Late two-pointers lead Offaly to first Leinster minor football title in 36 years

Irish Times

19-05-2025

Leinster MFC final: Offaly 2-20 Louth 3-14
After losing their opening two Leinster Minor Football Championship games this season, it looked as if
Offaly
were destined to exit the competition with a whimper.
Now, remarkably, they are provincial champions at the grade for the first time since 1989, goalkeeper Jack Ryan proving the unlikely match-winner with two stoppage time two-point scores to seal the landmark win.
The Faithful were considerable underdogs beforehand and trailed by four points with three minutes of normal time remaining in Newbridge.
It looked at that stage like
Louth
would secure all three of Leinster football's flagship titles having already taken the senior and under-20 crowns.
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But Offaly, who Louth had beaten by nine points in their group last month, refused to relent and produced a thrilling final few minutes to prevail.
Offaly celebrate with the Fr Larry Murray Trophy. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Offaly outscored Louth by 0-8 to 0-1 in the closing minutes with Ryan's first two-pointer, in the 62nd minute, putting them a point ahead before his second, in the 65th minute, stretched the gap to three.
Ryan fired over four two-pointers in total, all from long-range frees, as Roger Ryan's side impressively finished the game with three two-pointers in a row.
Eamon Maher scored Louth's other late two-pointer as they dominated the possession in the concluding minutes.
Free-taker Tony Furey topped the scoring for Offaly with 1-6, while Dylan Dunne blasted the early goal that kept them in the game despite a strong first half from Louth.
Johnny Clerkin's Louth led by 0-11 to 1-6 at half-time, 0-8 of which came from star forward Connell Kelly.
Kelly finished with 0-9 but still ended up on the losing side despite three second-half goals from Oisin Reidy, Jack Martin and Cillian McQuillan.
Offaly's Patrick Duffy celebrates after the final whistle. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Martin's 37th-minute goal left Louth five ahead and they were still four clear when McQuillan hit the net from a penalty in the 52nd minute, 3-13 to 2-12.
But it was all downhill from there for Louth, who only added one more point and lost substitute Conal Mannion to a 64th-minute red card.
OFFALY:
J Ryan (0-4-0, 4tpf); C Farrell, T Carroll, C O Beirne; P Duffy, T Kelly, E Rouse; E Maher (0-1-0), C Duffy; C Weldon, D Dunne (1-0-1), A Daly; T Furey (1-0-6, 5f), C McNamee (0-0-2), R Woods.
Subs:
D Stewart (0-0-1) for Weldon (39 mins); C Duffy for Daly (43).
LOUTH:
S Connolly; R Hickey, F McEneaney, C Titley; M McGlew (0-0-2), T Devaney, C Marron; T Maguire, C McQuillan (1-0-2, 1-0 pen); O Reidy (1-0-1), A O'Reilly, C Kelly (0-3-3, 3tpf, 2f); N McCreesh, J Martin (1-0-0), C Rooney.
Subs:
C Mannion for McCreesh (54 mins); S Hoey for Rooney (57).
Ref:
J Foley (Carlow).