Offaly SFC: Edenderry gain sweet revenge

OFFALY SFC FINAL: EDENDERRY 1-12 RHODE 1-10

by Kevin Egan

Edenderry are the 2015 Offaly senior football champions after a 1-12 to 1-10 win over neighbours Rhode in O'Connor Park this afternoon, just twelve months after they lost by three points to the same opponents in the 2014 county decider.

The Reds hadn't beaten Rhode in a championship clash since 2001 and it looked initially as if today wasn't going to be their day either, as the favourites won the throw in and sent a long ball into the full forward line, which Niall McNamee knocked down into the chest of his teenage cousin, Rúairí. The younger McNamee ran into two heavy tackles but was able to keep possession and slip the ball into the net for a goal after just twelve seconds.

Edenderry rallied well after shipping this early setback however and they picked off four of the next five points to draw level, the pick of which was a magnificent curling strike from man of the match Seán Doyle.

Rhode continued to keep their noses in front, boosted by strong performances from Darren Garry and Conor McNamee in the diamond sector, but Edenderry's challenge really burst into life shortly before half time when David Hanlon burst out of defence and played the ball into Derek Kelly, who blasted it into the roof of the net from twenty metres out.

Niall McNamee scored either side of half time to pull the game level at 1-7 apiece, but Rhode never again led in the contest and struggled to match the energy and enthusiasm of their younger opponents at any stage in the second half. Doyle picked off two more outstanding scores from play while defenders Hanlon and Seán Moriarty burst forward with great regularity, leaving Edenderry a point up going into the closing minutes.

Rhode had their chances to equalise but they pushed three late chances wide of the mark, two from Niall McNamee and one from Anton Sullivan. As the second minute of added time expired they were left with one more chance to win a kickout but Stephen Guing was able to collect possession and the ball was worked through to substitute Gary Blong, who added a final insurance score to spark wild celebrations among the Edenderry supporters, who made up the majority of the 4,630 attendance at the Tullamore venue.

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Edenderry Scorers: S Doyle 0-4 (0-1f), D Kelly 1-1 (0-1f), R Dalton 0-2, K McGuinness (f), A Mahon, S Moriarty ('45), J Hayes and G Blong 0-1 each.

Rhode Scorers: N McNamee 0-5 (0-1f), R McNamee 1-1, D Garry 0-2, C McNamee and N Darby (f) 0-1 each.

Edenderry: Cormac Hurley; D Hanlon, A Pender, S Pender; A Mahon, C Byrne, S Moriarty; R Dalton, S Guing; O Lawton, D Kelly, K McGuinness; J Hayes, A McDonnell, S Doyle. Subs: Ciarán Hurley for Lawton (HT), A Kenny for McDonnell (48), M Young for McGuinness (60), G Blong for Hayes (60+1)

Rhode: K Garry; J Kavanagh, E Rigney, J McPadden; C Heavey, B Darby, E Byrne; A McNameee, D Garry; N Darby, C McNamee, S Hannon; A Sullivan, R McNamee, N McNamee. Subs: G O'Connell for Byrne (37), S Sullivan for Kavanagh (48), P McPadden for Hannon (48), P Sullivan for Garry (57), P Kelleghan for R McNamee (60)

Referee: Davy Walsh