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Electric Ireland Leinster MFC final
Offaly 2-20 Louth 3-14
By Paul Keane at Cedral St Conleth's Park
Lest anyone forgets, Offaly began this year's Electric Ireland Leinster minor football championship campaign with back-to-back defeats in their group.
Now, just weeks later, they are provincial champions at the grade for the first time in 35 years.
A powerful team performance steered them to this landmark win though the Faithful will be particularly grateful for the sound kicking of goalkeeper Jack Ryan.
Twice in stoppage time he drilled two-point scores from frees, the first of which put Offaly ahead and the second of which proved the insurance score in a three-point win.
The Faithful were underdogs beforehand and trailed by four points with three minutes of normal time remaining in Newbridge.
It looked at that stage like Louth would secure all three of Leinster football's flagship titles having already taken the senior and U-20 crowns.
But an Offaly side beaten by nine points by Louth in their group last month refused to relent and produced a thrilling final few minutes to prevail.
Offaly outscored Louth by 0-8 to 0-1 in the closing minutes with Eamon Maher booting a two-pointer from play in that period before Ryan took centre stage.
Ryan fired over four two-pointers in total on the evening, all from long-range frees, while Dylan Dunne finished with 1-1.
Both sides will advance now to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
The big fear among Louth fans beforehand was that expectation, and talk of the provincial clean sweep, might weigh heavily on their young players' shoulders.
Connell Kelly, still just 15, came into the decider with a particularly big reputation after sniping a whopping 2-40 from five games.
He was the destroyer of Dublin at the semi-final stage with 0-11 in that game and three terrific long-range points.
A huge talent from the Dreadnots club, Kelly racked up three more two-pointers by half-time here, drilling them all from placed balls.
He couldn't take all the credit though as Louth put in a huge shift at midfield to provide their forwards with a steady stream of opportunities.
Michael McGlew, for example, won an Offaly kick-out but was impeded so the play was brought up to within kickable range for Kelly who converted the two-pointer.
Kelly knocked over two singles from frees too, one of those coming off his apparently weaker left foot as he displayed his full skill set.
It didn't all go Kelly's way though and he struck three of Louth's seven first-half wides.
Offaly struggled off their own kick-outs and lived off scraps at the other end though, crucially, were efficient when the chances did arise.
And Dunne's fifth minute goal was a significant score for the Faithful which kept them right in it.
Offaly did their best work down the left in the opening half and when Eoin Rouse played in Dunne in the number 15 channel, the Clara attacker blasted across the goalkeeper to the far corner.
Dunne finished the half with 1-1 while a two-pointer from goalkeeper Ryan, from a free, left them just two points down at half-time, 0-11 to 1-6.
Offaly's second goal four minutes after the restart cancelled out the deficit entirely.
Tony Furey, who finished with 1-6, scored it after a speedy break away but captain Cian McNamee deserved huge credit for a brilliant tackle and turnover in his own defence.
But just as suddenly as Offaly had drawn level at 2-6 to 0-12, they found themselves in Louth's rear view mirror again.
Reidy hit Louth's first goal in the very next play, beating the Offaly 'keeper from a tight angle on the left.
Three minutes later, Martin latched onto a clever kick-pass over the top to rifle home Louth's second goal, 2-12 to 2-7.
It looked like Louth might finally kick on for the win many anticipated - but Offaly refused to accept that script.
Even when Cillian McQuillan slotted a third Louth goal in the 52nd minute, from a penalty that was won by Niall McCreesh, they wouldn't relent.
Furey registered back-to-back Offaly points from frees before those three two-pointers from Maher and Ryan, sparking wild scenes of jubilation among the Offaly fans at full-time.
Offaly scorers: Tony Furey 1-6 (0-5f), Jack Ryan 0-8 (4 tpf), Dylan Dunne 1-1, Cian McNamee 0-2, Eamon Maher 0-2 (tp), Darragh Stewart 0-1.
Louth scorers: Connell Kelly 0-9 (3 tpf, 2f), Cillian McQuillan 1-2 (1-0 pen), Oisin Reidy 1-1, Jack Martin 1-0, Michael McGlew 0-2.
Offaly: Jack Ryan; Cormac Farrell, Tomas Carroll, Caden O Beirne; Patrick Duffy, Tadhg Kelly, Eoin Rouse; Eamon Maher, Charlie Duffy; Cathal Weldon, Dylan Dunne, Arron Daly; Tony Furey, Cian McNamee, Ruairi Woods.
Subs: Darragh Stewart for Weldon 39, Cian Duffy for Daly 43.
Louth: Senon Connolly; Rian Hickey, Finn McEneaney, Ciaran Titley; Michael McGlew, Tadhg Devaney, Conor Marron; Tom Maguire, Cillian McQuillan; Oisin Reidy, Andrew O'Reilly, Connell Kelly; Niall McCreesh, Jack Martin, Cian Rooney.
Subs: Conal Mannion for McCreesh 54, Senan Hoey for Rooney 57.
Referee: James Foley (Carlow).
