‘It was important for the group to get a result here’ – Offaly boss Kelly

Offaly manager Declan Kelly admitted winning in Portlaoise was a significant monkey off their backs after his side qualified for a Leinster SFC semi-final against Dublin on April 28.

Offaly’s 2-13 to 1-8 victory over Laois marked their first Leinster SFC win at the venue over their rivals since 1978.

“It’s gas, we were chatting during the week and there’s a number of lads, a number of experienced fellas, who have never actually won a game here at O’Moore Park, between county, schools, you name it,” said Kelly. “We wouldn’t have a good record here. So it was important for the group to get a result here.”

Asked about being level at half-time, after squandering a five-point lead despite having an extra man – due to James Kelly’s dismissal – he admitted it was a “worry” to have lost control.

“We got a couple of (early second half ) scores and the first goal (from Keith O’Neill) probably gave us that bit of breathing space.”

Kelly said they were focused on winning on Saturday night, and looking no further.

“Offaly’s record against Laois is not good,” he said. “Ultimately, we came here to win a match and that’s what we’re after doing. We’ll get them in for a bit of recovery and we’ll plan for that (semi final) from there.”

Wing-back Cormac Egan said it was a “strange” game in that he felt they “nearly played better in the first half” but went in on level terms.

“That’s the benefit of having experienced players there. They told us we were playing well, to keep doing what we were doing,” he said of the team talk at half-time. “We got the few breaks then with the goals and it was very hard for them to come back from seven or eight points down.”

Asked about the next challenge, Egan, one of Offaly’s U-20 All-Ireland medal winners four years ago, said: “It’s an unbelievable opportunity to play in Croke Park.”

Justin McNulty, the Laois manager, described the defeat as “one of those games where things don’t go our way”.

He said the sending-off was “pivotal” but felt they “hadn’t been firing up to that point”. He said he admired how his team reacted to Kelly’s red card.

“It was a hammer blow but the team fought back valiantly to half-time and we looked to be worrying them. And then after half-time we got a score to go ahead and just then a couple of big plays and they got goals which killed us off really.”

McNulty also said Offaly had shown there is a “chasm” between Division 3 and 4. “We didn’t do ourselves justice, the fellas know that, they’re hurt by that.”

They face into the Tailteann Cup in which they finished semi-final losers to Down last year.

“These guys are ambitious,” said McNulty. “They want to demonstrate what sort of players they are and what sort of men they are they only way to do that is to come back more determined and stronger.”