Offaly make most of Kelly dismissal
The reasonable presumption that Dublin will be waiting for them in the semi finals hardly offered a tantalising incentive to the winners, but Offaly stepped forth nonetheless with a convincing second-half performance in Portlaoise, enjoying the benefit of playing with an extra man from the 21st minute.
Their numerical advantage, after a red card issued to defender James Kelly 21 minutes in, took a while to impact but the match was well settled long before the final whistle, many of the home supporters treading away early.
Offaly hadn’t beaten Laois in O’Moore in the championship since 1978, nor anywhere since 2002, so their motivation levels might have been that bit keener. It looked that way.
They faced a side recently crowned champions of Division 4 and with the momentum of seven wins out of eight in the league but after Croke Park’s lavish spaces, O’Moore Park and tenacious Offaly marking seemed to bewilder them, except for a purple patch before half-time which had them back level from five points, and a man, down — and a brief moment after the break when they edged in front for the only time.
The counties will be playing in the same tier next year, where Offaly lost four of their seven matches and drew another.
It hasn’t been the form that suggested anything compelling from a county where the All-Ireland under 20 win of 2021 created a ripple of optimism of better things to come.
Five of that team were named in the starting line-up, with four more on the bench, and while they endured a rocky spell soon after the Laois red card, they eventually settled with two goals in quick succession in the 10-minute spell after half-time from top scorer Keith O’Neill and Jordan Hayes. Having gone in level at the break, they won the second half 2-5 to 0-3.
The records showed that it was their biggest championship win over their midlands rivals since 1971.
Laois hopes plummeted with Kelly’s straight red card, issued by Jerome Henry, the Mayo referee indicating an elbow after stopping play with Kelly carrying the ball out of defence. When Dylan Hyland moved in to challenge, Kelly appeared to swing back his elbow and Henry called him over and sent him off.
The home team went five points down when play restarted, O’Neill firing over, to leave Offaly 0-7 to 0-2 clear. But, having dominated the match up to then, and having the extra man, they were outscored from there to half-time, 1-3 to 0-1, the Laois goal coming in the 29th minute after a rare piece of attacking coherence from Justin McNulty’s team.
Kevin Swayne and Eoin Buggie were involved in the buildup and when Offaly ’keeper Ian Duffy saved Shaun Fitzpatrick’s first effort, the half-forward was quick to drive home the rebound with a ground shot and reduce the Offaly lead to a point.
Laois goalkeeper Killian Roche made an important save to deny Eoin Carroll an Offaly goal five minutes earlier, and in the first play of the match Carroll’s delivery fell to Jack Bryant who had a goal chance but drove over the crossbar.
Offaly eased into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead with scores from Hyland and Bryant before Evan O’Carroll, tightly marked, opened Laois’s scoring with a free in the ninth minute.
With Cormac Egan driving up from wing-back, Offaly were well on top, Egan setting up corner-back Lee Pearson for one of the best scores of the first half, answered by a fine effort by O’Carroll. Late points by Buggie and O’Carroll brought Laois level at the interval, 1-5 to 0-8, finding their rhythm after a slow start despite being a man down.
The match ran out of Laois’s control within 10 minutes of a frantic period after the interval. The home side had nudged in front with a free from O’Carroll but two Hyland frees restored Offaly’s lead and then two goals followed in quick succession.
The first was an opportunist effort by O’Neill who pounced when a short kick-out wasn’t immediately controlled seven minutes into the second half, leaving Offaly four points clear.
Three minutes later, Laois were caught up the field when they lost possession and a neat pass from Ruairi McNamee picked out Hayes who ran 60 metres with a number of Laois players chasing him.
He showed terrific composure to keep control of the ball and apply an excellent finish.
Points from O’Neill (2) and a Hyland free moved them 2-13 to 1-6 clear by the 55th minute. There looked no prospect of a Laois recovery even with Offaly’s capacity to self-destruct.
Cathal Flynn’s delightful pass almost ended in a third goal, from sub Rory Egan, but Roche saved well.
Scorers — Offaly: K O’Neill 1-3; D Hyland 0-5 (4fs); J Bryant 0-3 (2fs); J Hayes 1-0; R McNamee, L Pearson 0-1 each. Laois: E O’Carroll 0-3 (2fs); S Fitzpatrick 1-0; K Roche (2fs), M Barry (2fs) 0-2 each; E Buggie 0-1. Offaly: I Duffy; L Person, D Dempsey, J Furlong; C Egan, D Hogan, P Cunningham; E Carroll, J McEvoy; N Poland, R McNamee, J Hayes; K O’Neill, D Hyland, J Bryant. Subs:
C Flynn for Bryant (50); C Farrell for Hyland (58); J O’Brien for McEvoy (61); R Egan for McNamee (64); D McDaid for Pearson (65). Laois: K Roche; B Dempsey, S Lacey, J Kelly; E Buggie, M Timmons, B Byrne; K Lillis, J Lacey; K Swayne, E Lowry, S Fitzpatrick; M Barry, E O’Carroll, P Kingston. Subs: C Heffernan for Larkin (inj 11); D O’Reilly for Lillis (50); D Kavanagh for Dempsey (inj 51); N Dunne for Kingston (55); S Fingleton for Timmons (65).
Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).