Tailteann Cup: Offaly clinch semi-final place with second-half blitz

Tailteann Cup Quarter-Final

OFFALY 1-22 (1-1-20) WEXFORD 1-17 (1-5-7)

A sensational third quarter of fluid attacking football put Offaly into Monday morning’s Tailteann Cup semi-final draw, as they made it three wins in a row at the expense of Wexford in an enjoyable, free-flowing contest in Tullamore this afternoon.

A deceptively strong breeze favoured the Model men in the opening half and they used it well, firing over five two-pointers in the opening 35 minutes. Offaly looked sharp and effective in the opening quarter as their movement and energy opened up the Wexford defence time and again, but they kept getting reeled in by Wexford’s ability to split the posts from long range.

Liam Coleman was unlucky as his effort from outside the arc came back into play off the post but scores from Eoghan Nolan and Dylan Furlong, either side of a free from goalkeeper Darragh Brooks, meant that the sides were level at 0-6 each midway through the first half, despite the fact that Offaly looked the better side from open play.

The midlanders failed to take a couple of goal chances with Shane Tierney blasting one effort over the bar while Shane O’Toole Greene punched one over the bar instead of taking on Brooks, the first of three scores for the Offaly corner back in this game.

That lack of killer instinct started to look relevant when Wexford build up a six-point interval lead thanks to a strong second quarter. Eoghan Nolan was credited with a goal after his long delivery went all the way to the Offaly net, in part because Robbie Brooks went up to contest the ball with Conor Melia, preventing the Offaly goalkeeper from clearing his lines.

Cathal Kehoe and Mark Rossiter also raised the orange flag as they briefly led by eight approaching the interval.

Jack Bryant and Jack McEvoy, two of the stars on the day for Offaly, picked off points before the turnaround and once Offaly switched over to play with the breeze, they were devastatingly effective. Cormac Egan and Lee Pearson surged forward from the back to great effect, Bryan hit the net at the end of a good attack down the right wing involving David Dempsey, and by the 43^rd minute the sides were level.

Wexford struggled to find their own accuracy shooting into the wind and Offaly grew in confidence, with a rejuvenated Bryant hitting the crossbar in what was his first start since the first round of the league against Kildare in Newbridge.

The introduction of Harry Plunkett also proved crucial as the Maynooth University student hit four points in the final quarter, including the home side’s only two-pointer, seeing out an impressive win.

Scorers for Offaly: Jack Bryant 1-3, Keith O’Neill 0-4, Harry Plunkett 0-4 (1tp), Jack McEvoy 0-3, Shane O’Toole Greene 0-3, Dylan Hyland 0-2f, Shane Tierney 0-1, Cormac Egan 0-1, Lee Pearson 0-1.

Scorers for Wexford: Eoghan Nolan 1-3 (1tp), Mark Rossiter 0-4 (1tp), Cathal Kehoe 0-2 (tp), Darragh Brooks 0-2 (tpf), Dylan Furlong 0-2 (tp), Glen Malone 0-2, Páraic Hughes 0-1, Niall Hughes 0-1.

OFFALY: Conor Melia; Shane O’Toole Greene, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Marcas Dalton; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Kyle Higgins, Keith O’Neill, Aaron Leavy; Jack Bryant, Shane Tierney, Dylan Hyland. Subs: Harry Plunkett for Tierney (50), Rory Egan for C Egan (52), Aidan Bracken for Dalton (61), Eoin Dunne for Higgins (63), Nathan Poland for Hyland (65).

WEXFORD: Darragh Brooks; Eoin Porter, Liam O’Connor, Gavin Sheehan; Glen Malone, Eoghan Nolan, Dylan Furlong; Liam Coleman, Niall Hughes; Páraic Hughes, Cathal Kehoe, Mark Rossiter; Michael Kinsella, Robbie Brooks, Ben Brosnan. Subs: Seán Ryan for Brosnan (half-time), Martin O’Connor for Kinsella (50), Colum Feeney for Kehoe (61), Tom Byrne for Coleman (61), Patrick Breen for N Hughes (62).

Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois).