Hyland goal helps Offaly see off Laois
Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup: Offaly 1-11 Laois 0-12
Dylan Hyland's goal proved crucial as Offaly battled back to edge out Laois in their Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup encounter in Stradbally last night (Wednesday).
Offaly's two-point victory sets up a quarter-final against Leinster and All-Ireland champions Dublin on Saturday in Gracefield (throw-in 1.30pm).
In what was Declan Kelly's first game as Offaly senior football manager, Offaly had to come from behind to eke out victory in this local derby.
On a cold evening with some drizzly rain falling, Justin McNulty's Laois charges went 0-11 to 0-7 ahead early in the second half. But Offaly responded in determined fashion with Hyland scoring a vital goal to reduce the deficit to the minimum.
With points from substitutes Nathan Poland (Erin Rovers) and Declan Hogan, Offaly finished with a flourish as scores dried up for the home side.
Offaly started Wednesday night's game with seven players who were on the All-Ireland U-20 title winning team of 2021, while Cappincur's Eoin Carroll returned to the inter-county fray.
In the other O'Byrne Cup first round games, Wexford defeated Wicklow and Kildare were too strong for Carlow, which means the quarter-final line-up is now complete (see fixtures below).
Scorers - Offaly: D Hyland 1-5 (0-3 frees); N Dunne and J Bryant (1f) 0-2 each; D Hogan and N Poland 0-1 each. Laois: M Barry 0-6 (5f); F Holland, S Fingleton, B Byrne, D Kavanagh, P Kingston (free) and B Daly (f) 0-1 each.
Offaly: Ian Duffy; David Dempsey, Diarmuid Finneran, Lee Pearson (captain); Rory Egan, John Furlong, Jack O'Brien; Jordan Hayes, Morgan Tynan; Eoin Carroll, Cathal Flynn, Dylan Hyland; Cormac Egan, Jack Bryant, Anton Sullivan. Subs used: Jack McEvoy for Tynan (H-T), Nigel Dunne for Bryant (H-T), Daire McDaid for R Egan (H-T), Declan Hogan for Finneran (43 mins), Kevin McDermott for C Egan (53), Cathal Donoghue for Carroll (53), Ruari McNamee for Flynn (55), Nathan Poland for Hyland (62).
Laois: Killian Roche; Ben Dempsey, Seamus Lacey, Liam Knowles; Eoin Buggie, Mark Timmons, Simon Fingleton; Kevin Swayne, Damon Larkin; Cormac Murphy, Niall Corbett, Fionn Holland; Mark Barry, Brian Daly, Brian Byrne. Subs used: Ciaran Burke, Cathal Doyle, Jack Lacey, Mikey Dempsey, Evan O'Carroll, Daniel O'Reilly, Dylan Kavanagh.
Referee: Kieran Harris (Kildare).
Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup quarter-finals (Saturday, January 6)
Chadwicks Wexford Park (1.30pm) Wexford v Kildare, Referee: Seamus Farrelly (Dublin).
Gracefield (1.30pm) Offaly v Dublin, Enda Kelly (Westmeath).
Glennon Brothers Pearse Park (1.30pm) Longford v Westmeath, Kevin Williamson (Offaly).
Ashbourne (7pm) Meath v Louth, Ian Howley (Dublin), standby referee: Fergal Smyth (Offaly).