Carlow 0-14 Offaly 1-10: On Saturday at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow provided evidence that Liam Hayes is on the right track with this team. They will take tremendous encouragement from the manner in which, having lost a five-point lead with as many minutes of normal time left, they knuckled down for full forward Mark Carpenter to shoot a superb winning point in the fourth minute of injury time.
Offaly manager Kevin Kilmurry reflected on the fact it had been hard to pick up his players after their injury-time defeat to neighbours Laois.
On that occasion Offaly had led right through the game until Ross Munnelly struck for a very late Laois goal.
This time Offaly never led. The first half is best forgotten, providing a total of 11 points, eight of which came from frees. Referee Aidan Mangan issued seven yellow cards in the 41 minutes of play and there were six added minutes after Carlow centre back Willie Power sustained a suspected fractured ankle in a fifth-minute clash with a team-mate.
Five Carlow players saw yellow and two from Offaly, and overall six home players were yellow-carded to three for their opponents in what was far from a dirty game.
Simon Rea was a major source of torment to the Offaly defence. The Eire Óg clubman scored 0-8, six from frees, and his understanding with Mark Carpenter was the most positive aspect of Carlow's forward play.The other corner forward, Brian Kelly, contributed two splendid second-half points from long range and, in all, the full forward line contributed 0-12. Half forward Brian Carbery and corner back Cormac McCarthy each scored a point from play.
Carlow led 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time and the game increased in tempo in the second half with both sides playing for a continuation of their summer campaigns.
The Walsh brothers, Thomas and Pat, had the better of matters at midfield for Carlow almost throughout, winning good ball and ensuring a steady supply of possession to a forward line which should have recorded at least one goal over the course of the game.
The only goal arrived as the game went into extra time, with Carlow 0-13 to 0-10 in front.
An Offaly penalty was awarded when Carlow goalkeeper John Brennan was deemed to have fouled substitute Thomas Deehan in the large square. The spot kick was expertly slotted to the net by Niall McNamee.
The impetus was now very much with Offaly but Carlow bucked the normal trend in these clashes to claim victory and led top scorer Simon Rea to express the hope that Carlow will have a long summer of championship football.
CARLOW: J Brennan; C McCarthy (0-1), L Murphy, P Cashin; J Hayden, W Power, R Sinnott; P Walsh, T Walsh; B Carbery (0-1), J Byrne, P Hickey; S Rea (0-8, 6 frees), M Carpenter (0-2), B Kelly (0-2). Subs: J Kehoe for Power (inj), P Kelly for Sinnott, R Walker for Hickey.
OFFALY: P Kelly; C Daly, C Evans, S Brady; J Keane, S Sullivan, K Slattery; C McManus, A McNamee; C Quinn, M Daly (0-1), N Coughlan (0-1); N McNamee (1-6, one penalty, four frees), P Kellaghan, J Reynolds (0-1). Subs: J Coughlan (0-1) for M Daly, T Deehan for Kellaghan.
Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).
