Offaly SFC semi-finals
FERBANE 2-19
SHAMROCKS 3-11
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TULLAMORE 2-13
RHODE 1-6
It’ll be familiar faces on the field in Tullamore for county final Sunday in a fortnight after county champions Tullamore and Ferbane set up a fourth consecutive decider on the back of semi-final wins in Glenisk O’Connor Park today that were achieved in very different ways.
Ferbane were tested well by Shamrocks in an end-to-end game that was played at a high tempo and finished 2-19 to 3-11, while Tullamore crushed the hopes of Rhode supporters that the famous North Offaly club might be on the cusp of a revival with a 2-13 to 1-6 win that looked inevitable from very early in the contest.
With a strong breeze at their backs, Shamrocks made the perfect start in their bid to upset Ferbane in the opening game. Conor Egan rifled in a superb goal in the opening minute and Jack Bryant palmed in a second after snatching a turnover and exchanging passes with county goalkeeper Paddy Dunican.
Dunican, who came back from a long-term injury to kick 1-12 in Shamrocks’ win over Clara in the quarter-final two weeks ago, landed a magnificent two-pointer from 55 metres but Ferbane controlled the game in general and racked up 0-12 by half-time. Joe Maher pulling the strings from full forward while 19-year-old Jake Maher kicked two fine points as part of a man of the match display from the ATU Galway student.
Alan Heffernan hit an opportunist goal for Shamrocks to give them a 3-4 to 0-12 half-time lead, catching the dropping rebound with a perfect half-volley after Shane O’Toole Greene hit the crossbar.
Shamrocks increased the intensity of their play after half-time and kicked three of the first five points of the second half on the back of a string of hard-won turnovers. O’Toole Greene continued to lead from the back while David O’Rourke, who captained UCD Freshers to glory last winter, bolstered his growing reputation with some outstanding catches from wing back, but they now had to work much harder to get scores.
Ferbane were able to raise flags much easier, landing a two-pointer from Paddy Clancy and goals from Jake Maher and Cian Johnson to secure a 2-19 to 3-11 win.
There was none of the same drama in the second game where county champions Tullamore strangled the life out of an anaemic Rhode side that never looked like repeating their win over the Blues from the group stages.
Tullamore won the toss and opted to play against the breeze and were in the driving seat after ten minutes, 1-3 to 0-1 in front. Aaron Leavy got a touch on a dropping ball for their goal while Cormac Egan simultaneously dictated the play and did a superb man-marking job on Rhode dangerman Ruairí McNamee.
A Ross Kelleghan two-pointer into the breeze was the only bright spot for Rhode who were fortunate to only trail by 1-6 to 0-4 at the break, even with the breeze behind them.
Davin Keegan extended the Town’s lead with a two-pointer after half-time, Aaron Kelleghan hit back with two points in as many minutes, but the next 25 minutes saw Leavy’s influence at midfield and Egan’s quarterbacking of their play completely take over.
Niall Furlong added a second goal as Tullamore went 24 minutes without conceding a score to win by 2-13 to 1-6, the Rhode goal coming from Aaron Kelleghan’s fortuitous long-range shot in stoppage time
By Offaly Secretary Sun 27th Sep
