Offaly on track for promotion after impressive win over Kildare

Only an 11-point defeat to Clare next weekend would derail the Faithful. 

LOOKING UP: Offaly’s Joint managers Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly celebrate with coach Luke Bree. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Allianz Football League Division 3: OFFALY 2-17 KILDARE 0-17 

Offaly’s new management team of Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly faced the first stern test of their project on Sunday afternoon in Tullamore, and the Faithful County players answered the call with an outstanding attacking performance that leaves them within touching distance of promotion to Division Two.

Only an 11-point defeat to Clare in Ennis next weekend would spoil the party for Offaly, and while the Banner County will also go into that contest in flying form after their outstanding comeback win over Laois on Saturday night, Offaly will feel that they have their mojo back, having put stuttering displays against Fermanagh and Leitrim behind them with this showing.

The packed roads leading in towards Glenisk O’Connor Park for the hour leading up to throw in only served to heighten the sense that Offaly supporters believed that their county might be poised for their first competitive win over Kildare since the 2006 Leinster quarter-final, and while the Lily Whites moved into a narrow 0-3 to 0-2 advantage early on, the excitement grew as the home side found their feet in the next quarter of an hour.

Dylan Hyland fired over a pair of two-pointers to stretch the lead, but the concession of a couple of sloppy scores before half-time led just the bare minimum in it at the interval (0-11 to 0-10) and it was Kildare who carried that momentum through to the second half.

Four of the first five points of the second half went Kildare’s way, but the lack of goals has been an Achilles’ heel for Brian Flanagan’s side this year, with just four scored in six games, and two in their last five.

Offaly, in contrast, have been the leading harvester of green flags in the division, and they showed why after 53 minutes when a sumptuous team move ended with Rory Egan finding the net to nudge them 1-12 to 0-14 in front.

Their final quarter was sensational, despite the fact that they made just one (injury-enforced) substitution before stoppage time kicked in.

Cormac Egan drove forward to add a couple of fine scores, one of which fizzed just a foot over the crossbar, while Dylan Hyland continued to rack up the frees and keep Kildare at arm’s length.

The visitors might have felt that the decision to award a penalty for a foul on Daire McDaid with a few minutes to play was harsh, but Hyland was in no mood to show mercy and his penalty sealed a momentous win for a county that has enjoyed a fantastic Spring in both codes.

Scorers for Offaly: D Hyland 1-9 (1-0 pen, 2 tp, 3f), C Egan 0-3, R Egan 1-0, K O’Neill 0-2f, J Furlong 0-1, J Bryant 0-1, S Tierney 0-1.

Scorers for Kildare: K Feely 0-4 (0-2f), C Hagney 0-3, C Bolton 0-2, C Dalton 0-2, J Hyland 0-2 (0-1f), R Sinkey 0-2, B McCormack 0-1, A Beirne 0-1.

OFFALY: P Dunican; L Pearson, A Bracken, D McDaid; R Egan, J Furlong, C Egan; J McEvoy, J Hayes; K Higgins, C Flynn, K O'Neill; D Hyland, J Bryant, S Tierney.

SUBS: A Leavy for O’Neill (48), N Dunne for Tierney (68).

KILDARE: D Cordonnier; R Burke, M O'Grady, B Byrne; H O'Neill, J McGrath, D Hyland; C Bolton, C Hagney; B McCormack, A Beirne, C Dalton; R Sinkey, K Feely, J Hyland.

SUBS: B McLoughlin for McCormack (44), J McKevitt for Burke (44), A Masterson for Sinkey (51), D Swords for Beirne (56), N Kelly for Hyland (66).

Referee: P Neilan (Roscommon).