IT’S OFF THEY GO AS DUBS LOOM LARGE

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 with a convincing second-half performance in Portlaoise. They enjoyed the benefit of having 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.

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.

O’Moore Park and tenacious Offaly marking seemed to bewilder Laois – except for a purple patch before halftime which had them back level from five points and a man down.

While Offaly endured a rocky spell after the Laois red card, they eventually settled with two goals in quick succession in the ten minute spell after half time from top scorer Keith O’Neill and Jordan Hayes. After gone in level at the break they won the second half 2-5 to 0-3.

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.

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 came in the 29th minute but Offaly would prevail. 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 0-2 (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).