Allianz FL D2: Cavan relegate Offaly

Allianz National Football League Division 2

CAVAN 2-20 (2-4-12) OFFALY 3-15 (3-3-9)

By Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park

Cavan took a huge step towards survival while Offaly’s first-time relegation back to Division Three was confirmed this afternoon in Tullamore, though Faithful County supporters will take some heart from what was perhaps their best performance of what has been a dismal Spring for the county so far.

Ryan Donohoe was the match-winning hero for Cavan, landing a pair of two pointers either side of a Jack McEvoy goal that looked like it might have snatched victory for the home team. The second orange flag, struck with just a minute remaining, was hoisted up from right out beside the stand and sailed high, very close to the right-hand upright. After consulting with his officials, referee Anthony Nolan awarded the score, and on the last play of the game, Emmanuel Shehu split the uprights from the left corner of the attack to confirm the Breffni County’s second win of the league, lifting them above Kildare.

By half-time, it looked like Cavan would win at their ease, rather than needing to go through such drama. Offaly led on the scoreboard, 1-9 to 1-7, but they had played with a ferociously strong breeze and struggled to take full advantage of that assistance.

Dylan Hyland made his return to the home side and he kicked two fine doubles, but in general Cavan controlled the ball, enjoyed the majority of possession and sucked time off the clock before patiently probing holes to open up scoring opportunities.

Six of Dermot McCabe’s starting team had registered a point by half-time as they engineered good high percentage chances from close range, with Oisín Brady also registering a slightly fortunate goal when his shot for a point dipped under Conor Melia’s crossbar.

Offaly hit back with a goal of their own when Aaron Leavy got a touch on Dylan Hyland’s shot to flick it past Liam Brady, but after moving five points clear with less than 25 minutes played, Cavan were in complete control for the last ten minutes of the first half, chipping over three points.

Within 30 seconds of the restart, Dara McVeety landed a score from 50 metres out to tie up the game but Offaly went on to play their best football of this league campaign so far over the next half hour. Shane Tierney and Marcas Dalton added energy and impetus off the bench and brothers Diarmuid and Cormac Egan were exceptional in the middle third, with Diarmuid slamming in a second Offaly goal.

Even after another fortuitous Cavan goal in response, this time from Donohoe and again a shot for a point that wasn’t dealt with by Conor Melia, Offaly kept coming.

Cavan might not have been getting on as much ball, but they always had the ability to use the wind to land scores from range and when Donohoe split the uprights to make it 2-16 to 2-14 with five minutes remaining, that could and probably should have been enough.

Instead a goalmouth scramble ended with McEvoy firing a rebound to the net after Liam Brady saved his initial effort, and the Cavan midfielder had to repeat his heroics in order to lift his team out of the bottom two, in doing so heaping the pressure on Kildare for next week’s final round of games.

Scorers for Offaly: Dylan Hyland 0-7 (1tpf, 1tp, 1 45), Aaron Leavy 1-0, Diarmuid Egan 1-0, Jack McEvoy 1-0, Darragh Flynn 0-3 (1tp), Keith O’Neill 0-2, Jordan Hayes 0-2, Ciarán Murphy 0-1,

Scorers for Cavan: Ryan Donohoe 1-5 (2tp), Oisín Brady 1-3, Tiarnan Madden 0-3 (1tp), Dara McVeety 0-2 (tp), Ciarán Brady (Arva) 0-2, Gearóid McKiernan 0-1, Peter Corrigan 0-1, Paddy Lynch 0-1, Eoin Clarke 0-1, Emmanuel Shehu 0-1.

Offaly: Conor Melia; Shane O’Toole Greene, Conor Dunican, David Dempsey; Daire McDaid, Diarmuid Egan, Cormac Egan; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Rory Egan, Dylan Hyland, Aaron Leavy; Darragh Flynn, Ciarán Murphy, Keith O’Neill.

Subs: Shane Tierney for Murphy (half-time), Marcas Dalton for R Egan (half-time), Niall Furlong for Dunican (46), Harry Plunkett for Flynn (56)

Cavan: Liam Brady; Brían O’Connell, Cormac Brady, Jason McLoughlin; Ryan Tobin, Ciarán Brady (Arva), Tiarnan Madden; Ryan Donohoe, Gerard Smith; Conor Brady, Dara McVeety, Peter Corrigan; Oisín Brady, Gearóid McKiernan, Patrick Lynch.

Subs: Eoin Clarke for O’Connell (6-12, temp), Emmanuel Shehu for Corrigan (48), Eoin Clarke for Tobin (49), Cian Shekleton for O Brady (55), Ciarán Brady (Corofin) for Smith (61)

Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)