Offaly's character shines through in dramatic last gasp win

FULL of character and showing tremendous heart, Offaly snatched a dramatic win when they edged out Louth in a thrilling Leinster Minor Football Championship quarter-final in Tullamore on Wednesday evening.

Leinster Minor Football Championship quarter-final

Offaly 2-11

Louth 1-13

The home side had to dig so deep to get the win and they took it in perfect circumstances with the winning point coming from Fionn Carney just over the three minutes of announced injury time. That was the penultimate kick of the game and a gutted Louth had no chance to recover with the referee calling for the ball from the kickout.

It was a point worthy of winning any game as Carney brilliantly made the space for himself and fired the ball over from thirty metres with his left foot. It was a great win for Offaly, who looked like they were heading for defeat when Louth scored five points on the trot to take the lead with fifteen minutes left.

Louth were on top in every sector at this stage but just when we were wondering if it would be possible for Offaly to turn the tide, the game changed again. Louth continued to dominate for a few minutes but a super Offaly defence knuckled down to keep them at bay. Amazingly Louth didn't score again in the closing quarter and in the last few minutes, Offaly began to attack with renewed menace.

Robert Carney was wide from a 45 metre free and Brian Carroll also had a poor wide but inside the closing minutes, Offaly got the scores that mattered. The equaliser was an audacious score from Cillian Foran in the 58th minute as he arrowed the ball over with the outside of his left foot from well out on the wing – it was the third point from Foran who had his best game of the championship.

Louth's bolt was shot, though they were so close to forcing extra time and this would have been a lottery with several players on both sides tipping over into empty. Louth did have a couple of late attacks but the Offaly defence were now unbreachable and they didn't manage another shot. If there was to be a late winner, it was going to come from Offaly and that honour fell to Fionn Carney.

It was a very significant win for Offaly and they can approach their semi-final against Dublin or Kildare with great optimism. They are a great example of a team playing to their maximum, working their socks off. They have displayed remarkable improvement over the course of the year and they played some very composed football here.

Cillian Bourke once again gave a master class of midfield. Some of his play was just a joy to observe and he was the standout figure in the game. Mark Mulrooney worked very hard beside him – the Kilcormac-Killoughey man gave away a bit too much ball for comfort and will have to work at this but he won some great ball, had a real presence and he was missed when he went off injured in the 50th minute.

Offaly's defence was magnificent. Christian McKeon was taken out of centre half back to take on man marking duties in the full back line and he was brilliant. He did the simple thing so well, he read the game well and some of his tackling was breathtaking. Patrick Kenna was also superb at full back, also doing his business in a no nonsense manner but providing a rock solid presence and winning crucial, inspiring ball, especially in those all important closing minutes.

Rory Grehan also caught the eye in defence while Cian Bracken and Cillian Foran were Offaly's best two forwards – Bracken may have floated in and out of the game but he was excellent early on, very good on the ball and he topped scored with 1-2. Cameron Egan won a lot of crucial ball in a sweeper role and was particularly influential in the first half but wasn't as prominent in the second half. Kaelem Bryan and Fionn Carney got very important scores while Robert Carney's work rate was exemplary at full forward, though he was another who coughed up a bit too much ball.

It was a very entertaining game of football, played in a very clean and sporting spirit by two sides who just wanted to play the game.

It made for compelling viewing as it went from end to end and was full of swings and round abouts. On a near perfect evening for football, Offaly made a blistering start and had 1-2 on the board before Louth woke up. Cian Bracken had the ball in the net after just fifteen seconds, beating Tiernan Markey with a low drive after Cillian Bourke broke the line.

A Pearse Grimes-Murphy goal brought Louth right back into it in the sixth minute as he blasted home from 20 metres, with Donnacha Keoghan unable to get his hands to it. Louth were level, 1-2 each, after 11 minutes but Offaly responded very well with the next three points from Fionn Carney, Cillian Bourke and Kaelem Bryan.

They then lost their way with Louth scoring five of the next six points to lead for the first time, 1-7 to 1-6, after 26 minutes. Offaly got their second goal in the 27th minute for a 2-6 to 1-7 half time lead with Kaelem Bryan finishing very well after a good move.

