LEINSTER UNDER-21 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND Offaly 1-9 Meath 0-9:A GUTSY Offaly produced a superb backs-to-the-wall performance to march on in the Leinster under-21 football championship in Gracefield last night.
The home side were staring disaster in the face when corner forward Paul McPadden was sent off for an off-the-ball incident at the end of the first half. An Anton Sullivan free sent them in on level terms, 0-5 each, but Offaly had it all to do.
However, Meath couldn’t make the numerical advantage count as Offaly came out with all guns blazing. Two Bernard Allen points followed by a well-taken goal from substitute Mark Young put them on the road to victory. Meath did haul themselves back into it but they also had Daragh Maguire sent off in injury time.
OFFALY: G Shields; D Hanlon, E Rigney, J Kavanagh; S Hannon, J Ledwith (0-1), J McPadden; M Brazil, D Kelly; D Hogan, A Sullivan (0-3, one free, one '45), G Guilfoyle; T Spain, B Allen (0-3), P McPadden. Subs: M Young (1-2) for Spain (25 mins), S Cullen for Allen (60 mins).
MEATH: C McHugh; C McConnell, B Dillon, J Quigley; P Fox (0-1), C Lenehan, D Maguire; B Menton, S Tobin (0-1); D Larkin, M O'Sullivan, D Carroll (0-2, one free); S Gillespie (0-4, two frees), N Murphy, P McKeever. Subs: A Forde (0-1) for Murphy (22 mins), C Devereux for Larkin (half-time), D Keoghan for Quigley (56 mins), F Toolin for Tobin (56 mins).
Referee: D Maher(Westmeath).
