Offaly minor hurlers maintain 100% record ahead of knock out stages

Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Tier 2 Group 1

OFFALY 2-15

WESTMEATH 1-13

OFFALY secured a hard earned five point victory over Westmeath to seal their place as group winners in the Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Tier 2 tie at The Faithful Fields on Saturday.

Both side were already assured of their places in the knock out stages prior to this game and the outcome would decide who finished first and second in the group. Both sides wanted to ensure that they went into the knock out stages with a win behind them and that ensured that this was a good contest that was in doubt all the way.

The sides were level seven times overall, six of those in the first half, and they went in at the break deadlocked, 0-8 each.

The game opened up a bit more in the second half and a burst of three goals in a three minute spell in the third quarter enlivened matters. Offaly got the first of them to go four clear but Westmeath responded with a fine goal a couple of minutes later but straight from the puck out, Offaly hit back and went back upfield to net for a second time to regain control. Westmeath did get it down to two points at one stage, but Offaly ensured that they wouldn't be caught and pulled away again in the closing stages.

Victory sends Offaly into the preliminary quarter finals where they will play Laois next Saturday, while Westmeath will face Kildare.

Over the hour Offaly did have a slight advantage but they just couldn't quite shake off their opponents. After scoring two early points inside the first four minutes, Offaly didn't score again from play in the first half. However they showed great accuracy from play in the second half and five more players found the target from play in that half.

Westmeath had picked off more scores from play in the first half but their chances began to dry up as the game wore on. They did manage to hang in until the closing stages but only managed three points in the final 20 minutes of play.

Heavy rain before the start and during the early stages of the game didn't help handling but fortunately that blew off and things brightened up again.

Offaly showed a very good work ethic and were quickly to put pressure on the Westmeath man in possession. They won back a lot of ball that way and ensured that Westmeath didn't have clean possession to set up attacks.

Offaly did cough up possession a couple of times themselves when trying to work the ball out of defence and it did cost them the goal when Offaly lost the ball and Westmeath broke quickly to find the net.

Offaly showed good speed in attack, particularly when Brian Guinan and Conor Egan ran at the Westmeath defence and while it didn't reap huge rewards in the first half, they got more from their speed in the second half, nonemoreso than Egan's second goal when he made a good run and although his first effort was well saved, he followed in quickly to finish the ball to the net.

The first have was evenly contested and the sides were level on six occasions, including at the interval itself. Ryan Williams had Westmeath in front after just 27 seconds but two points from play from Brian Guinan saw Offaly take the lead in the fourth minute but they failed to score from play again for the remainder of the half.

Kian Loughlin levelled from Westmeath but two frees from Killian Wynne edged Offaly two in front after 10 minutes. Westmeath hit back quickly and Cormac McKeogh and Ryan Williams scored to good points from play to tie things up again.

Two frees from Killian Wynne were responded to by two frees from Kian Loughlin for Westmeath and matters were level again after 14 minutes. Killian Wynne's free edged Offaly in front again but Dillon Burke levelled. Offaly captain Andrew Hogan then pointed a long free from the middle of the field but with the half entering injury time Eoin Meehan found the range for Westmeath to send the sides in level at 0-8 each.

Meehan then put Westmeath back in front a minute after the restart but Michael Dooley levelled things for Offaly with a good point and Killian Wynne restored their lead from a free. Conor Egan finished a good run with a point but Kian Loughlin brought the gap down to one again from a free.

Then in the ninth minute Offaly found their way through for their first goal. Conor Egan's ball was well won in the air by Odhran Fletcher and he sent a lovely flick pass to Killian Wynne and he finished the ball to the net.

Westmeath bounced back just over two minutes later. Offaly lost the ball near the middle of the field and Kian Loughlin picked out Cormac McKeogh with a pass and he drilled a low shot to the Offaly net. From the puck out Offaly went back on attack and Conor Egan made a great run. His initial shot was very well saved by Cathal Og Fagan but Egan was in quickly to finish the loose ball to the net.

