Allianz Football League Divsision 3: Offaly 2-17, Kildare 0-17
Offaly produced a stirring performance to defeat Kildare by six points and keep their promotion hopes on track at Glenisk O’Connor Park on Sunday.
Offaly are now top of the table with ten points, and have an impressive scoring difference, but with Kildare and Clare both on 8 points and the Faithful County travelling to Ennis next Sunday, there is still some work to be done.
Anything less than an eleven point defeat will suffice for Offaly in the final round. Scoring difference will only come into play if Clare and Kildare win and any other sequence of results will see Offaly safely up.
Kildare will not be one bit happy after back to back defeats against Clare and Offaly but have a big get out of jail card to play at home to Antrim next Sunday. With a scoring difference of +48 points, a win there will put them up and on current form, they are fortunate to be in such a strong place.
For Offaly, it was their best display of the league as they reproduced the genuinely exciting, attacking football that had lit up their early games before they lost it in their defeat to Fermanagh and struggling win over Leitrim.
Kildare settled the quicker and deservedly led by 0-3 to 0-2 after eleven minutes. Significantly, their opening points all came from play whereas Offaly’s came from two Keith O’Neill’s frees.
By the time Callum Bolton curled over Kildare’s fourth point in the 24th minute, Offaly had eight on the board and the whole complexion of the game had changed.
Four of those were excellent Dylan Hyland two pointers and Offaly were full value for their 0-11 to 0-8 lead as the half drifted into injury time.
Crucially, however, Kevin Feely kicked two points, one from a free, to leave just a point in it, 0-11 to 0-10 at the break and it was all very much up in the air.
Kildare came flying out of the blocks in the second half and quick points from Cathal Hagney, Colm Dalton and Jimmy Hyland had them 0-14 to 0-12 up after 48 minutes.
With Offaly missing chances, it looked like Kildare had the initiative but a fabulous breakaway goal from Rory Egan in the 53rd minute gave them the lead and changed the game.
They went for the jugular and two Dylan Hyland points and one from the super Cormac Egan gave Offaly a 1-15 to 0-14 lead after 60 minutes. Points from Colm Dalton and Cathal Hagney brought Kildare back into it but a debatable 66th minute penalty when man of the match, Daire McDaid was adjudged to hacve been pushed was a big moment. Dylan Hyland stroked home the kick to put Offaly 2-15 to 0-16 ahead and that cushion proved big enough.
Kildare had to get goals to rescue it but Offaly’s defence was sensational and they kept their heads and a clean sheet to secure a great win.
Offaly: Paddy Dunican; Lee Pearson, Aidan Bracken, Daire McDaid; Rory Egan (1-0), John Furlong (0-1), Cormac Egan (0-3); Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Kyle Higgins, Cathal Flynn, Keith O’Neill (0-2, 2f); Dylan Hyland (1-9, goal from a penalty, 2 2p, 3f), Jack Bryant (0-1), Shane Tierney (0-1).
Subs: Aaron Leavy (Tullamore) for O’Neill, inj. (48m), Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks) for Tierney (68m).
Kildare: Didier Cordonnier; Ryan Burke, Mick O’Gready, Brian Byrne; Harry O’Neill, James McGrath, David Hyland; Callum Bolton (0-2), Cathal Hagney (0-3); Ben McCormack (0-1), Alex Beirne (0-1), Colm Dalton (0-2); Ryan Sinkey (0-2), Kevin Feely (0-4, 2f), Jimmy Hyland (0-2, 1f).
Subs: Brian McLoughlin for McCormack (44m), Jack McKevitt for Burke (44m), Aaron Masterson for Sinkey (51m), Darragh Swords for Beirne (56m), Niall Kelly for Hyland (66m).
Referee: Paddy Neilan, Roscommon.
By Offaly PRO Sun 16th Mar
