, inj. (HT) Cian Crawford for Scanlon (HT), Darragh Smith for Byrne (48m), Jamie Murphy (for Commons (55m), Oisin Brennan for White (57m),

Referee – Kieran Harris.