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Grehan Double Powers Offaly To Semi Final Berth

Thursday, 22 December 2011

Offaly 2-13.
Wicklow 1-9.

Impressive starts to both halves laid the foundations for Offaly to progress to he semi final of the Leinster Vocational Schools Championship on Saturday as they made use of their home advantage to defeat a Wicklow side who had run Dublin to the pin of their collar in the previous round.
Played in Ferbane, Offaly didn't have it all their own way but in the end they were full value for their seven point win over their 14 man opponents.
Wicklow travelled to Ferbane with a lofty reputation after a big win over Wexford and a narrow defeat to Dublin in the record books from their two outings so far, but Offaly showed super glimpses of their class on route to in the end having a comfortably victory. Banisteoir Brian Gavin will certainly look for improvement all over the field as they prepare for a semi final but on the evidence of their last couple of games, the Offaly men will be well fit to mix it with the best in Leinster.
Offaly opted to play with the forceful wind in the opening half and it didn't take them long to make their presence felt and in particular Brian Grehan who hit the first of his two goals after a little over a minute of play. Following on from huge pressure been put on Wicklow keeper Garry Carroll as he attempted to clear the ball, Grehan was on hand to scoop up the loose delivery and with Carroll off his line, the Gallen student played a wonderful lob over the heads of the defenders and into the empty net from thirty five yards out.
That tackling and work rate so prominent in the build up to the goal was a feature of the Faithful County's play right throughout the game and they forced a number of turnovers as a result of their work ethic.
Offaly needed that head start because Wicklow dominated the battle for primary possession throughout the first half and while Offaly did well in forcing turnovers, the battle for breaking ball was well won by the visitors. However the wind made it very difficult to shoot from range and Wicklow needed to get close to goal to threaten for scores. An Andy Howard free, an excellent run and score from Piaras Mac Suibhne and a score from Padraig Kelleher each reduced Wicklow's deficit to two points, but there was a response on each occasion from Aaron McDonagh, Stephen Connolly and Leon Fox.
With five minutes left to half time, Aaron McDonagh inspired his side in the tagging on of three more points. He secured two super long range efforts himself and the centre forward really was flying. Darragh Corbett came up from centre back to kick a free and indeed the last score of the half.
Even at six points in front, Wicklow looked to be within striking range, such was the difficulty in scoring from more than 25 yards out into the town end goal, but the first five minutes of the second half also belonged to Offaly and they pushed their lead out to ten with scores from Brian Grehan, substitute Joe Maher and two from Ciarán Cahill.
Cahill and Leon Fox, after a slow start, had begun to exert control in the midfield battle and that was restricting the flow of ball into the Wicklow full forward line, but in centre forward Adam Conway the visitors had a real livewire who never stopped taking the fight to Offaly. His battle with Darragh Corbett was a real highlight for spectators. Wicklow had got their first score of the half when a goal in the 40th minute put them right back in the match and Conway was very much at the heart of it, as he was with all Wicklow's good play.
Karl Dunne's kickout dropped short and although Corbett fielded it initially, he was unlucky not to be awarded a free under heavy pressure from Conway. The Wicklow player secured possession and laid the ball off to the onrushing Conor French, who sent a fierce drive blasting the ball goalwards from close range. Dunne was equal to the effort and pulled off a great save but the ball broke loose to corner forward Kevin Kealy, who sidefooted the ball home.
Another Conway free reduced the deficit to five, but in the 45th minute, the comeback was killed by one crucial moment that had consequences both on the scoreboard and on the field. Stephen Connolly had secured possession at midfield, not for the first time on a day when the corner forward put in a lot of work in pressurising the opposition, and he in turn got the ball away to Aaron McDonagh, who nipped just in front of his marker and laid the ball off to Leon Fox coming through the middle. Fox in turn played the ball across to Grehan, who drove the ball goalwards from the edge of the penalty area and into the net despite a good effort at deflecting it from Garry Carroll in the Wicklow goal.
However Carroll took great offence at the absence of a free to his team in the build up to the goal and immediately remonstrated with referee Brendan Hickey, in the process making a comment that resulted in the Kildare arbiter pulling out a straight red card.
The decision forced the Wicklow management to remove Kevin Kealy as corner forward in order to bring on a second keeper, and from there Offaly coasted to a relatively simple victory, never leading by less than six points until the final whistle.

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