McManus goal key to Offaly win

NFL DIVISION THREE Offaly 1-13 Fermanagh1-10:A GREAT second-half goal from their most experienced player, Ciarán McManus, inspired Offaly to a deserved win over 14-man Fermanagh in Division Three at O'Connor Park yesterday.

McManus’s goal came 10 minutes into the second half to give Offaly a 1-10 to 1-7 lead. His shot took a strong deflection off Michael Jones but it was a tribute to McManus’s determination, as he won the ball deep in the heart of defence and, less than half a minute later, was racing on to a pass at the other end of the field to score.

Three minutes from half-time Fermanagh defender Martin O’Brien was red-carded following an off-the-ball incident and that effectively sealed the visitors’ fate in a game that would not have taken a lot more for them to win.

After McManus’s goal, Fermanagh had enough chances to have secured a share of the spoils but some awful wides allowed Offaly to keep their noses in front.

With the wind, Offaly were the better team in the first half and stormed into an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead. A Daryl Keenan goal hauled Fermanagh level and they edged in front on two occasions before Offaly got back on top and with Ken Casey and John Reynolds causing problems, they led by 0-9 to 1-5 at half-time.

In the second half, Offaly retreated into a defensive shell and this allowed Fermanagh to gain the momentum. Points from Ciarán Flaherty and Daryl Keenan had them level within six minutes but McManus’s goal handed Offaly back the initiative.

OFFALY: A Mulhall; M Conlon, C Kiely, S Pender; R Dalton (0-1), S Sullivan, K Slattery (0-1); C Carroll, B Connor (0-1); D Egan (0-1), J Reynolds (0-4), C McManus (1-0); R Brady (0-1, free), K Casey (0-3, two frees), N McNamee (0-1). Subs: S Ryan for R Brady, A Sullivan for McNamee (both 46 mins), P Sullivan for Egan (61 mins), S Brady for McManus (64 mins), P McConway for Carroll (66 mins).

FERMANAGH: Ronan Gallagher; M Jones, S Lyons, M O'Brien; P Sherry, B Mulrone, T McElroy (0-1); J Sherry (0-2), R Jones (0-1); T O'Flanagan, M Keenan (0-3, two frees), C Flaherty (0-1); A McCarron, Rory Gallagher (0-1), D Keenan (1-1). Subs: C McElroy for O'Flanagan (21 mins), R Foy for A McCarron (half-time), N Bowe for P Sherry (55 mins), P Cosgrove for R Jones (59 mins).

Referee: S Doyle(Wexford).