It continued in the same vein in the second half with both sides having great purple patches and looking likely winners at different stages.

You also couldn't take your eyes off things for a moment in the second half and it was a genuinely enjoyable game. Offaly got three of the first four points to lead by 2-9 to 1-8 after 36 minutes. Then Louth produced their best football of the evening. They got on top everywhere and drove forward relentlessly. They got five points without reply from Adam Gillespie (3, 2 frees), Pearse Grimes-Murphy and Lorcan Buckley between the 38th and 45th minutes to grab a 1-13 to 2-9 lead.

There was great optimism in Louth about the prospects of this team but just as the winning post loomed into view, they lost their way. Crucially, Grimes-Murphy and Dylan Shevlin missed chances to put them two up and had they got one of those, they might have been able to close it out. Instead, Offaly kept working, kept doing or trying to do the right thing and those atttributes resulted in those dramatic late winning scores.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cillian Bourke (Offaly): Cillian Bourke had a fantastic game at midfield. A huge volume of ball went through his hands and he was so good in possession, almost always finding his man. His fielding was excellent and he gave a masterclass of midfield play. Yet one moment late on was an abiding memory of his display. As the game headed into injury time, he gave away his only really bad ball. He was out on his feet at this stage, almost wrecked but instead of stopping, he tracked back, won the ball in defence and set another Offaly attack in motion. That work rate and attitude was replicated by many others and is the reason Offaly are still on the road.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Cian Bracken 1-2, Kaelem Bryan 1-1, Fionn Carney (1f) and Cillian Foran 0-3 each, Cillian Bourke and Mark Mulrooney 0-1 each.

Louth: Adam Gillespie 0-6 (4f), Pearse Grimes-Murphy 1-2, Lorcan Buckley 0-2, Michael Reid, Keelin Martin and Conor MacCriosta 0-1 each

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Donnacha Keoghan (Ballinagar); Christian McKeon (Clara), Patrick Kenna (Tullamore), Harry Goulding (Edenderry); Rory Grehan (Raheen), Enda McLoughlin (Tubber),Brian Carroll (Ferbane); Cillian Bourke (Tullamore), Mark Mulrooney (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Fionn Carney (Ballyskenach-Killavilla), Cian Bracken (Daingean), Cillian Foran (Edenderry); Kaelem Bryan (Edenderry), Robert Carney (Ballyskenach-Killavilla), Cameron Egan (St Brigid's). Subs – Callum Kelly (Doon) for Mulrooney (50m), Niall Flannery (St Rynagh's) for McLoughlin (55m), Ryan Murphy (Rhode) for Robert Carney (58m).

LOUTH: Tiernan Markey; Cian Farrell, Ciaran McGinty, Keelin Martin; Michael Reid, Padraic Tinnelly, Cormac McKeown; Conor McGinty, Lorcan Buckley; Conor MacCriosta, Dylan Shevlin, Pearse Grimes-Murphy; Adam Gillespie, Josh Taaffe, Shane Lennon. Subs - Ryan Shevlin for Taaffe (55m), Jack Healy for MacCriosta (57m).

Referee - Keith O'Brien (Westmeath).

REFEREE WATCH

Keith O'Brien had a decent game. He didn't give soft frees and if anything, there were a few that could have been given but these balanced out. He looked to allow a bit too long for advantage on a few occasions but again these balanced out. He was fit, up with the play and his impartiality was not open to question.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Fionn Carney's winning point was the big moment here.

VENUE WATCH

The O'Connor Park pitch looked like you could play tennis on it and it was easy to hold the small crowd. The Offaly supporter can be a strange animal at times. They are travelling to Carlow in their thousands for the Leinster U-20 hurling final on Wednesday night but this was also a big game, at home and with a team very deserving of backing. Yet they didn't attend in the numbers they should have but hopefully it will be a different story for the semi-final.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly will play either Dublin or Kildare in the semi-finals. Dublin and Kildare went straight into the semi-finals as group winners and teams are not supposed to meet again at this stage. However, Offaly have already played Kildare and Meath have met Dublin, meaning that a draw will have to take place to determine who meets who.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 6 (3 in first half); Louth - 4 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 1 (Cillian Bourke); Louth 0.

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.