• Find us on Facebook
  • Find us on Twitter
  • pro.offaly@gaa.ie
  • Shop

Offaly GAA

Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uíbh Fháilí

GAA
  • Home
    • News
    • Clubs
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Management Committee 2023
    • Child Welfare & Governance
    • Club Fixture Plans For 2023
  • Home
  • Fixtures & Results
  • Menu
    • Grand Canal Walk 2023
    • History
    • Lotto
    • Scor
    • Club Faithful
    • Inter-County Tickets
    • Club Tickets
  • News
  • Clubs
  • Fixtures & Results
  • Management Committee 2023
  • Child Welfare & Governance
  • Club Fixture Plans For 2023
  • Grand Canal Walk 2023
  • History
  • Lotto
  • Scor
  • Club Faithful
  • Inter-County Tickets
  • Club Tickets

Emotional Win For Footballers In Thurles

March 18th, 2023 | News

Emotional Win For Footballers In Thurles

Allianz Football League Div 3: Offaly 2-14 Tipperary 0-13 (by Kevin Corrigan)

On a difficult day for the Offaly and Tipperary players, both sides deserve credit for managing to serve up an entertaining game of football in Semple Stadium.

The sides paid a moving tribute to the late Liam Kearns before the throw in and his memory pervaded the air here.

The Kerry man was the Offaly manager this year and his sudden death last Sunday, hours after overseeing a training session, had devastated his players.

He also managed Tipperary for four years in the 2010s and this was a very emotional game for both counties – they stood to attention for a poignant guard of honour before the throw in.

A keenly contested and decent Division 3 tussle emerged with Offaly coming out on top thanks to injury-time goals from Ruairí McNamee and Anton Sullivan.

Tipperary had most of the possession in the first half but Offaly deservedly led by 0-09 to 0-07 at half time. The visitors were sharper up front, moved the ball that bit quicker and took more of their chances.

Tipp deservedly led by 0-03 to 0-01 after 13 minutes but should have been further in front. They also kicked three bad wides and were punished when Offaly found their form to lead by 0-5 to 0-3 after 21 minutes.

The home team recovered their composure and a point from the in form Stephen Quirke levelled it up at 0-06 each after 31 minutes – Quirke got three first half points. Offaly rallied again and excellent points from Dylan Hyland, Ruairí McNamee and Anton Sullivan got them three clear before Cathal Deely made it a two point game at the break.

The third quarter was hard enough to watch as Tipperary allowed Offaly to keep the ball in their own half-back line and midfield but it certainly sprung to life late on.

Offaly were 0-12 to 0-09 ahead when Ian Duffy denied Sean O’Connor with a great save in the 51st minute – he also spectacularly kept out a goal bound flick from impressive sub Mark Russell in 54th minute as Tipp finally pushed up on Offaly and attacked the game.

A point from the outstanding Dylan Hyland put Offaly four clear in the 53rd minute but Tipp then got completely on top. Three points brought it back to a point, 0-14 to 0-13 with five minutes left – five minutes of injury-time were also played. A black card for Liam McGrath did not help Tipp but a draw was still a big possibility deep in injury time.

With Tipp goalie Michael O’Reilly moving up beyond midfield, Offaly broke to lethal effect in the 73rd minute with Jack Bryant setting Ruairí McNamee in to score into an unguarded net. Moments later Anton Sullivan got in for a second as Offaly kept their promotion hopes alive.

Offaly: Ian Duffy; Lee Pearson, Declan Hogan, David Dempsey; Rory Egan, Peter Cunningham, Cian Donohoe; Jack McEvoy, Conor McNamee; Joe Maher (0-01), Ruari McNamee (1-03), Nigel Dunne (0-04, 1m and 1f); Bernard Allen (0-01), Anton Sullivan (1-01), Dylan Hyland (0-04, 2f).

Subs: Luke Egan for Maher (48m), Jack Bryant for Dunne (56m), Cian Farrell for Allen (66m),

Tipperary: Michael O’Reilly (0-02, 1f and 1’45’); Shane O’Connell, Jimmy Feehan, Cathal Deely (0-01); Emmet Moloney, Kevin Fahey, Colm O’Shaughnessy; Paudie Feehan, Jack Kennedy (0-03, 2f); Stephen Quirke (0-03), Keith Ryan, Teddy Doyle; Mikey O’Shea, Conor Cadell (0-01), Sean O’Connor (0-01).

Subs: Donough Leahy for Doyle (35+3), Mark Russell (0-02) for Cadell (43), Liam McGrath for Feehan (56), Mark Stokes for O’Shea (60), Luke Boland for Deely (66),

Referee: James Molloy (Galway).

 

Related Stories

Two Important League Fixtures In O’Connor Pk This Weekend

Two Important League Fixtures In O’Connor Pk This Weekend

March 22nd, 2023

Draw Means Hurlers Go Into League Semi-Final

Draw Means Hurlers Go Into League Semi-Final

March 19th, 2023

Emotional Win For Footballers In Thurles

Emotional Win For Footballers In Thurles

March 18th, 2023

  • Offaly GAA - Shop Now

Recent News

  • Two Important League Fixtures In O’Connor Pk This Weekend
    22 Mar 2023
  • Draw Means Hurlers Go Into League Semi-Final
    19 Mar 2023
  • Emotional Win For Footballers In Thurles
    18 Mar 2023
  • Link For Tickets To Allianz League Games
    14 Mar 2023
  • Mr Liam Kearns R.I.P.
    12 Mar 2023

Archives by month

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022

Offaly GAA

O’Connor Park
Arden Road
Tullamore
Co. Offaly
Ireland

Email: pro.offaly@gaa.ie

Offaly GAA

O’Connor Park
Arden Road
Tullamore
Co. Offaly
Ireland

Find us on Social Media

  • Like us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}