Heroic Offaly send shellshocked Meath into Tailteann Cup

RUNNING on fumes for much of the second half, Offaly showed fantastic character and guts to record a richly deserved win over a shellshocked Meath in the quarter-final of the Leinster Senior Football Championship in O'Connor Park on Saturday afternoon.

Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter-final

Offaly 1-11

Meath 0-10

It was a sensational win for Offaly who were magnificent in the first half as they build up an almost unbelievable half time lead of 1-8 to 0-2. Their energy levels and work rate were incredible to observe and they held on for dear life when they went into the red in the second half.

Offaly could only manage three points in that second half but they tackled and blocked like men possessed, diving in where it hurt and putting their bodies on the line. Meath outscored them by 0-8 to 0-3 in that second half but crucially, they didn't manage to get the goal they so desperately needed.

They only created one decent chance and that was blasted over the bar by Cillian O'Sullivan in the 53rd minute. A goal at that stage would have changed the game, cutting the deficit to four points and Offaly's defensive work after that was quite phenomenal.

It was an extraordinary win by Offaly, their biggest in the championship in years and they now face Louth in the semi-final next Sunday in Croke Park – that game provides a tremendous opportunity for both sides and Offaly's confidence will be soaring.

Despite a belief that Meath were very vulnerable, Offaly supporters travelled to O'Connor Park more in hope than expectation. Just over 5,000 people paid in here and the Offaly supporters went home in elated mood after a great win.

Offaly were quite brilliant in the first half and a stunned Meath didn't know what hit them. It surpassed Offaly's wildest dreams, exceeded Meath's worse nightmare.

Offaly came tearing out of the blocks and their intent was obvious from the throw in. It was clear from the earliest seconds that Offaly were bubbling over and that Meath were way off where they needed to be.

Quick points from Nigel Dunne ('45' and Dylan Hyland settled Offaly in the opening five minutes as the poverty of Meath's football shocked all. Playing with a slight wind on their backs, they pulled men back and their ball retention and pace was not good enough. A few bad wides did not help their cause as Offaly retained possession very well, breaking forward at pace.

By the 21st minute, Offaly were 1-4 to no score ahead and Meath were stunned to their core. The goal was a fine finish by Rory Egan, set up by his Edenderry club mate Cian Farrell. A fisted point was on but Egan went for it and drove a low shot to the net.

Meath finally got off the mark with a 22nd minute Matthew Costello point but even then, their football didn't convince. Donal Lenihan's point in the 29th minute made it 1-5 to 0-2 but Offaly's finish to the half was absolutely crucial. Once again, they were excellent and points from Rory Egan, Anton Sullivan and Dylan Hyland gave them that 1-8 to 0-2 interval lead and the game was very much theirs to lose.

The second half made for tremendous viewing as Meath threw the kitchen sink at Offaly. Unsurprisingly, they made dramatic changes, introducing three half time subs. One of those, Jason Scully got two second half points while a later one, Ronan Jones also got two – Jones was a big loss at midfield when he was unable to start.

It was 1-9 to 0-5 after 44 minutes, 1-10 to 0-6 after 49. A few things went wrong for Offaly in the second half. Rory Egan was heading for man of the match in the first half but had to be taken off at half time while Bernard Allen lasted just ten minutes before going off with what looked a worrying injury, going over on his knee or ankle while going out to collect the ball – making his 100th appearance for Offaly, Allen had made an instant impact when arrowing over a super 49th minute point, just seconds after coming on.

That point that should have been a goal from O'Sullivan was followed by a Jack O'Connor point for Meath before a beautiful Ruari McNamee score put the winners 1-11 to 0-8 ahead with seven minutes remanining.

By now, it was clear that Offaly were out on their feet and as Ruari McNamee said afterwards, their GPS readings will say a lot about the ground they covered. Jones got two points to bring it back to four points with the 70 minutes just up and Offaly were praying for the final whistle.

Six minutes of injury time was announced and it is a tribute to them that they didn't concede another score. Meath kicked a couple of poor wides as they chased the goal they needed but they couldn't breach a heroic Offaly defence.

They did invite Meath on a bit and didn't retain possession near as well in the second half. They did make mistakes. Peter Cunningham, back from honeymoon a few days, made a few as he couldn't control the ball while Ian Duffy ran into big trouble with his kickouts – Duffy's kickouts had been superb for 50 minutes or so, nearly always hitting the spot but in the last ten minutes, he lost his touch, kicking a couple over the sideline. However, he dealt very capably with any ball that came near him as Offaly held on for a famous win.

Offaly had heroes all over the field. Declan Hogan was magnificent in defence where Ciaran Donnelly and David Dempsey also excelled. Jack McEvoy had his best game of the year at midfield, a coming of age afternoon for him. Offaly's midfield had been identified as a weak point by many supporters but they really rose to the challenge here. They may be lacking an orthodox ball winning, powerful runner but McEvoy put in a huge shift with Conor McNamee working his socks off beside him.

