Run away win puts in-form Offaly into knockout stages

WITH a gun to their head, Offaly produced a really composed, efficient and admirable display to record a big win over Longford in the second round of the Leinster Minor Football Championship in Faithful Fields on Tuesday evening.

Leinster Minor Football Championship Group 2 round 2

Offaly 6-23

Longford 1-12

A defeat would have put Offaly out and this win secures a place in a preliminary quarter-final at least. An Offaly defeat by Westmeath in their final group game next week and a Longford win over Dublin would put them, Longford and Dublin on three points with scoring difference determining which two go through – Westmeath are safely through with wins over Longford and Dublin.

There is every chance of Offaly losing to Westmeath – that game has been put back a week to Tuesday, April 21^st because of school tours – but the chances of Longford beating Dublin appear slim. Even if that did happen, Offaly are through. Scoring difference would only apply in the games involving Offaly, Dublin and Longford – after losing to Dublin by seven points in the first round, Offaly now have a +23 difference from those games and both Dublin and Longford can't over turn that.

This was an impressive display by Offaly, who built on a solid showing in their first round loss to Dublin. It was too easy in a lot of ways and a result of this nature always has to be taken with a grain of salt. Older supporters remember Offaly minor footballers destroying Longford in the first round in 2010 and then losing to them in the Leinster final – this Longford team is most unlikely to make this type of recovery but Offaly can't read anything into it.

At the same time, they have to be very pleased with their evening's work. They performed and played some very good football. They were hungry and while you could question the way they tried to manufacture late goals and really hammer nails into Longford's coffin, with scoring difference possibly coming into the equation, they would have been told by management to be ruthless and had to be.

On a perfect evening for football, they were excellent in the first half and had the game won at half time when they led by 2-14 0-6.

Offaly didn't have a wide until the 30^th minute when midfielder John Carroll was off target and their conversion rate was very good, though they could very easily have added another couple of goals.

It was clear from the start that Offaly were the better side and they had 1-1 on the board within five minutes, Oliver Goulding scoring the goal after Dara Waldon sent him in.

Paddy Burns got a couple of excellent two point frees and Offaly were 1-7 to 0-3 ahead when Jamie Harvey scored their second goal in the 17^th minute. Offaly should have had two more goals at this stage as Dara Waldon over carried with a great chance in the 9^th minute and Darragh Stewart blazed over the bar with the goal at his mercy in the 14^th minute.

Longford looked a very mediocre team in the first half. Four of their points came from two two pointers and they struggled to create anything up front against a tenacious Offaly defence.

A fourteen point half time lead was a fair reflection of the difference between the teams in the first half and while you can never be certain with young minors, it would have taken a serious collapse for Offaly to lose from here.

1-2 at the start of the second half, Paddy Burns getting in for the goal, ensured that this was never going to happen. Longford had a brief rally but it was all of a futile nature. They got the next two points through Eoin Beattie and Conor Shannon but Darragh Stewart powered through for Offaly's fourth goal in the 41^st minute, 4-17 to 0-9.

Longford got a soft goal in the 43^rd minute, Robert Rowan scrambling Senan Buckley's free to the net but it didn't raise a murmur from the visiting support. By this stage, Longford were well and truly deflated and Offaly supporters took no joy in watching that, fully aware that there are much stiffer tests ahead.

Longford only managed two more points and Offaly added 2-6. Hungry subs Shane Lawless and Sean Monahan got the goals and Offaly could very easily have reached double figures with goals.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Patrick Duffy (Offaly): Offaly had several contenders. Cathal Carroll put in a great tour-de-force at centre half back and was a real contender. He controlled his area with great efficiency. John Carroll and Darragh Stewart were excellent out in the midfield diamond, doing a mountain of hugely effective work. Paddy Burns' striking and power was a great asset up front while Dara Waldon was once again very good in attack, showing great opportunism and efficiency in possession – his footwork and movement caught the eye. Oran Kenny and Stephen Murrihy did some great work in defence and it was just a good all round display.

Cathal Carroll, John Carroll, Stewart and Waldron all staked powerful claims but the choice is midfielder Patrick Duffy. He was excellent until taken off in the 50^th minute – he is playing minor hurling for Offaly on Saturday along with Darragh Stewart, who came off a couple of minutes earlier. The Tullamore man ran the game to a large extent. He looks a real prospect, a county senior footballer in the making and he was so good on the ball. However, this was only one facet of his game as he also inspired with a great work rate, channelling back as often as he powered forward, tackling hard and forcing turnovers.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Paddy Burns 1-7 (2 x 2pf, 1 '45', 1f), Oliver Goulding 1-3 (2f), Dara Waldron 0-5, Darragh Stewart 1-2, Jamie Harvey and Shane Lawless 1-1 each, Sean Monahan 1-0, Cathal Carroll, Patrick Duffy, Evan Daly and Oisin Pender 0-1 each.

Longford: Robert Rowan 1-1, Oisin McHugh 0-3 (1 2p), Conor Shannon, Niall McDonnell (2p) and Leon Madden (1f) 0-2 each, Senan Buckley (f) and Eoin Beattie 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Ryan Casey (Tullamore); Cormac Staunton (Clodiagh Gaels), Oran Kenny (Ferbane), Jake Conlon (Tullamore); James Slevin (St Rynagh's), Cathal Carroll (Erin Rovers), Stephen Murrihy (Tullamore); John Carroll (Clara), Patrick Duffy (Tullamore); Evan Daly (Ballycumber), Darragh Stewart (Tullamore), Jamie Harvey (Tullamore); Oliver Goulding (Edenderry), Paddy Burns (Daingean), Dara Waldron (Ferbane). Subs –Sean Monahan (Edenderry) for Harvey (45m), Shane Lawless (Daingean) for Goulding (45m), Oisin Pender (Edenderry) for Burns (48m), Sean O'Shea (Shannonbridge) for Stewart (48m), Robbie Minnock for Duffy (50m).

LONGFORD: Jack Cassidy; Sean Hagan, Jack O’Farrell, Brayden Francis; Oren McNerney, Niall O’Donnell, Shane Hanniffy; Cillian Fagan, Robert Rowan; Oisin McHugh, Senan Buckley, Conor Shannon; Troy Tiernan, Eoin Beattie, Leon Madden. Subs – Daire Toher for Tiernan, inj. (14m), Ruari Gibbons for Hanniffy (40m), Sean Finlass for O'Farrell (48m), Charlie Reilly for McHugh (54m), Ruari Flynn for Shannon (60m).

Referee – Lee Moore, Kildare.

REFEREE WATCH

Lee Moore had a good game and was not a factor.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Jamie Harvey, who was very good when the game was still alive, got in for a 17^th minute goal to give Offaly a 2-7 to 0-3 lead and they moved out of sight before half time.

VENUE WATCH

It was good to see this match being played in Faithful Fields after an O'Byrne Cup match was switched out of there earlier in the year following garda concerns about traffic. Faithful Fields is a perfect venue for games such as this and hopefully, Offaly GAA, gardai and Offaly County Council ]will be able to work together to facilitate the ground hosting floodlight and other fixtures with crowds – Offaly GAA always make sure they have ample stewards to manage fixtures and if they need assistance from gardai or if traffic calming measures or a reduced speed limit out beyond the ground would be beneficial, they should be provided.

There was a small enough crowd present at this and the fixture was hosted without issues.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly are away to Westmeath next Tuesday week.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 5 (1 in first half); Longford – 3 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: 0

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0