News

Kilkenny too good for Offaly minors

November 8, 2018

THE Offaly seniors gave an encouraging display against Galway but their younger colleagues showed there is still a long road ahead for the county when they were resoundingly beaten by Kilkenny in Sunday’s Leinster minor semi-final.

Without ever really having to hit top gear, a physically stronger Kilkenny side still gave a clinical performance. Offaly made it interesting for a while in the first half but Kilkenny always looked capable of upping the ante.

With the wind at their backs, Offaly were 0-4 to 0-3 up after 13 minutes. Kilkenny then hit 1-3 without reply, the goal coming from Ger Aylward. Offaly got the last four points of the half to trail by 1-10 to 0-9 at the break — some fine saves from Conor Clancy kept them in it.

In the second half, there was no disputing Kilkenny’s superiority and John Power’s goal sealed their final place.

SCORERS — Kilkenny: J Power 1-4 (0-3f, 0-1 ’65’), G Aylward 1-2, K Kelly 0-4, C Buckley and P Walsh 0-3 each, O Walsh, T O’Hanrahan 0-2 each, D Waugh, M Brennan 0-1 each. Offaly: S Quirke 0-7 (0-5f), B Murphy 1-1 (1-1f) , S McKelvey, A Kelly, A Hynes, T Carroll, P Murphy 0-1 each.

KILKENNY — D Walsh; J Corcoran, W Phelan, P O’Carroll; B Kennedy, L Harney, E McGrath; K Kelly, O Walsh; T O’Hanrahan, C Buckley, P Walsh; M Brennan, G Aylward, J Power. Subs: R Reid for O’Hanrahan (36), D Waugh for Brennan (47), C O’Shea for O’Carroll (51), P Delaney for Aylward (52), R Lennon for Phelan (54).

OFFALY — C Clancy; K Waters, P Camon, S Dolan; B Murphy, M Cleary, S McKelvey; D King, E Ryan; S Cleary, A Kealey, A Kelly; S Quirke, A Hynes, T O’Carroll. Subs — P Murphy for King (h-t), T Geraghty for Kelly (40), N Wynne for Kealey (47), D Morkan for Ryan (55).

REF — P Murphy  Carlow