By Kevin Corrigan
Offaly produced a mixed bag but were still full value for their Division 3 South Allianz Football League win over Wicklow in Aughrim.
The visitors played their best football in the first half and while they weren't near as good in the second period, the result was never in doubt.
John Maughan's side needed this win. With games against Limerick and Tipperary coming up, they have set their sights on a semi-final place and a winning start was absolutely crucial.
They laid the ground work in a very good first-half showing, displaying terrific hunger, and the pace in which they attacked the game regularly had Wicklow grasping at straws.
Offaly had made a sloppy start when they conceded a soft eighth-minute goal.
Centre-half back Johnny Moloney lost the ball as he came out the field and Wicklow attacked with Eoin Darcy applying the finish.
That gave Wicklow a 1-00 to 0-01 lead and the home side were 1-1 to 0-02 ahead after ten minutes.
Offaly, however, played some great football after this.
Consistently breaking the tackle and moving forward at pace, they grabbed control of the game with seven points on the trot to lead by 0-09 to 1-01.
Wicklow ended a long scoring drought with a 32nd-minute point from Dean Healy and Mark Jackson's huge free a minute later made it a three-point game.
A three-point half time deficit would have done Wicklow considering the extent of Offaly's dominance but a stoppage-time goal gave the half-time score board a more realistic look.
Colm Doyle finished well after Joe Maher sent him in and Offaly led by 1-09 to 1-03 at the break.
The second half was more closely contested without anything other than an Offaly win really looking like happening.
Both sides had players black-carded but neither took advantage.
The closest the hosts could get was three points and that came when three scores without reply made it 1-11 to 1-08 with six minutes left.
Crucial points from subs Shane Horan and Cian Farrell settled Offaly back down and they held on comfortably for a deserved win.
Offaly: Paddy Dunican (0-1, '45'); Declan Hogan, Eoin Rigney, Nial Darby; Colm Doyle (1-0), Johnny Moloney, Jordan Hayes (0-1); Peter Cunningham, Eoin Carroll; Bill Carroll (0-1, mark), David Dempsey, Anton Sullivan (0-1); Bernard Allen (0-2), Joe Maher (0-3, 2f), Ruari McNamee (0-1).
Subs: Niall McNamee (0-2, 1f) for Maher (49), Cian Donohue for Doyle (51), Cian Farrell (0-1) for Allen (52), Shane Horan (0-1) for Sullivan (58), Carl Stewart for Dempsey (71), Rory Egan for Hayes (71).
Wicklow: Mark Jackson; Nicky Devereux, Jamie Snell, Oisin Manning; Darragh Fitzgerald, Niall Donnelly, Dave Devereux; Padraig O'Toole, Dean Healy; Andy Maher; Mark Kenny, Conor Byrne; Eoin Darcy, Seanie Furlong, Cathal McGee.
Subs: Arran Murphy for McGee (27), Patrick O'Connor for Murphy, inj. (38), Ross O'Brien for Devereux (54), JP Hurley for Fitzgerald (54), James Sheerin for Darcy (58), Eoin Murtagh for Snell (61).
Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois).
