Commanding Display By Offaly Minor Hurlers
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Quarter-Final
Offaly 1-18, Kildare 0-09
Offaly minor hurlers marched on to the Leinster semi-final with a comprehensive victory over Kildare in St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, on Sunday, 13th December.
Everything except the first ten minutes was top class by Offaly. In the early stages, The Faithful County fell behind by 0-4 to 0-1 but, after getting rid of some early nerves, went on to hit 1-15 without reply.
Next up for Leo O’Connor’s charges is a semi-final meeting with Westmeath next weekend, after the Lake County disposed of Dublin.
After the shaky start, Offaly settled down and had Lochlann Quinn to thank for firing over some spectacular frees from long range. He hit six in the opening 30 minutes, along with two from play, while Luke Carey actually registered Offaly’s opening point.
Offaly led by 0-9 to 0-4 at the interval and drove on after the resumption. Luke Carey chipped in with two more scores, while Charlie Mitchell and Cathal King were also on target before it went from bad to worse for Kildare when they were reduced to 14 players.
The only goal of the game came in the 47th minute when Cormac Egan burst through and fired to the net – the Tullamore club man also scored a goal for his county in the minor football quarter-final against Wicklow 24 hours earlier.
Offaly were ahead by 1-16 to 0-5 at the second half water break and although Kildare added a few scores late on, the result was beyond doubt.
It was the second championship game in a row that Offaly’s net minder Mark Troy didn’t concede a goal, while all of the backs, including Luke Watkins and Sam Bourke, played exceptionally well.
THE SCORERS
Offaly: Lochlann Quinn 0-10 (7f), Luke Carey 0-3, Cormac Egan 1-0, Charlie Mitchell and Joseph Hoctor 0-2 each, Cathal King 0-1.
Kildare: Conn Kehoe 0-6 (4f and 2 ’65s’, Ciaran Flanagan, Alan Tobin and Charlie Sheridan 0-1 each.
OFFALY: Mark Troy (Durrow); Patrick Taaffe (Belmont), Charlie Bracken (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Oisin Kilmartin (Kilcormac/Killoughey); Luke Watkins (Ballyskenagh/Killavilla), Sam Bourke (Durrow), Ruari Dunne (Na Fianna); Colin Spain (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Cathal King (Carrig and Riverstown); Cormac Egan (Tullamore), Joseph Hoctor (Carrig and Riverstown), Lochlann Quinn (Birr); Luke Carey (Seir Kieran), Charlie Mitchell (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Lee Hogan (Carrig and Riverstown). Subs – Darragh Landy for Taaffe (inj., 43m), Barry Egan (Clara) for Egan (50m), Eoin Murphy (Brosna Gaels) for Hogan (50m), Andrew Coakley (Carrig and Riverstown) for Carey (50m), Daniel Bourke (Durrow) for Quinn (62m),
KILDARE: Ben Loughlin; Stephen Moran, Liam O’Reilly, Daniel O’Meara; Fionn Cooke, Cian Boran, Daire Guerin; Ciaran Flanagan, Alan Tobin; Conn Kehoe, Cormac Nolan, Fionn Maherl Alan Goss, Conor Treacy, Charlie Sheridan. Subs – Killian Harrington for Maher (28m), Niall Dolan for Nolan (Half time), Sean Maher for Treacy (50m), Jack O’Brien for Guerin (68m), Eoin Hayes for Boran (62m),
Referee – Barry Redmond
