Resilient Offaly show terrific character for against the odds win in derby shootout

IT was very much back to reality for the small bunch of Offaly supporters in Portlaoise on Saturday in the first round of group 2 of Tier 1 of the Leinster U20 Hurling Championship but in a strange way, this local derby win was as big as many of the great 2023 and 2024 ones at this grade.

Leinster U20 Hurling Championship Tier 1 Group 2 Round 1

Offaly 1-20

Laois 2-16

The excitement of the last three years when Offaly challenged for provincial and All-Ireland honours was forgotten as a very honest but more limited group of players fought with everything they had to secure an against the odds win.

A three point half time lead after playing with a strong first half wind looked totally inadequate and when Laois got three points clear midway through the second half, Offaly looked certain to lose.

1-13 to 0-13 behind at this stage, Offaly somehow found a way to win from here. It was a win secured on good old fashioned heart and fighting spirit as Offaly showed fantastic resilience.

They fought tenaciously for every ball and there was something very impressive about them once they got a sniff of victory in the closing ten minutes. Apart from a couple of mistakes, one of them leading to a Laois goal, Offaly's option taking and composure when the pressure was at its hottest commanded complete respect.

Laois supporters expected them to pull away when they got that three point lead with fifteen minutes left but points from the superb Mark Mulrooney and an Odhran Fletcher free kept Offaly going. The lively Eoin Delaney put Laois back two in front with 51 minutes gone and Offaly got back on terms with a Mulrooney point from play and a great Andrew Hogan free, hit at the perfect height and strength into the wind.

A 55^th minute goal from sub Conor Headen after James O'Sullivan's pass was intercepted gave Laois a three point lead at a most crucial stage. That was cancelled out immediately when Laois goalkeeper Dion O'Connor dropped a Darragh Scully ball and Patrick Lyons, who really came into his own in the closing quarter, tapped to the net.

It was all square again and in a frantic closing few minutes, Odhran Fletcher, a minor last year, floated over a sensational point to put Offaly ahead. Mark Mulrooney mishit an easy chance to put them two up and Justin Duggan equalised in the 58^th minute.

Three minutes of injury time was announced and Sean Carey's excellent strike put Offaly back in front as we drifted into them. A great long range Eoghan Murphy free after Darragh Scully over carried levelled it up in the 62^nd minute. Mulrooney struck his fourth second half point moments later, Laois had one last chance of an equaliser but Duggan's shot, under pressure out on the sideline, tailed wide at the far post and a delighted Offaly held on for a great win.

Offaly won Leinster titles at this grade in 2023 and 2024, losing the '23 All-Ireland final and winning in 2024. Last year's team had the ability to retain the two titles but just didn't have the same hunger and Offaly's ambitions are much lower this year with one of the three qualifying spots out of this four team group the first aim – with Meath next up on Thursday night, they should secure that.

They were in bother at half time here when they went in leading by 0-10 to 0-7 after playing with that wind. The wind may have been blowing into the town left corner but looked to be worth five or six points and Offaly had it all to do at half time.

Seven first half wides didn't helped their cause as Offaly left a few points behind them and they never generated enough forward momentum or pressure to open up a big half time gap. They had three early wides as Laois scored the first two points. Gearoid Maher got them going with a fantastic point from out left in the fifth minute and Liam O'Riordan and Odhran Fletcher added points to give them the lead by the 10^th minute.

Sean Carey added a point before a point before Laois hit back with two points to level it up. Offaly found their best form from the 14^th to 20^th minutes, getting five points on the trot to lead by 0-9 to 0-4, Sean Carey's great strike the pick of them. There was an opportunity to push on and Offaly still led by five, 0-10 to 0-5 with two minutes to go but Laois got the final two points to put themselves in the driving seat at the break.

A quick fire goal from Cormac Byrne just 22 seconds after the restart really stacked the odds against Offaly but they really dug in. The winners fought hard and stood up to be counted as Odhran Fletcher got a free and the excellent Liam O'Riordan fired over a good point to put them back two in front after 35 minutes. Laois got four in a row to lead by 1-11 to 0-12 after 41 minutes and two of the next three for that 1-13 to 0-13 lead after 45 minutes but Offaly rallied brilliantly to snatch the win.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Mark Mulrooney (Offaly): A close call between Mark Mulrooney and Liam O'Riordan. There is a strong case to be made for O'Riordan who was immense when Offaly weren't going well in the first half and continued to do his bit in the second half. He was physical, hard working and honest, scoring three crucial points.

