Allianz Football League Division 3: Clare 2-14, Offaly 2-09
Offaly senior footballers have Division 2 football to look forward to in 2026, as despite a five point defeat away to Clare, score difference ensured they finished second in the group.
The Faithful County will now meet Kildare in the Division 3 final at Croke Park next Saturday evening, 29th April.
Two late Aaron Griffin goals completed a 10-point second half turnaround for Clare but while the Banner finished level with Offaly and Kildare at the top of the Division 3 table, the hosts required an 11-point victory to overtake Offaly on score difference.
Clare kicked 15 wides including nine two-point attempts over a largely frustrating 70 minutes before those goals.
The home side started brightly and Offaly had to work hard to prevent the concession of early goals.
But the tide turned when Jordan Hayes’ 12th minute delivery was flicked to the net by Jack Bryant to leave the score 1-00 to 0-02.
Another burst by Clare left the score 1-3 to 0-6 after 25 minutes, but Offaly struck again with a great Cathal Flynn goal and led by 2-5 to 0-6 at the break.
Clare, backed by the wind, had the better of the second half. They gradually fought back but crucially for Offaly, scores were added by Paddy Dunican and Nigel Dunne to make sure the score difference didn’t end too badly.
KEY: tp – two-point score; tpf – two-point free; tpm – two-point mark
Clare: Eamon Tubridy; Manus Doherty, Cillian Brennan, Ronan Lanigan; Ikem Ugwueru, Cillian Rouine (0-01), Alan Sweeney; Brian McNamara, Emmet McMahon (0-01); Dermot Coughlan, Aaron Griffin (2-00), Ciaran Downes; Eoin Cleary (0-04, 1f), Mark McInerney (0-04, 2f, 1’45), Keelan Sexton (0-04, 1f)
Subs: Darragh Burns for Sexton (55), Cormac Murray for Cleary (58, inj), Evan Cahill for Downes (68), Shane Griffin for Sweeney (73), Daniel Walsh for McInerney (76)
Offaly: Paddy Dunican (0-02, 1tpf); Daire McDaid, Rory Egan, Lee Pearson; Cormac Egan, John Furlong, Aidan Bracken; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Marcas Dalton (0-01), Cathal Flynn (1-00), Keith O’Neill (0-01); Dylan Hyland (0-01), Jack Bryant (1-02), Shane Tierney (0-01)
Subs: Aaron Leavy for Bracken (HT), Ruairi McNamee for Dalton (58), Nigel Dunne (0-01, 1f) for Egan (67)
Referee: David Hickey (Carlow)
By Offaly PRO Sun 23rd Mar
