Season that never fully ignited comes to tame end for Offaly

A SEASON that never really ignited came to a fairly tame end for Offaly when they were eliminated from the Leinster Minor Football Championship in the preliminary quarter-final at Aughrim on Wednesday afternoon.

Leinster Minor Football Championship preliminary quarter-final

Wicklow 3-9

Offaly 1-6

Like the campaign in general, it never quite happened for Offaly here, despite an honest and hard working display, and they had absolutely no complaints at the outcome.

A superb defensive performance by Wicklow and an outstanding midfield partnership of Mark Kinsella and Patrick Small propelled them to a comfortable win.

Offaly struggled to create chances against a packed Wicklow defence and with Kinsella and Small powering forward at every opportunity, the home side looked like winning the whole day.

The first half was a real struggle for Offaly and the extent of this is reflected by the fact that they were very grateful to go in trailing by 1-6 to 1-1 at half time.

Wicklow had been the better side by a distance in the first half and an injury time goal from Cian McNamee gave Offaly a lifeline of sorts.

Wicklow defended very well in numbers in the first half and Offaly struggled to get anything going. They just couldn't break down the Wicklow defence, though Cian McNamee did kick two wides from scoreable frees.

By the time Offaly got their first score from Dylan Dunne, their most threatening forward in the first half, in the 25^th minute, the home side had 1-4 on the board. The goal came from a 22^nd minute penalty by Patrick Small after Mark Kinsella was pulled down by Patrick Kenna and Wicklow were full value for their 1-4 to no score lead.

It was looking very blue for Offaly at this stage but they got an excellent goal out of nothing with Cian McNamee making amends for his earlier missed frees with a sublime finish from close range – Luke Fitzgerald made a fantastic break upfield with Lee Moore involved earlier and the goal gave Offaly a fighting chance though the final point of the half from Wicklow's Thomas Tisdell gave them a five point interval lead.

That deficit became eight for Offaly immediately after the resumption when Small and Kinsella combined for a great 32^nd minute goal. Small did well to send in a good long ball and Kinsella got his fist to it to make it 2-6 to 1-1.

That left Offaly needing a miracle to survive though they showed commendable fighting spirit and two Cian McNamee frees kept them in with a fighting chance. They could have got a goal in the 43^rd minute when Shane Horkan fisted over the bar with the goal at his mercy – Horkan was just moments on the field and hadn't had time to settle into the game when he got his chance.

With five points back in it, Offaly were still in the game but conceded a soft free when Jack O'Donoghue charged into a player when coming out with the ball and Patrick Small put the free over the bar in the 44^th minute. Leon Reynolds added a point to leave Offaly chasing a seven point deficit again.

Offaly dug deep and Dylan Dunne converted a free after Cian McNamee had missed another one but the visitors had to get goals.

Their chances were ended when Lee Moore was controversially sent off in the 54^th minute. Chasing a ball that broke across the square, he pulled on it as Wicklow grabbed it and the referee brandished red after consulting with his umpires – his kick may have been dangerous but the ball was there and there was certainly no malice in what Moore did.

The sending off ended Offaly's already very slim prospects. They had to push men forward and this left gaps at the back that Wicklow exploited. They should have got a goal a minute later when Jim Corrigan and Leon Reynolds were guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net but they made no mistake in the 57^th minute when Corrigan's shot just crept across the line after a fine Thomas Tisdall surge forward.

That was that and two late Sean Wyer points, one free, for Offaly were only of academic interest.

There was no shame in defeat for Offaly, who tried hard but were very much second best on the day. They did well to come out of the group, with a win over Laois securing qualification, but the belief that they would not be good enough to challenge for championship honours were proven very correct here.

They missed a few frees from Cian McNamee and one from Dylan Dunne that might have made it a bit tighter but even if all these went over, Offaly wouldn't have won here and Wicklow's superiority was only challenged in flashes during the game.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Mark Kinsella (Wicklow): A choice between two brilliant Wicklow midfielders in Mark Kinsella and Patrick Small. Small dictated a lot of the play and his use of the ball was excellent.The choice is Kinsella by a fraction. He worked so hard, turned over ball and moved so well. He was also fouled for the penalty and got the crucial second goal.

Jack O'Donoghue, Luke Fitzgerald and Dylan Dunne were Offaly's best players while Patrick Kenna, Eoin Rouse and Cian McNamee had good moments.

THE SCORERS

Wicklow: Patrick Small 1-2 (Goal from a penalty and 1f), Mark Kinsella 1-1, Jim Corrigan 1-0, Thomas Tisdell 0-2 (1f), Max Keogh, Connor Doody, Pat Keogh and Leon Reynolds 0-1 each.
Offaly: Cian McNamee 1-2 (2f), Dylan Dunne (1f) and Sean Wyer (1f) 0-2 each, Shane Horkan 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Micheal Kelly (Kilcormac-Killouhey); Kyle Kilmurray (Rhode), Jack O'Donoghue (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Tadgh Kelly (Kilclonfert); Adam Fox (Tubber), Conor Daly (Ballycumber), Patrick Kenna (Tullamore), Luke Fitzgerald (Doon); Charlie Burns (Daingean), Eoghan Cullen (Edenderry); Lee Moore (Ferbane), Eoin Rouse (Tullamore), Sean Wyer (Bracknagh); Dylan Dunne (Clara), Colm Egan (Ballycumber), Cian McNamee (Rhode). Subs – Conor Egan (Shamrocks) for Kilmurray, inj. (9m), Shane Horkan (Tullamore) for Cullen (43m), Senan Hanniffy (Doon) for Colm Egan (49m), Cormac Whittle (Daingean) for Daly (49m),

WICKLOW: Joseph Jacob; Cormac Murphy, Matthew Fox, Ronan Smyth; JJ Brady, Max Keogh, Corey O'Brien; Mark Kinsella, Patrick Small; Luca Nolan, Thomas Tisdell, Connor Doody; Leon Reynolds, Pat Keogh, Simon O'Brien. Subs – Ryan Kinsella for O'Brien (HT), Jim Corrigan for Keogh (45m), Tom Doyle for Nolan (54m), Sean McLaughlin for Reynolds (59m), Eoghan Ward for Smyth (59m).

Referee – Lar Murphy.

REFEREE WATCH

Lar Murphy had a decent game overall, despite an inausipious start when he somehow failed to penalise Wicklow goalkeeper Joseph Jacob when he blatantly fouled the ball in his own area and he then awarded him a free out. Patrick Kenna was fortunate to get a yellow and not a black card after hauling down Mark Kinsella for Wicklow's first half penalty. The sending off of Lee Moore was questionable but will have to be viewed again to make a definite judgement on that.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Wicklow's second goal from Mark Kinsella at the start of the second half gave them the cushion they needed.

VENUE WATCH

Aughrim was in fine condition and the game was well hosted. There is a case, however, to be made for having games over a certain distance at neutral venues. There was a very small crowd here, not much more than a couple of hundred – the bulk of them parents and family members.

WHAT'S NEXT

Wicklow go into the quarter-finals.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 6 (5 in first half); Wicklow – 6 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly -2 (Jack O'Donoghue and Patrick Kenna); Wicklow – 5 (Luca Nolan, Corey O'Brien, Cormac Murphy, JJ Brady, Simon O'Brien).

Black cards: 0

Red cards: Offaly – 1 (Lee Moore); Wicklow -0.