Mark Mulrooney, however, has to get the nod. He missed an important late chance and got turned over a couple of times after racing into traffic but he was a real match winner. A somewhat peripheral figure in the first half, albeit doing some good things, he burst into life quite spectacularly in the second half. Four points into the wind was a huge contribution but he brought much more to the table than this. He won ball, took his man on at every opportunity and his desire galvanised his team mates to put their shoulder to the wheel. A terrific display by the Kilcormac-Killoughey man.

Offaly had plenty of other really good performers in a fine team display. The Coolderry duo Ajay Cleary and Andrew Hogan were immense in a very diligent defence and corner backs Sean Og Foley and Joey McLoughney made some great hooks and blocks. Sean Carey put in a great shift at midfield, scoring three points while Conor Egan was very good when moved out in the second half. Egan and Patrick Lyons were among the players who came to their milk when Offaly needed them in the closing twenty minutes while Odhran Fletcher showed typical opportunism.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Odhran Fletcher 0-6 (4f), Mark Mulrooney 0-5, Sean Carey and Liam O'Riordan 0-3 each, Patrick Lyons 1-0, Andrew Hogan (f), Gearoid Maher and Conor Egan 0-1 each.

Laois: Cormac Byrne 1-3 (2f)), Eoghan Murphy 0-4 (4f), Justin Duggan and Eoin Delaney 0-3 each, Conor Headen 1-0, Hugh Whelan, Ross Deegan and Tony Mahony 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Matt Watkins (Ballyskenach-Killavilla); Sean Og Foley (Doon), Ajay Cleary (Coolderry), Joey McLoughlin (Coolderry); Andrew Hogan (Coolderry), James O'Sullivan (Shinrone), Harry Sweeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Sean Carey (Seir Kieran), James Hennessy (Drumcullen); Mark Mulrooney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Liam O'Riordan (Ballyskenach-Killavilla), Gearoid Maher (Shinrone); Odhran Fletcher (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Patrick Lyons (Drumcullen), Conor Egan (Shamrocks). Subs – Darragh Scully (St Rynagh's) for Hennessy (HT), Marc Ryan (Coolderry) for Maher (53m),

LAOIS: Dion O'Connor; Conor Mortimer, Evan Cassin, Donnacha Carroll; Jack Kennedy, Eoghan Murphy, Hugh Whelan; Ruadhri Kavanagh, Donal Deegan; Patrick O'Callaghan, Ross Deegan, Tony Mahony; Justin Duggan, Cormac Byrne, Eoin Delaney. Subs – Mark Downey for O'Callaghan (43m), Dan Whelan for Donal Deegan (46m), Conor Headen for Mahony (48m), Liam O'Keeffe for Hugh Whelan (58m), Charlie Hand for Cassin (63m),

Referee – Eamon Furlong, Wexford.

REFEREE WATCH

Eamon Furlong had an okay game but there were a few blatant fouls not given, mixed in with some soft frees. The mitigating factor was that these went both ways but he was hard on Offaly coming up to half time. He threw in the ball when Andrew Hogan was lining up a free out, penalising him for not going back far enough when told. Hogan had went back to where the linesman was pointing, you were talking inches and it was a very hard call with a Laois point coming out of that. He also penalised Offaly for over carrying in attack moments later and it was the Offaly support who was complaining loudest in the first half – as often happens in these cases, Laois were objecting more to decisions in the second half and they probably did balance out in the wind up.

He did apply the advantage rule well and consistently.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Mark Mulrooney's 62^nd point won the match but the biggest score of the afternoon was Patrick Lyons' goal in the 55^th minute. It came just after Conor Headen had got one to put Laois three ahead – Offaly were lucky as Dion O'Connor made an unfortunate mistake in the Laois goals but without it, the visitors would probably have been beaten.

VENUE WATCH

The O'Moore Park pitch was in excellent condition, though the strong wind was a big factor in the game. Laois hosted the fixture with their customary professionalism.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly are away to Meath on Thursday evening.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 10 (7 in first half); Laois - 7 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 2 (Joey McLoughney, Mark Mulrooney); Laois – 2 (Mark Downey, Dan Whelan).

Red cards: 0