Gallant Offaly Bow Out Of U20 Football Championship
EirGrid Leinster U20 Football Championship Quarter-Final: Kildare 1-7, Offaly 0-9
Offaly produced a gallant display in terrible weather conditions before losing out by one point to Kildare in the EirGrid Leinster U20 Football Championship quarter-final.
Declan Kelly’s charges built a 0-6 to 0-2 lead at half time, with Jack Bryant (3), Sean Courtney (2) and Kevin McDermott supplying the scores. With sheets of rain falling on the already wet surface, it wasn’t a game for the faint-hearted.
There was no further score in the opening eight minutes of the second half, before Kildare full forward Shane O’Sullivan fired a spectacular goal past Sean O’Toole.
Nevertheless, Offaly responded with points from Sean Courtney and Cathal Flynn to lead by 0-8 to 1-2 after 41 minutes.
Kildare, however, were boosted by the introduction of a couple of influential substitutes, and even when one of their defenders received a black card, Offaly struggled to take advantage.
The Faithful County’s only score in the closing 20 minutes was a Sean Courtney free as Alex Beirne and Shane O’Sullivan brought Kildare back into contention. They drew level with eight minutes remaining and eventually fired over the winning point in injury-time compliments of Paddy McDermott.
It was a heart-breaking defeat for Offaly, who beat Louth in the first round, but they gave 100% throughout.
OFFALY: Sean O’Toole; Fionn Dempsey, Adam Bolger, Clive Keena; Lee Pearson, Aidan Bracken, Aaron Brazil; Bill Carroll, Cathal Donoghue; Cathal Flynn (0-1), Jack Bryant (0-3), Kevin McDermott (0-1); Mikey Cunningham, Sean Courtney (0-4), Aaron Kellaghan.
Subs used: Cormac Delaney, Peter Byrne, Gavin Young.
