Professional Offaly book quarter-final place with ease

NO one will be getting in any way excited at a home Tailteann Cup win over Wicklow but there was something quietly impressive and pleasing about the way Offaly qualified for the quarter-final in Tullamore on Sunday afternoon.

Tailteann Cup first round

Offaly 0-18
Wicklow 0-10

Offaly had a very comfortable win and they were in cruise control for the closing quarter. It wasn't an earth shattering performance or close to that but it was very professional, efficient and very competent as they controlled the game almost the whole way.

Wicklow caused a few early problems but once Offaly found their feet, they were never in the slightest danger of losing. They led by 0-9 to 0-3 after playing with a stiff wind in the first half and doubled their tally in the second half. Wicklow didn't score from play until the 37th minute and while they had spells of pressure in the second half, they were never sustained enough to cause Offaly real anxiety.

Wicklow could never manage any more than two successive scores and Offaly's ability to reply at regular intervals meant that the result was never in doubt. It wasn't a perfect performance by Offaly but it was very reasonable and the big take from this is that they are clearly up for this competition and want to do well.

Offaly played with a significant breeze in the first half and it took them a while to settle into the game. Wicklow posed plenty of early problems but as the half wore on, Offaly were clearly the better side.

They pulled men back behind the ball but then adapted a policy of kicking high ball in on top of Niall McNamee. It didn't always work, though it did yield some dividends and Offaly were full value for their 0-9 to 0-3 half time lead.

They were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after fifteen minutes and the bad wides from both sides had cancelled each other out. It was 0-5 to 0-2 in Offaly's favour when Patrick O'Keane got a harsh enough black card after fouling Niall McNamee in the 20th minute.

McNamee tapped over the free as Offaly outscored Wicklow by four points to one when they were a man up for that six point half time lead. It was a good lead but Offaly probably should have been further ahead at the break.

Wicklow got the first two points of the second half with Mark Kenny getting their first from play in the 37th minute. That brought the gap back to four points and for a brief few moments, it looked like the visitors might get back into it.

Instead Offaly replied with the next two through a Niall McNamee free and Niall Darby point from play. That really knocked the life out of Wicklow a bit and the ease that Offaly got home with from here was surprising. After Kenny again pointed for Wicklow, Offaly got the next two through Bill Carroll and Jordan Hayes for a 0-13 to 0-6 lead.

Offaly were double scores, 0-14 to 0-7 ahead when Cian Donoghue got a black card for a hand trip in the 54th minute. Even that didn't make it interesting and Offaly were home and dry. Wicklow couldn't get any closer than five points and Offaly won pulling up.

Offaly were on high alert for this game as Wicklow had displayed some decent form this year and their victory was much easier than expected. They achieved it thanks to a hard working and honest display with some excellent individual performances.

Johnny Moloney and Ruari McNamee were brilliant for Offaly while Niall McNamee had an excellent first half, though he wasn't in the game as much in the second half. Declan Hogan, Jordan Hayes, Bill Carroll, Anton Sullivan in the first half and Keith O'Neill also impressed while Cathal Flynn and Morgan Tynan both did very well off the bench, helping instill new life into the team.

Offaly now go into the quarter-finals draw along with Carlow, Westmeath and New York and it is clear that they are hungry to make progress in this competition.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ruari McNamee (Offaly): A toss of the coin between Johnny Moloney and Ruari McNamee. Both players dictated affairs at opposite ends of the pitch. Moloney was almost foot perfect at centre half back, tackling brilliantly, breaking tackles and stiding forward as well as keeping Dean Healy anonymous. McNamee edges it on this occasion. A huge volume of ball went through his hands and he scarcely wasted one. He linked very well, scored three points and his work rate was a feature of his game as he also channeled back when that was required.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Niall McNamee 0-5 (3f and 1m), Ruari McNamee 0-3, Anton Sullivan and Jack Bryant 0-2 each, Niall Darby, Jordan Hayes, Bill Carroll, Keith O'Neill, Morgan Tynan and Mark Abbott 0-1 each.

Wicklow: Mark Jackson (2f and 1 '45') and Eoin Darcy (3f) 0-3 each, Kevin Quinn (2m) and Mark Kenny 0-2 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Paddy Dunican (Shamrocks); Lee Pearson (Edenderry), Declan Hogan (Tullamore), Niall Darby (Rhode); Rory Egan (Edenderry), Johnny Moloney (Tullamore), Cian Donoghue (St Brigid's); Conor McNamee (Rhode), Jordan Hayes (Edenderry); Bill Carroll (Cappincur), Ruari McNamee (Rhode), Anton Sullivan (Rhode); Jack Bryant (Shamrocks), Niall McNamee (Rhode), Keith O'Neill (Clonbullogue). Subs – Morgan Tynan (Ballinagar) for Conor McNamee (39m), Cathal Flynn (Ferbane) for Sullivan (48m), Mark Abbott (Edenderry) for Bryant (57m), Kieran Dolan (Shamrocks) for Pearson, inj. (61m), Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue) for Hayes (69m)

WICKLOW: Mark Jackson; Malachy Stone, Patrick O'Keane, Tom Moran; Jack Kirwan, Zach Cullen, Oisin Cullen; Padraig O'Toole, John Paul Hurley; Rory Stokes, Dean Healy, Arran Murphy; Mark Kenny, Kevin Quinn, Eoin Darcy. Subs – Oisin McGraynor for Stokes (45m), Noel Mulhall for Stone (49m), Paul Cunningham for Kirwan (57m), Mark Cullen for O'Toole (69m).

Referee – Sean Lonergan (Tipperary).