Offaly 0-12 Tyrone 2-15: The league is full of crazy aberrations and wonderful sights. Even so, when Offaly scored after just a few minutes in Tullamore yesterday we dispatched an excited message to the curators at Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. Encouraged by the rare sight of a white flag being waved by an umpire, the team that didn't score for 52 minutes last weekend got their groove back and kept on scoring.
In the end of course it wasn't enough. Offaly had stood and applauded Tyrone on to the field yesterday. The All-Ireland champions, wealthy enough to be able to insert Owen Mulligan, Kevin Hughes and Ger Cavlan as half-time substitutes, had too much power coming into the final quarter and eased away. Offaly might as well have stood and applauded them off again at the end.
There was fatalistic local feeling afterwards that Division Two now beckons for Offaly. Perhaps but at the end of a bad week there was much to be pleased about for the home side. A few critical breaks at midfield in the second half and a few defensive lapses in the first accounted for much of the difference between the sides.
"We played well in the first half," said Kevin Kilmurray. "We didn't deserve to be beaten by the margin we got beaten by. Tyrone's guile and experience came into play. They were here for two points and they did it well. I'd like to have a massive big panel like they have and they had the edge in experience and age but that's where we're aiming for. We'll build on today's performance."
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte was inclined to the view that this was his side's best performance so far. As it was the first performance to earn them any league points it was hard to argue but even Harte wasn't getting carried away: "All the good football in the performance was contained in the last 15 minutes."
In pure football terms as well as on the scoreboard Offaly matched their visitors for the first 35 minutes yesterday. Niall McNamee buzzed at corner forward, midfield broke even and the approach play showed an intelligence and sharpness which suggests progress. At times in the first half Offaly led by as much as three points and enjoyed the balance of possession.
Ominously Tyrone wouldn't be shaken off and the quality of some of their scores was breathtaking. A point from Martin Penrose following a high-speed one-two with Seán Cavanagh was a sharp reminder of what Tyrone can do when they have a mind to.
At half-time, with the sides deadlocked on eight points apiece, we reflected that just eight of the Tyrone side which began yesterday's game began the All-Ireland final last September and noted Brian Dooher and the new wonderkid Raymond Mulgrew weren't even on the bench. As if to underline the strength of his panel Harte sprung three big names for the start of the second half.
Offaly wilted but not immediately. In fact the first two scores of the second period went their way. By now however Ryan McMenamin had moved back to handcuff Niall McNamee. Mulligan was displaying astonishing strength and confidence in the full-forward line and Ger Cavlan was giving a good impression of the Ger Cavlan he once was.
Offaly stayed two points ahead until the 55th minute when Stephen O'Neill scored his sixth point. Two minutes later Seán Cavanagh levelled the game and seconds later Mulligan, less blond these days but just as visible, put Tyrone in front. It seemed in one instant Offaly were waving and the next they were drowning.
The last 10 minutes were tough on Offaly. Cavlan floated a wonderful pass into the heart of the Offaly defence. Penrose tucked it into the net. Ciarán McManus and Stephen O'Neill swapped points before another long ball, this time from the left, was met by Cavlan scooting in from the right. He netted joyfully.
Between times Offaly made brave attempts to replicate the bizarrely entertaining three-goal finish they managed at Parnell Park against Dublin. McManus got his fist to a ball on the edge of the square and redirected it to Alan McNamee. John Devine in the Tyrone goal smothered the attempt though. They travel to Kerry next week knowing that commendations for improvement and bravery won't be enough.
OFFALY: K Meehan; G Rafferty, S Casey, N Grennan; N Coughlan, S Brady, K Slattery; C McManus (0-4, frees), A McNamee; J Reynolds (0-1), P Kellaghan, L Mooney; T Deehan (0-3, two frees) R Connor (0-1, free), N McNamee (0-3). Subs: C Quinn for Connor (44 mins), S Ryan for Deehan (54 mins), S Sullivan for Kellaghan (57 mins), J Coughlan for Mooney (62 mins).
TYRONE: J Devine; D Carlin, C Gormley, E Bradley; D Harte, G Devlin, P Jordan; B Meenan, C Gourley; R McMenamin, B McGuigan (0-2), S Cavanagh (0-2, one free); M Penrose (1-1), S O Neill (0-8, four frees), R Mellon. Subs: G Cavlan (1-0) for Devlin, K Hughes for McGuigan, O Mulligan (0-2) for Mellon (all half-time), C Holmes for Meenan (55 mins).
Referee: G Kinneavey (Galway).
