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Wasteful Offaly Pay Harsh Penalty In Semi Final Loss

Thursday, 19 January 2012

Dublin 2-7. Offaly 0-12.

WITH high hopes of a Leinster final appearance, Offaly Vocational Schools travelled to Dunganny in Meath on Thursday night only to leave kicking themselves after they kicked away a golden opportunity of putting Dublin to the sword and advancing to the provincial decider.
Backboned by nine Gallen Community School players, Offaly were on the back foot before a ball was even kicked when they were informed that the game would take place on the impressive Astro Turf surface at the Meath GAA training centre.
This probably would not have been a big deal had Brian Gavin and his charges knew about the change but they didn't and had arrived in the mindset and with the appropriate gear to play on grass.
Dublin on the other hand arrived safe in the knowledge of what surface was been used and one has to wonder how such a change was not portrayed back to the Offaly men.
Regardless of the underfoot material; Offaly should have won the game. They dominated the first half and looked in fine fettle at the break holding a 0-9 to 0-5 lead despite kicking seven wides. For all their work and confidence in the opening half, they wilted in the second period and went on to bring their wide total to 14 by the close of play.
Dublin full forward Shane Hickey got in behind the full back line twice all night and he made no mistake in stitching the ball to the net on both occasions in the second half to stun the Offaly men and leave them ruing those guilt edge wides in both halves.
If there is one lesson they can take from Thursday's defeat, it is that when a team is on top, every score is crucial. With their dominance in the first half, Offaly could easily have gone in with 12 or 13 points at half time and maybe even a goal.
Jamie Coyne had a solid game between the posts and pulled off a number of good saves. James Nally and Padraig Brazil gave away very little in the corners while Stephen Wren attacked at every opportunity from wing back.
The all Gallen partnership at midfield of Leon Fox and Ciaran Cahill lorded proceedings in the first half with Fox an engine covering serious ground and Cahill fielding balls picturesque of his club mate Jimmy Grennan in his hay day. Dublin came more into it in the second half but the duo finished the game on top once again.
The forward line was sharp and strong in the opening half but they were well contained after the resumption due to a combination of tight marking and a poor supply of ball. Aaron McDonagh used his speed to great effect while Stephen Conneely also featured prominently on the half forward line.
Eoghan Lowry was the scorer in chief with five points with his three from play coming from super long range efforts and his movement caused the Dublin rearguard problems all evening.
Offaly powered out of the blocks and the large travelling support were given great hope early on as the set a blaze into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead with only five minutes on the clock. Joe Maher popped over a free to get the ball rolling before Eoghan Lowry kicked one from play and from a free to set Offaly off on the front foot.
Dublin began to settle after Lowry's brace and it took a Stephen Wren clearance off the line to deny Adam Rodgers a goal for the Dublin men before the eventually got their opening score in the 11th minute from Rodgers.
They leveled the game before the 15th minute as a Rodgers free was added to by a Darren Murphy '45'.
Martin Hackett won a free for Lowry to drill over but Dublin had the game level again before a super move involving Gallen team mates Joe Maher, Brian Grehan and Aaron McDonagh resulted in Lowry once again floating over a super point from all of 35 metres.
Offaly had a head of steam by now and Ciaran Cahill and Leon Fox both bursted through from midfield within the space of two minutes to keep points. The midfielders points were sandwiched either side of a point from the pacy Aaron McDonagh and Offaly were flying.
Stephen Wren picked out McDonagh in the 26th minute and a clever pass from the Offaly U21 panelist released Brian Grehan to fist over the bar. Shane Hickey did add a late point for the Dublin men and it took a super save from Jamie Coyne in first half injury time to ensure Offaly held what looked like a comfortable 0-9 to 0-5 lead at the break.
With a lead at half time, the early second half scores are vital and it was Offaly who extended their lead with almost their first attack when Joe Maher struck over his second free of the night. That was to be their last score for 17 minutes as Dublin set about reeling them in.
Dublin goalkeeper Darren Brennan saved a certain goal from Leon Fox and minutes later they had a goal of their own when Graham Hannigan launched in a high ball and Shane Hickey got in behind Alan Camon and coolly slotted past Jamie Coyne to suddenly make it 0-10 to 1-5.
Eoghan Lowry kicked his fifth point of the day in the 48th minute for a badly needed Offaly score as they continued to take wrong options and see their passes go astray all too often.
With nine minutes left, Dublin struck again as Hickey got in behind the full back line and rocketed a shot to the net to level the game at 0-11 to 2-5. Before the 56th minute, Dublin struck over two more frees to give them a decent cushion but Offaly had chances of their own and missed frees were their vain in the dying minutes.
Callum Stewart added a point with the last kick of the game but it was Dublin who came out on top and advanced to the final.

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