It was a very sweet afternoon for Nigel Dunne, who thought his career was over after not featuring for the last two years. He had a very efficient first half and played the full seventy minutes for the first time this year – at 33 years of age, Dunne had accepted that he was not a full game man but circumstances forced management's hand here and even when he got tired, he continued to work so hard. Once again Dylan Hyland and Anton Sullivan emptied the tank and their work ethic inspired all. Sullivan's shot selection may have been questionable at times but Offaly probably would not have won this game without his influence. Ruari McNamee also deserves bouquets, - he showed some wonderful touches, got two points and one late incident when he dived in to deflect away a ball that was gone from him showcased all that was good about this Offaly win.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Jack McEvoy (Offaly): It was one of those days where there was no obvious choice for Offaly and that is the reason they won. They had so many players who played well, gave their absolute all. Declan Hogan was immense in the defence and Ruari McNamee's work in the attack was pivotal. Jack McEvoy is my selection. Many supporters had pinpointed midfield as an area where this game could be lost but McEvoy and Conor McNamee put in such a big shift. McEvoy was the stand out figure as he worked so hard for everything. He could have got a score or two but shooting is not his strong point. However, he carried a lot of ball, laid it off very well and in an almost understated way, had a big impact on this game.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Nigel Dunne 0-4 (1f and 1 '45'), Rory Egan 1-1, Ruari McNamee and Dylan Hyland (f) 0-2 each, Anton Sullivan and Bernard Allen 0-1 each.

Meath: Matthew Costello 0-3 (2f), Jason Scully and Ronan Jones 0-2 each, Cillian O'Sullivan, Donal Lenihan and Jack O'Connor 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Ian Duffy (Walsh Island); Lee Pearson (Edenderry), Declan Hogan (Tullamore), David Dempsey (Ballycommon); Rory Egan (Edenderry), Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh), Ciaran Donnelly (Bracknagh); Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue), Conor McNamee (Rhode); Cian Farrell (Edenderry), Ruari McNamee (Rhode), Anton Sullivan (Rhode); Dylan Hyland (Raheen), Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks), Jamie Evans (Gracefield). Subs - Cian Donohue (St Brigid's) for Egan, inj. (HT), Bernard Allen (Tubber) for Farrell (49m), Joe Maher (Ferbane) for Evan (56m), Bill Carroll (Cappincur) for Conor McNamee (59m), Shane Tierney (Daingean) for Allen, inj. (59m),

MEATH: Harry Hogan; Adam O'Neill, Ronan Ryan, Michael Flood; Donal Keogan, Padraic Harnan, Sean Coffey; Daithi McGowan, Jack Flynn; Keith Curtis, Matthew Costello, Cathal Hickey; Jordan Morris, Cillian O'Sullivan, Donal Lenihan. Subs - Jack O'Connor for Hickey (HT), Harry O'Higgins for Flood (HT), Jason Scully for McGowan (HT), Ronan Jones for Lenihan (54m), Diarmuid Moriarty for Curtis (57m).

Referee – Seamus Mulhare (Laois).

REFEREE WATCH

Seamus Mulhare let play run and this contributed to the entertainment levels here. He did miss a few frees and Offaly certainly weren't complaining at him in the first half. Meath got a few hairy decisions in the second half but overall these balanced out. Mulhare consulted well with his officials and didn't dish out soft cards – though a couple of challenges did warrant censure.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Rory Egan's 21st minute goal was the decisive moment here.

VENUE WATCH

The O'Connor Park grounds staff did a remarkable job in getting the pitch into tip top shape after the Offaly v Down hurling match on Saturday. It rained almost all day on Saturday and the pitch was very heavy, cut up in patches after it. Looking at the pitch on Sunday, you wouldn't think a foot had been put on it. The weather was in their favour on Sunday morning but credit where it is due. There was a decent crowd here and they were professionally hosted. The only negative was the €5 charge for a programme. It provided the team lists and details for the other Leinster SFC games on Sunday but provided no value for money. That charge on top of the €25 admission fee makes it an expensive day out and there is no need for big glossy programmes, until final stage – that is a Leinster Council issue, not an Offaly GAA one.

Well done to the County Board on their initiative of inviting in young players from each club to various big games in O'Connor Park. These youngsters are given a full tour of the ground and then play in exhibition matches. Their excitement is palpable and it is all very worthwhile.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly play Louth in the semi-final next Sunday.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly 8 (5 in first half); Meath – 14 (8 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 3 (Ian Duffy, Conor McNamee, Anton Sullivan); Meath – 2 (Harry Hogan, Jason Scully).

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.