Hungry Offaly ease into semi-finals as group winners
OFFALY'S win comes with a very large warning label attached but it was still pleasing to see a county team attack a second tier competition with the right mentality, hunger and intensity levels as they eased to victory over Kerry in the Leinster Minor Hurling Peadar O'Liathain Cup at Kilcormac on Saturday.
Peadar O'Liathain Minor Hurling Cup Round 3
Offaly 6-28
Kerry 2-14
The stakes were not very big here as both sides were assured of qualification but Offaly performed well in a very routine, comfortable win. It was a demoralising afternoon for Kerry who made the long journey up from the south for this 1pm throw in. It was obvious from early in the day that it was going to be an even longer trip home for them as Offaly quickly established their superiority and they had the game won when they led by 4-10 to 0-8 at half time.
Offaly did not let up a whole lot in the second half. Kerry did well to add 2-6 to their tally but the introduction of subs eager to impress kept Offaly honest with four of these, Gleann Keaveney, Campbell Naughton, Conal Minnock and Sean Devery all getting on the score-sheet.
Having bowed out in the group stages of the Leinster Minor Hurling Championship, the Peadar O'Liathain Cup gives Offaly something tangible to round off their season with and management and players have clearly embraced this opportunity.
With both teams through to the semi-finals as a result of their opening round win over Meath, the only issue at stake was first and second place with the losers facing Antrim and the winners likely to have Kildare at home.
Offaly have taken the competition seriously, continuing to train and the big dilemma was whether to go all out to win it or use it as a development one for next year, giving valuable experience to players who will be underage in 2027.
They opted to play it on its own merits, going with their strongest available team, though they did leave off two automatic starters in Tullamore's Patrick Duffy and Darragh Stewart. Both had played in all their games but were rested as they are key players for Offaly in the Minor Football Championship quarter-final against Meath on Tuesday night - it was only right that priority be given to the team in the championship over the one in the second tier competition.
The Offaly team did include two more members of the minor football panel in Edenderry's Joe Furey and Shamrocks' Keith O'Rourke but their situation was significantly different. They were asked onto the minor football panel at the start of the year but opted to concentrate on hurling. They only went into the football panel after the hurlers' exited the championship with Furey coming on as a sub in the very impressive win over Westmeath. Both are also very promising footballers but having opted for hurling initially, they would want to see out the season in their chosen code – both are underage next year, when Offaly minor footballers will have decent prospects and it will be hoped they will play both grades.
The minor hurling management did the right thing for the footballers here, not using Stewart or Duffy and taking Furey and O'Rourke off five minutes into the second half, when the game could not be lost.
Kerry were well out of their depth but it was still a decent performance by Offaly, who deserve credit for the way they attacked the game and played They started off well with 1-4 without reply in the opening six minutes, the excellent Joe Furey getting the goal in the sixth minute,
Edward Carty's goal made it 2-4 to 0-2 after 13 minutes and Liam Mulhare got their third goal in the 19th minute, brilliantly intercepting Kerry goalkeeper Ben Lynch to make it 3-5 to 0-5. Kerry tried hard but were swimming against the tide and Mulhare's second goal made it 4-6 to 0-7 in the 24th minute. Offaly got four of the last five points for that 4-10 to 0-8 half time lead.
They added a quick 1-4 in five second half minutes, Joe Furey getting his second goal and this was the signal for the management to give subs their chance. It all drifted out very tamely from here with Aaron Screeney showing his class with some quality points. He got their sixth goal in the 46th minute while Kerry got consolation goals of sorts from Sean Ross O'Gorman and their best player, Tadgh Diggin in the 45th and 59th minutes.
MATCH ANALYSIS
SEE NEXT: DRA hears allegation student was struck by management member at hurling game involving Offaly school
MAN OF THE MATCH
Liam Mulhare (St Rynagh's): Handed his first start of the campaign, St Rynagh's man Liam Mulhare shone. He scored 2-5 and was mad keen to impress, and score. He showed well for the ball and his touch was good. There were a few times when he should have passed to a man in a better position – on a couple of those occasions, he still got his own score and his work rate and hunger was typical of Offaly's display.
Once again Joe Furey oozed class in the full forward line. The Edenderry man showed wonderful skill and awareness and he is a very bright prospect. Aaron Screeney came to his milk in the second half with some quality scores from play while Offaly had several good performers throughout the field. Fiachra Carroll had a great first half while Barry Bennett, Michael Kelly, Harry O'Sullivan and Keith O'Rourke were among the players who impressed.
THE SCORERS
Offaly: Aaron Screeney 1-10 (6f), Liam Mulhare 2-5, Joe Furey 2-2, Edward Carty 1-1, Keith O'Rourke 0-3, Harry O'Sullivan, Jack Collins, Fiachra Carroll, Sean Devery, Gleann Keaveney, Campbell Naughton, Conal Minnock 0-1 each.
Kerry: Sean Ross O'Gorman 1-3 (2f), Tadgh Diggin 1-2, Stephen Shanahan 0-5 (1f), Billy Moriarty, Thomas Scanlon, Paddy Cronin, Daren McElligott 0-1 each.
THE TEAMS
OFFALY: Adam Martin (Tullamore); Lorcan Owens (Birr), Peter Fanning (Gracefield), Philip Larkin (Coolderry); Fiachra Carroll (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Barry Bennett (Birr), James Dooley (Drumcullen); Michael Kelly (Birr), Harry O'Sullivan (Carrig-Riverstown); Edward Carty (Birr), Keith O'Rourke (Shamrocks), Jack Collins (Seir Kieran); Aaron Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Liam Mulhare (St Rynagh's), Joe Furey (Edenderry). Subs – Gleann Keaveney (Tullamore) for Furey (35m), Conal Minnock (Shamrocks) for O'Rourke (35m), Sean Devery (St Rynagh's) for Carty (35m), Campbell Naughton (Birr) for Collins (42m), Niall Fitzgerald (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Larkin (47m).
KERRY: Ben Lynch; Ruari Walsh, Stephen Harty, Sean Barron; Billy Moriarty, Thomas Scanlon, Tadgh Diggin; Luke Hanafin-O'Meara, Shay Barrett; Sean Ross O'Gorman, Noel O'Sullivan, Ryan Carey; Stephen Shanahan, Ben O'Connor, Paddy Crown. Subs – Darren McElligott for O'Sullivan (17m), Matt Cronin for Barron (22m), Sean Og O'Connor for Ben O'Connor (HT), Padraig McElligott for Scanlon (45m).
Referee – Colin Bailey, Laois.
REFEREE WATCH
An easy game to referee but Colin Bailey handled it well. There were no issues and he kept control.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Joe Furey's first goal in the fifth minute put quick daylight between the teams and Offaly pulled out of sight by half time.
VENUE WATCH
Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA Club hosted this game in Kilcormac and managed the fixture very well. They had plenty of stewards present and ensured it all went off smoothly.
WHAT'S NEXT
Offaly are in the semi-finals with a home game against Kildare.
STATISTICS
Wides: Offaly – 12 (6 in first half); Kerry – 4 (1 in first half).
Yellow cards: Offaly – 1 (James Dooley); Kerry – 0.
Black cards: 0
Red cards: 0