Offaly too good for young Meath side

O'BYRNE CUP

Offaly........................2-1-11 (19)

Meath........................0-3-9 (15)

For a brief spell early in the second-half an experimental Meath side looked set to pull off another surprise when they cut a nine-point interval deficit down to three against hosts Offaly in the O'Byrne Cup quarter-final at Gracefield tonight.

Just as they did when the surprised Wicklow in Aughrim four days earlier Meath played some nice football, but they allowed Offaly create too many goal chances and the clinical hosts bagged two in thee opening 14 minutes to establish their 2-9 to 0-6 interval lead.

However with players of the experience of Bryan Menton, who was making his 150th senior appearance for the Royals, Cillian O'Sullivan, James McEntee and Daithi McGowan Meath clawed their way back into contention and by the 38th minute of this 60 minute contest they had the gap down to 0-12 to 2-9.

However, a more familiar Offaly side settled again and looked potent as they re-established a seven point cushion with 10 minutes to go and rarely looked in danger of conceding the goal Meath desperately needed.

Meath started well with the impressive McGowan opening the scoring inside 40 seconds and a minute later Diarmuid Moriarty doubled the visitors to the fine facilities on the outskirts of Portarlington lead.

Offaly settled with the outstanding Jordan Hayes leading the charge.

Hayes opened the hosts account in the third minute and from a poor kickout Keith O'Neill restored parity and Offaly never trailed again.

Ninety seconds after drawing level Cormac Egan blasted a fine goal and after Ciaran Murphy and Niall Finnerty traded points Hayes blasted another brilliant goal for the Faithful men to open up a 2-3 to 0-3 lead by the 14th minute.

Keith O'Neill landed simple free after Meath failed to keep three in attack. A tap over free from McGowan and an excellent two-point free from Moriarty closed the gap to 0-6 to 2-4, but Offaly finished the half with a flourish.

Hayes added three further points, including a two-point free, to his tally after Rory Egan and Eoin Sawyer contributed to ensure the 2-9 to 0-6 lead for Mickey Harte's men.

Offaly were slow to return to the field for the second-half and it was Meath who burst from the traps with Finnerty pointing before a two-point free from McGowan and a superb two-point score from Oisin Martin cut the deficit to 0-11 to 2-9.

Killian Smyth couldn't gather Martin's incisive pass which would have left him clear on goal, but a minute later Moriarty closed the gap to three with a superb score.

However, that was Meath's last score for 17 minutes as Offaly took control again.

Murphy finally added to his side's tally nine minutes after the restart and they steadily added points from Jack Bryant (free, after another three up breach), Murphy and corner-back Daire McDaid to stretch their lead to 2-13 to 0-12.

McGowan (two frees) and Rian Stafford, nephew of Meath legend Brian, kept Meath ticking over with late scores, but they couldn't muster any serious goal chances as Offaly advance to a semi-final meeting with Westmeath, while Meath must final alternative ways to continue their preparations for the NFL Div 2 opener against Derry in Croke Park on Saturday 24th January.

Stand-in Meath manager John McCarthy was delighted with the competitive game and admitted afterwards that the management team now have some difficult calls to make as the panel has to be cut ahead of the start of the league.

"There was a lot of positives there for us tonight. Lads getting game time in that competitive environment. Lads stood up, but in the first-half we were a bit sleepy. I was very happy with the second-half performance, the lads came out and showed good energy and battled hard to the end.

"There's a difference to playing in a competitive match (compared to challenges). The prep is different, the atmosphere is different. You can't see how lads will perform in that setting until they are put into it, so that's the real benefit of games like this.

"We have tough decisions to make now and some of the lads have put themselves right in the reckoning after the last two games.

Offaly - Sean O'Toole; Daire McDaid (0-1), Ed CUllen, Lee Pearson; Shane O'Toole-Greene, Jordan Hayes (1-4 one two-point free), Rory Egan (0-1); Jack McEvoy, Aaron Leavy; Ciaran Murphy (0-3), Keith O'Neill (0-2 one free), Marcas Dalton; Eoin Sawyer (0-1), Diarmuid Egan, Cormac Egan (1-0). Subs – Dan Molloy for O'Neill, Jack Bryant (0-1 free) for Sawyer both 40m, Sean Conway for D Egan, Kaelem Bryan for Hayes 54m.

Meath - Billy Hogan; Ciaran McCarrick, Ger Dwane, Shane Gibney; Killian Smyth, John O'Regan, James McEntee; Daithi McGowan (0-6 one two-point free, three frees), Bryan Menton; Cillian O'Sullivan, Oisin Martin (0-2 two-pointer), Jack O'Connor; Niall Finnerty (0-2), Diarmuid Moriarty (0-4 one two-point free), Darragh Campion. Subs - Rian Stafford (0-1) for Campion 40m, Oran Mulvany for McEntee, Conor Ennis for O'Sullivan both 47m, Michael Gavin for Dwan 54m, Jack Swan for Gibney 58m.

Referee - Enda Kelly (Westmeath).