Clinical Offaly reach All-Ireland quarter-finals at Kilkenny's expense

Offaly's victory over Kildare coupled with Dublin beating Kilkenny means the Faithful County progress from the Leinster SHC to the All-Ireland quarter-finals

Brian Duignan scored 1-2 for Offaly against Kildare. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Leinster SHC: Kildare 0-15 Offaly 1-29

Offaly have caused a sensation in the Leinster Championship after this win over Kildare. Coupled with Dublin’s victory over Kilkenny, it means they have knocked the Cats out of the Championship on their way to the All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals.

In front of a crowd of 5,602, made up almost entirely of Offaly support, Johnny Kelly’s team sensed the opportunity at hand and dominated pretty much throughout.

They led by three points at half-time but any chance Kildare had of playing the role of party pooper evaporated in the 37th minute with the sending off of Cathal McCabe after an off the ball clash with Ciaran Burke.

Although Kildare were already relegated before a ball was pucked this afternoon, they met Offaly head on in the opening exchanges and the first eight points were evenly shared before Offaly went ahead for the first time in the 15th minute through the outstanding Eoin Cahill.

There was still a point between the teams after a superb effort from distance by Cian Boran in the 22nd minute but Offaly then put daylight between the teams for the first time with five points in a row.

Kildare had a spell of three points in a row themselves before the half-time break before Cahill had the final say, leaving the score at 0-13 to 0-10 at the break.

Just seven minutes after McCabe’s second half dismissal, Offaly got in for the only goal of the game when Kildare goalkeeper Paddy McKenna delayed his clearance allowing Brian Duignan to nip in and dispossess him before scoring into the empty net.

It was routine after that for Offaly and biggest cheer among their sizeable travelling support was when news of Donal Burke’s goal for Dublin against Kilkenny filtered through.

At the final whistle in Newbridge, the crowd invaded the pitch but it was only when the result from Parnell Park was confirmed a couple of minutes later that the celebrations really began.

OFFALY: Liam Hoare; Ciaran Burke 0-1, Ben Connelly, Patrick Taaffe, Ross Ravenhill, Killan Sampson, Ter Guinan 0-1; Colin Spain 0-3, Cathal King; Shane Rigney 0-2, Conor Doyle 0-1, Daniel Bourke 0-4, Eoghan Cahill 0-13 (9fs), Brian Duignan 1-2, Adam Screeney. 

Subs: Oisin Kelly for Guinan, 23; David Nally for Screeney, b/s 41-42; David Nally 0-1 for Rigney, 60; James Mahon for Taaffe, 63; Eoin Burke for Screeney, 63; Ciaran Cleary 0-1 for Duignan, 64.

KILDARE: Paddy McKenna; Liam O’Reilly, Rian Boran, Dan O’Meara, Daire Guerin, Conan Boran 0-1, Simon Leacy 0-1; Cian Boran 0-2, Cathal McCabe 0-1; Jack Travers, Cathal Dowling, Gerry Keegan, Darragh Melville 0-2, Muiris Curtin 0-1, Jack Sheridan 0-5 (4fs). 

Subs: Richy Hogan for O’Reilly, 41; Tim Ryan 0-1 for Curtin, 47; Paul Dolan 0-1 for Dowling, 52; Conn Kehoe for Hogan, 57; Tom Power for Travers, 63.

REFEREE: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).