Offaly find another gear and blow Laois away

• Published date: 15 April 2024
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

The visitors were the better side on the day by the distance, even though their cause was helped significantly by a 20th-minute red card for Laois corner back James Kelly. Laois were not happy with that sending off, though his elbow did appear to go back and Dylan Hyland went down holding his ribs after the home side had won a free out

Even the numerical advantage doesn’t fully count for Offaly’s superiority on the day and they played most of the football on the day, apart from a 10-minute spell coming up to half time.

Blasting over The teams were level at the break – Laois 1-5, Offaly 0-8 – and the home side were certainly the happier to be in that position. Offaly were the better team for much of the first half and their performance warranted a three- or four-point lead. They missed two real goal chances with Jack Bryant blasting over from point blank range after 20 seconds and Eoin Carroll drawing a good save from Killian Roche with a snap shot in the 24th minute.

Laois converted their goal chance in the 28th minute with Shaun Fitzpatrick finding the net after Ian Duffy made a fine save from his first shot. That goal brought Laois back into it, making it 1-3 to 0-7.

Offaly had been 0-6 to 0-2 ahead when James Kelly was sent off and Laois were struggling to get anything going. Offaly had played very well early on and had four points on the board before Laois got their first point from an Evan O’Carroll free in the eight minute. Ruari McNamee got the next point after Fitzpatrick’s goal but points from Eoin Buggie and a Killian Roche free levelled it up at half time.

Evan O’Carroll put Laois ahead for the first time with a free two minutes into...