Offaly minors and U20s need to bounce back

By Kevin Egan

After two bleak decades, the 2020s have started very well for Offaly GAA supporters, with Leinster titles secured and All-Ireland finals reached at U-20 or minor level in one of the two codes in each of the last three years.

But if this year's U-20 or minor footballers are to come close to following in those footsteps, they have it all to do after starting their campaigns with setbacks during the week.

For Ken Furlong and the U-20s, the clip of Louth attacker Kieran McArdle intercepting a crossfield pass and running through 60 metres of open country and slamming the ball into an empty net has gone viral. But, by some measure, the real cause of the team’s failure was scoring a mere 1-2 with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half.

In general, it was a poor night for the forward division, with Ross Kellaghan the only one to score a point from play, and just three scores in total from that sector. Kildare – who scored 1-15 against Longford – up next in a must win game on Tuesday night.

Some comfort will be taken from the performances of players like Conor Melia, Diarmaid O’Neill and the midfield pairing of Cillian Bourke and Marcas Dalton. See more on the Louth vs Ofaly match here

But it’s a lot harder to see the upside in Wednesday night’s minor defeat to Longford at Faithful Fields. A seven-point loss (2-13 to 1-9), having trailed by ten after playing for 15 minutes with the wind, says a lot.

Laois had an equally dismal night playing host to Dublin, and both Offaly and Laois will get their chance to find some redemption when they play each other next week. Regardless of the long-term prospects, rehabilitation must start there.