Offaly 0-8 Kildare 0-7:OFFALY HELD on grimly for a hard-earned but deserved one-point win over Kildare in Gracefield last night.

The odds were stacked against Kildare when corner-back Mickey Kelly was sent off for a second yellow card nine minutes into the second half when Offaly were leading by 0-7 to 0-5. However, Offaly only managed one more point, from James McPadden to make it 0-8 to 0-6 with 12 minutes left. Fionn Dowling’s point cut the deficit to the minimum and Kildare laid siege to the Offaly goal in the closing minutes.

But they missed three chances of an equaliser and Offaly were delighted to hear the final whistle five minutes into injury-time.

In the first half, Offaly enjoyed the bulk of possession but often took too much out of the ball, short-passing their way into trouble. Anton Sullivan was instrumental in them going into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead after 23 minutes. Kildare midfielder Kevin Feeley got two fine points to send them in trailing by 0-5 to 0-4 at the break.

OFFALY: G Shiels; D Hanlon, E Rigney, J Kavanagh; S Hannon (0-1), J Ledwith, J McPadden (0-1); M Brazil, D Kelly; DHogan, A Sullivan (0-4, 1 free), G Guilfoyle; T Spain, B Allen (0-2, frees), M Young. Subs: S Cullen for Guilfoyle (29 mins), C Donoghue for Hanlon (43 mins), G Guilfoyle for Young (49 mins), A McDonagh for Spain (55 mins).

KILDARE:M Donnellan; M Kelly, M Konstantin, B Egan; E Powderly, E Doyle, C O'Shea; W Burke, K Feeley (0-3); C Reynolds, T Moolick, S Hurley (0-1, free); D Mulhall, P Fogarty (0-1, free), L McGovern (0-1). Subs: C Bolton for Mulhall (30 mins), F Dowling (0-1) for Moolick (44 mins), D Flynn for Reynolods (56 mins).

Referee: D Gough (Meath).