McNamee sinks Wexford as Faithfuls have final say

AS expected, yesterday’s Leinster football semi-final was dominated by a corner forward wearing the number 15 shirt, but the player in question was Offaly’s Niall McNamee, not Matty Forde.

The Offaly man was sublime, finishing the game with a tally of 1-7, all but two coming from play. On any other day Tomas Deehan in the other corner would have won the man of the match award: his contribution of 1-4 was not to be sniffed at either.

Between them, both men destroyed a Wexford full-back line that has been the foundation stone for much of the team’s renaissance in the last few years. Their contributions were all the more crucial given the failure of the other Offaly forwards to kick into gear.

John Reynolds was their only other starting attacker to raise a flag and Offaly will need a more telling contribution from all six forwards against Dublin in the decider if they are to puncture the hopes of the nation’s capital.

Still, it’s important to put it all in context. Last year, Offaly kicked around 40 wides in their two Leinster Championship games: yesterday they kicked only six. These boys have come a long way in a short time.

Forde still managed to make his mark on the occasion though or, to be more accurate, on Shane Sullivan, on whose head he trod with 13 minutes to go.

Though referee Jimmy White failed to spot his offence, the cameras did and the Killanerin man may miss some summer outings once the videotape finds its way to the Games Administration Committee.

Forde finished the game with 1-7 to his name, but all save one score came from dead balls. In open play, his contribution lay somewhere between slim and none, thanks mainly to his marker, Ger Rafferty.

Wexford make great play about being more than a one-man team but yesterday’s scoring statistics stand as a major indictment against them. Apart from Forde, their forwards managed only three points all afternoon.

The story of how this game was won and lost could be told with one brief snapshot seconds before the interval: Rafferty thwarted Forde for the umpteenth time at one end before McNamee pointed at the other end moments later.

Forde’s frustration was evident even then, when he got the St Rynagh’s corner back into a headlock before ruffling his hair in grudging respect. The big man still managed to delight on occasion, with his point from a sideline midway through the second half proving again what a unique talent he is, but Wexford lacked imagination and initiative in the rest of their play.

Despite his indiscretion, it’s hard not to feel sorry for Matty Forde and Wexford. Yesterday’s defeat was their third successive defeat in a Leinster semi-final and the question now is whether they can make the breakthrough they desire so badly.

Offaly, of course, can hold their own when it comes to hard-luck tales in recent years and the importance of reaching the county’s first provincial decider in nine long, barren years is hard to quantify. The main reason that gap has now been bridged is that Offaly score goals, lots of them.

They managed three against Kildare in the quarter-final and another two here, with McNamee shaking the rigging after only nine minutes and Deehan following suit 19 minutes later. Offaly were far more economical with the ball, ending the game with half the amount of wides. Hard as both goals were to take, Wexford got up off the canvas on both occasions.

They took the lead 19 minutes in through a Forde free and managed to reel in a five-point half-time deficit through the same man’s penalty 12 minutes after the break.

The moment of truth arrived as soon as Forde’s penalty hit the back of Padraig Kelly’s net. Both teams had been at that critical juncture so many times in the recent past and both had failed the ultimate test. One of them had to succeed this time but who it would be was anybody’s guess.

The question was answered in minutes. Deehan tapped over the perfect response in Offaly’s next attack and, though Redmond Barry brought Wexford level again, Offaly upped the pace with the next four points.

Wexford battled on and almost took a dramatic lead when Rory Stafford’s shot found the side netting but Offaly’s nerve held and further points from McNamee and Trevor Phelan ensured their place in the final against Dublin in a fortnight’s time.

While competent, Offaly’s performance won’t have put the fear of God into Dublin, but with wins over Westmeath, Kildare and Offaly behind them, Kevin Kilmurray’s men have built up a significant head of steam.

And, as Dublin know only too well, momentum can carry a team a long, long way.

OFFALY: P Kelly; G Rafferty, S Sullivan, N Grennan (0-1); P McConway, S Brady, K Slattery; C McManus (0-1), A McNamee; D Hunt, N Coughlan, J Reynolds (0-1); T Deehan (1-4), P Kellaghan, N McNamee (1-7, 2f). SUBS: M Daly for Reynolds (54), T Phelan (0-1) for Hunt 67, C Daly for Deehan (72), J Coughlan for Kellaghan (74).

WEXFORD: J Cooper; C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy; R Barry (0-1), D Murphy, P Curtis; R Stafford (0-1), D Kinsella (0-2); C Deely, P Colfer (0-1), D Fogarty (0-1); L Murphy, PJ Banville (0-1), M Forde (1-7, 1-0 pen, 5f). Subs: G Molloy for Curtis (54), E Bradley for Colfer (56), J Hegarty for Banville (66).

Referee: J White (Donegal).