Offaly book final place with solid victory over Kildare

Offaly 1-15 Kildare 1-8

This was always going to be an intriguing contest between two sides eager to retake their places at the top of the tree in Leinster but on this evidence it’s Offaly who are significantly closer to the summit.

Dominant in midfield and in both half-back lines, Gerry Fahy’s men turned the screw on their opponents early on and simply never let up. Virtually from the off, Ciaran McManus and James Grennan held control of the centre and with their three half-backs haring past them at every opportunity, the pressure on Kildare’s back line was immense.

Five of Offaly’s starting forwards found the target at least once, as well as two attacking substitutes. Alan McNamee was the odd man out at left half forward, but even he was the first forward Fahy singled out for his contribution afterwards.

Contrast that with Padraig Nolan’s side who simply never left the lower gears all afternoon. Dermot Earley can’t ever have been more anonymous over 70 minutes and Glen Ryan at centre-back was equally ineffective.

“We were playing catch up from the start really and we never got going,” reflected Nolan afterwards. “You have those days though and we have no arguments. It was championship-pace Offaly playing out there and we weren’t up to it.”

For Nolan’s counterpart and successor in Offaly, things naturally looked much brighter.

“We played very well and it’s good for this young team to get the opportunity to play in Croke Park before we start our championship there against Westmeath,” Fahy said. “Maybe we needed that Croke Park experience a little bit more than Kildare who were there last year.”

When Kildare’s John Doyle kicked his first point 15 minutes in, Kildare were 0-4 to 0-3 ahead, but Offaly’s momentum had already kicked in.

Eight minutes later, Colm Quinn equalised with the third of his four-point contribution and by half-time his side held a deserved 0-8 to 0-5 advantage.

It would have been more had Kildare corner-back Andrew McLoughlin not materialised from thin air after 34 minutes to block Roy Malone’s shot towards an apparently empty net with keeper Enda Murphy already beaten.

When Neville Coughlan pointed in the 52nd minute, Kildare trailed by double scores 0-12 to 0-6, and even when Tadhg Fennin left the bench to poach a goal from a deflected Morgan O’Sullivan shot with 10 minutes to play, a comeback never seemed likely.

Instead, Offaly kept their rhythm and concentration and methodically added points to the scoreboard with the minimum of fuss. Substitute James Coughlan wrapped up the affair three minutes from time when he slotted home for the only goal of the day.

Scorers: Offaly: C Quinn 0-4 (2f), N McNamee 0-3 (1f), J Coughlan 1-0, R Malone 0-2, N Coughlan 0-2, T Deehann 0-2, P Kelleghan 0-1, B Mooney 0-1. Kildare: P Brennan 0-4f, J Doyle 0-3 (1f), T Fennin 1-0, C Dempsey 0-1.

KILDARE: E Murphy; B Lacey, D Hendy, A McLoughlin; E Callaghan, G Ryan, K Ennis; D Earley, A Barry; P Hurley, D McCormack, R Sweeney; P Brennan, C Dempsey, J Doyle. Subs: M O’Sullivan for Hurley 28, T Fennin for Dempsey 43, A Rainbow for McCormack 51, D Lyons for Barry 64

OFFALY: P Kelly; S Sullivan, C Evans, S Brady; B Mooney, C Daly, K Slattery; C McManus, J Grennan; P Kellaghan, R Malone, A McNamee; C Quinn, N Coughlan, N McNamee. Subs: M Daly for Grennan 61, J Coughlan for Malone 68, B Malone for Coughlan 70.

Referee: M Daly (Mayo).