Offaly will be part of a third-round qualifier draw for the first time in nine years following a comfortable home win over Sligo at Bord na Móna O'Connor Park this afternoon.
Just over two months ago these two sides met in a final round clash in Division Three of the Allianz League and while Sligo were already relegated before that game, Offaly still needed an injury-time point from substitute Mark Abbott to come away with a win.
The result seemed to be a world away this afternoon as the Faithful men cut through their Connacht opponents with ease, notwithstanding a fallow period in the second quarter when they failed to build on a strong early start.
Goals from Niall McNamee and Shane Horan in the first 13 minutes, the former a route one catch and finish from the veteran and the latter a palmed goal after some great approach play, appeared to set the foundations for a comfortable win.
Peter Cunningham and Eoin Carroll handled a lot of ball in midfield and moved it quickly and effectively to help set up three early dead ball scores, and while Niall Murphy and Pat Hughes looked dangerous close to goal for Sligo, in general Offaly seemed far more potent and direct when on the ball.
Now seven points up and with the wind behind them against a Sligo side that was desperately low on confidence, without a competitive win since the final round of the 2018 league, a more clinical side might have wrapped up the win by half time. Instead Offaly conceded points to Hughes, Murphy, Darragh Cummins and Paddy O’Connor and led by just five at the break, 2-8 to 0-9.
Sligo also came desperately close to raising a green flag of their own, only to be denied by a stunning save from Paddy Dunican in response to Paddy O’Connor’s low shot.
The win was there to be seized by either team as they came out for the second period of action, and it was still up for grabs after five scoreless minutes at the start of the second half, featuring wides at either end.
Then, in a flash, the contest was effectively settled. Eoin Carroll burst past his man with a lovely flick of the ball to gain space on the right wing and he went for blood, driving at goal and setting up Niall McNamee for a second goal.
Paddy Dunican, Shane Horan and Bernard Allen all tacked on points before Sligo finally broke a 19-minute scoring drought with a superb arcing kick from Barry Gorman, and that was far too little and too late for Paul Taylor’s men.
They kept battling hard around midfield and the kickout stats will certainly make for sobering reading for the Offaly management team during the week, but in terms of making their possessions count, the two sides were worlds apart.
Offaly kept adding points to the point that seven of their starting midfielders and forwards scored from play, while Sligo meandered to the end of their season, a late red card for David Quinn for an altercation with David Dempsey the final indignity at the end of a dismal year where they lost every competitive game.
Offaly: Paddy Dunican (0-03, 0-02 frees, 0-01 ’45); Declan Hogan, Eoin Rigney, David Dempsey (0-01); Cian Donohoe, Johnny Moloney, Niall Darby (0-01); Eoin Carroll (0-01), Peter Cunningham (0-01); Shane Horan (1-01), Anton Sullivan (0-01), Cathal Mangan (0-02); Bernard Allen (0-04, 0-01 free), Niall McNamee (2-02, 0-01 free), Ruairí McNamee.
Subs used: Mark Abbott for R McNamee (51), Paul McConway for Sullivan (63), Joseph O’Connor for Mangan (64), Shane Tierney for N McNamee (69), Clint Horan for Hogan (70), Nigel Bracken for Horan (70+2).
Sligo: Eamon Kilgallon; Paul McNamara, Peter Laffey, Nathan Mullen; Darragh Cummins (0-02), Keelan Cawley, Gerard O'Kelly Lynch; Paul Kilcoyne (0-01), Adrian McIntyre; Karl McKenna, Paddy O'Connor (0-02), Mickey Gordon; Seán Carrabine (0-02, frees), Pat Hughes (0-02), Niall Murphy (0-04, 0-01 free).
Subs used: Neil Ewing for McKenna (9, black card), David Quinn for O’Connor (30, temp), Barry Gorman (0-01) for Gordon (48), John F Carr for O’Kelly Lynch (51), Luke Nicholson for McIntyre (57), Quinn (0-01) for O’Connor (62), Brian McGowan for Carrabine (70+2).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)