Kian Loughlin (free) and Dylan Corrigan hit points for Westmeath to cut the gap to two with 11 minutes left but sub Macdara Mitchell settled things for Offaly and Odhran Fletcher pushed the lead out to four again. Cormac McKeogh kept Westmeath within one score with a point three minutes from time but two Odhran Fletcher points (one free) sealed the victory for Offaly.

MATCH ANALYSIS

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Matt Watkins (Ballyskenach-Killavilla); Conor Berry (Clodiagh Gaels), Joey McLoughney (Coolderry), Cian Kinnarney (Durrow); Oisin Carroll (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Andrew Hogan (Coolderry), Michael Dooley (Kinnitty); Luke Bracken (Kilcormac/Killoughey), James O'Sullivan (Shinrone); Brian Guinan (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Killian Wynne (Tullamore), Eamon Maher (Ferbane); Odhran Fletcher (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Conor Egan (Shamrocks), James Hennessy (Drumcullen). Subs: Macdara Mitchell (Kilcormac/Killoughey) (for Cian Kinnarney, 47 mins), Morgan Feenane (Birr) (for James Hennessy, 51 mins), James Sampson (Shinrone) (for Killian Wynne, 56 mins), Sean Carey (Seir Kieran) (for Conor Egan, 61 mins).

WESTMEATH: Cathal Og Fagan; Oisin McCauley, Mikey Weir, Dara Mulligan; Ben McNamee, Sean Hayes, Cian Fleming; Cody Ward, Finn Higgins; Cormac McKeogh, Dylan Corrigan, Eoin Meehan; Kian Loughlin, Dillon Burke, Ryan Williams. Subs: Marc Davis (for Dillon Burke, 43 mins), Setanta Gavigan (for Cody Ward, 53 mins).

REFEREE: Dean Alford (Dublin)

MAN OF THE MATCH

Offaly had a number of strong contenders. Joey McLoughney, Andrew Hogan and Michael Dooley did well in defence, while Killian Wynne and Brian Guinan played well in attack but I've given the nod to Conor Egan. The full forward was in the thick of the action throughout, he caused the Westmeath defence lots of problems when he ran at them and he got the crucial second goal to regain control for Offaly.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Conor Egan's second goal for Offaly was a vital score. Cormac McKeogh had just hauled Westmeath back into the game with their goal to cut the lead to a point but within a minute Offaly responded with Egan racing though and finished at the second attempt and that gave them the little cushion they needed to see out the game to the end.

REFEREE WATCH

Dean Alford did a very good job. He was clear and decisive throughout and always in control. He liaised well with his linesmen and umpires and both Offaly bookings were the result of incidents being brought to his attention by his colleagues.

WHAT’S NEXT

Both sides were already through to the knock out stages before the start so this game was to decide who finished first and second in the group. As group winners Offaly will now meet Laois who finished second in the other group next Saturday, while Westmeath play Kildare.

VENUE WATCH

Torrential rain shortly before the start wasn't welcome but The Faithful Fields was in excellent condition. As usual there were plenty of stewards on duty to look after parking and the venue hosted the game well.

STATISTICS

Wides; Offaly 7 (2 in first half) Westmeath 10 (7 in first half)

Yellow Cards: Offaly 2 (Michael Dooley, Joey McLoughney) Westmeath 2 (Cody Ward, Setanta Gavigan)

Red Cards: None

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Killian Wynne (1-6, 0-6 frees), Conor Egan (1-1), Odhran Fletcher (0-3, 0-1 free), Brian Guinan (0-2), Andrew Hogan (free), Michael Dooley, Macdara Mitchell (0-1 each).

Westmeath; Cormac McKeogh (1-2), Kian Loughlin (0-5, frees), Ryan Williams, Eoin Meehan (0-2 each), Dillon Burke, Dylan Corrigan (0-1 each).