Offaly record 13-point win over Waterford in All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers

A first championship win in four years kept Offaly’s summer alive at a sun-soaked Fraher Field where they triumphed by 1-20 to 1-7 against Waterford.

Offaly got on top from the outset and were three points up inside three minutes as Graham Guilfoyle, Joseph O’Connor and Nigel Dunne found the range to give them a great start.

Dunne added another shortly afterwards and the more vocal travelling fans were given plenty to shout about.

Waterford, beaten by Tipperary in the Munster championship, struggled to get into the game and when Anton Sullivan made it five points without reply, the home support feared the worst.

But back came Waterford with successive points from Mark Ferncombe and JJ Hutchinson to give them some hope.

However, Offaly, demonstrating a greater range of passing and movement in their game, added two further points from Graham Guilfoyle and Bernard Allen in the 12th and 16th minutes, with both efforts narrowly flying over Sean Barron’s crossbar. 

In searing heat, both sides made some poor handling errors, with Offaly particularly guilty of some wayward shooting and seven minutes elapsed before the next score materialised, via the fist of Offaly’s Bernard Allen.

But Waterford didn’t surrender and Tommy Prendergast found the range from an acute angle in the 27th minute, before adding a superbly worked goal five minutes later.  

A powerful run by corner back Dean Crowley picked out lively substitute Darren Guiry who, in turn, released Joey Veale to goal from point-blank range.

Waterford goalkeeper Barron brilliantly tipped William Mulhall’s 34th-minute shot over the crossbar while in additional time, Patrick Hurney found his range to reduce the hosts' arrears to the minimum at the interval as Offaly led by 0-9 to 1-5.

Offaly were somewhat more relieved at the break and they clearly used the time well to steady the ship.

A trio of Dunne points by the 45th minute, met with a sole response by Joey Veale at the opposite end put the Faithful in command, with further efforts from Conor McNamee and Eoin Carroll leaving them five points ahead.

Liam Lawlor kept Waterford in the contest with a point on 51 minutes, but Offaly’s greater fitness was in clear evidence in the closing quarter.

Another Dunne free, coupled by two monstrous efforts by Johnny Moloney and Peter Cunningham, sent the Leinster side 10 points clear with 16 minutes remaining.  

Prior to his substitution, impressive Offaly midfielder Guilfoyle struck his third point from play, and by then it was clear that the Waterford effort had well and truly run out of steam.

Dunne’s fourth point from play in the 64th minute was followed by a goal from Anton Sullivan two minutes later, when his high, inswinging ball was adjudged by an umpire to have been carried over the line by unfortunate goalkeeper Barron.

Offaly: A Mulhall; B Darby, P McConway, C Donohue; N Darby, J Moloney (0-1), J O’Connor (0-1);  C McNamee (0-1), N Smith; P Cunningham (0-1), G Guilfoyle (0-3), A Sullivan (1-1); B Allen (0-2), N Dunne (0-8; 0-4f), W Mulhall (0-1).   

Subs: E Carroll (0-1) for W Mulhall (Black Card, HT), N Bracken for Allen (HT), J Evans for Guilfoyle (62), D Brady for B Darby (67), N Geraghty for Smth (67), P McPadden for Moloney (70+).

Waterford: S Barron; D Crowley, T Ó hUallacháin; S Briggs, P Whyte, S Prendergast; T Prendergast (0-1), C Guiry; JJ Hutchinson (0-1), M Ferncombe (0-2), M O’Halloran; L Lawlor (0-1), J Veale (1-1), P Hurney (0-1).

Subs: D Guiry for Hutchinson (25), L Ó Lonáin for O’Halloran (46), C O’Keeffe for Hurney (51), M Curry for C Guiry (59), J Curry for Veale (67), K Murphy for Prendergast (67).

Ref: John Hickey (Carlow).