Offaly close to big comeback

Dublin 1-10 Offaly 3-02

Ciaran McManus bagged two late goals as Offaly almost pulled off the comeback of the century against a Dublin side that had dominated proceedings for up to an hour at Parnell Park.

Paul Caffrey’s men held on for their second victory of the Allianz NFL Division 1A campaign, winning 1-10 to 3-02, but blue-blooded hearts – the watching Taoiseach’s included – were sent aflutter in a climatic finish when McManus netted twice in the space of six minutes.

Missing their suspended players but bolstered by their Kilmacud Crokes contingent, Dublin bossed the opening half and Offaly were incredibly held scoreless, not just for the opening half, but right up until the 52nd-minute of this one-sided tussle.

David O’Callaghan signalled the hosts’ intent with a second-minute point, Tomas Quinn added a ’45 and a neat point from the left wing for a 0-03 to no score lead after 10 minutes.

Quinn then unintentionally turned provider when his ’45 dropped shot on 16 minutes.

Conal Keaney, back after an ankle injury, reacted quickest to the dropping ball and he rose to punch the ball beyond a stranded Padraig Kelly in the Offaly goal.

It was all Dublin at this stage, save a few goalmouth skirmishes at the other end.

Keaney (0-02), O’Callaghan and the free-running Declan Lally added overs as Offaly, who lost defender Barry Mooney to a shoulder injury, were left trailing by 1-07 to no score at the interval.

Keaney grew further into his role at right half-forward when tagging on a free, three minutes into the second half.

A listless period followed – Crokes favourite Darren Magee ended the scoring drought with a great curling effort off his right on 52 minutes.

Seconds later, Tomas Deehan finally opened Offaly’s account with an effort off his left.

On 67 minutes, Magee turned villain when he met a long through ball on the edge of the Dublin square and redirected into his own net.

McManus, by now a permanent fixture in the full-forward line as Offaly went on the look out for more goals, wasted little time in clambering through to rifle home a second goal for the visitors to the roof of the Dublin net.

The impressive O’Callaghan kept the hosts, who had emptied the substitutes bench, on track by fisting over his third point from play.

Colm Quinn cancelled that score out with a great effort from the left touchline for a 2-02 to 1-10 deficit as the game entered time added on.

Dramatically, McManus found another way through to Stephen Cluxton’s goal when his left-footed shot squirmed through a forest of Dublin defenders and raised a third green flag for Offaly, two minutes into injury-time.

Kevin Kilmurray’s men would probably have pulled off an unlikely win had the game ticked on towards the 80-minute mark, but the enigmatic Dubs, who travel to Cork next weekend, held on.

All-Ireland champions Tyrone lie in wait for under pressure Offaly.

Scorers: Dublin: C Keaney 1-03 (1f), D O’Callaghan 0-03, T Quinn 0-02 (1 ’45), D Lally, D Magee 0-01 each

Offaly: C McManus 2-00, D Magee (own goal) 1-00, T Deehan, C Quinn 0-01 each