Leinster SFC Quarter-final: It was fitting that the two outstanding attacking forces in yesterday's Bank of Ireland Leinster football quarter-final should have divided the melodrama between them at the end of this helter-skelter championship match.
Ciarán McManus, having seemingly sealed the match going into injury-time, was presented with the requirement of converting a last-minute 45 if his team were to survive. This stark reversal of fortune had been brought about by Mick Lawlor's 1-1 in little over a minute previously.
Lawlor's point cut the margin to two points. Then a match that Laois had led for all of two minutes suddenly fell stunned into their laps. A big kick from Darren Rooney was wonderfully fielded by Kevin Fitzpatrick whose offload created the chance. Lawlor didn't waste it and suddenly his team led by a point.
It was only fair that Offaly should have got another chance and appropriate that McManus calmly drove the ball from 45 metres over the bar.
Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer has been this way before and knows that the revivalist impact he brings to counties won't necessarily affect the integrity of ancient quarrels around Leinster. But even he looked exuberantly relieved that his league finalists' second outing in this year's championship hadn't ended in tears against the remorseless cross-border rivals.
Offaly made a couple of changes before the start. James Grennan lined out instead of Paudie Mulhare and the recall of veteran Vinny Claffey turned out to be a ruse for the protection of Niall McNamee, a teenager still on the county minors. The young corner forward showed plenty of deft touches and posed a constant menace until he flagged a bit in the second half and was replaced by Claffey.
From the start, Laois were very subdued and gradually Offaly took a grip. Their physical challenge disconcerted the home team who struggled to cope with the strong running and hard tackling.
The experience of Finbar Cullen and Cathal Daly stood out as they broke up attacks and turned play around. Ger Rafferty was excellent at full back and Offaly's strength down the middle of the defence prompted the switch of Kevin Fitzpatrick and Ian Fitzgerald - but to no great avail.
Offaly's forwards roamed free and combined well for a succession of aesthetically pleasing movements, culminating in a three-point barrage in as many minutes, two from John Reynolds and one from Pascal Kellaghan, to come from behind for a 0-5 to 0-3 lead.
The problem for Laois was that they lacked a physical focus in defence and were unable to impose any order on the opposition's attacks. The damage could have been worse but Offaly were guilty of some wild shooting.
There could be no complaints about the finish in the 31st minute however when McManus rounded off a characteristically lung-bursting first-half performance with a goal to put daylight between the teams. Laois had just closed to within a point after well-taken scores by Damien Delaney and wing back Aidan Fennelly.
Corner back Joe Higgins cleared a little too hastily straight to McManus who strode forward before unleashing one of his specials from 30 metres. Fergal Byron got a hand to it but was lucky not lose the limb as the shot detonated into the goal.
Brazilian soccer legend Jairzinho was - for unexplained reasons but presumably connected with the Samba Soccer promotion - in the attendance of 12,625.
The goals that made him one of the top scorers in the 1970 World Cup were worked a little closer to goal but his team-mates lashed in enough from long range to make him feel all nostalgic at McManeraldo's prowess.
The half ended with a fine save at the other end by Kevin Meehan from Beano McDonald and a further point for Reynolds. With his team trailing by 0-5 to 1-7, Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer - as he more or less acknowledged afterwards - could almost hear the crowd muttering obsequies.
O'Dwyer was less forthcoming about his own response at the break but it had a radical impact on the match. Whatever he said it had its effect and equally importantly so did his switches.
Damien Delaney, who had struggled in Daly's company, went off to be replaced by Stephen Kelly. But the most important move saw corner back Tom Kelly come out to centre back where he provided a far more substantial presence than Derek Conroy who had been substituted by Paul McDonald with the latter going into the corner.
The greater solidity and organisation allowed Laois's centrefield to compete far more aggressively in an area well won by McManus and Alan McNamee in the first half.
Laois rolled up their sleeves and, with Offaly struggling to adjust to their opponents' improved configuration, knocked off the five-point deficit in 15 minutes with scores from Ross Munnelly (two frees), McDonald, Mick Lawlor and a free from Stephen Kelly.
Impressively Offaly managed to bring Laois's momentum slowly screeching to a halt by getting to grips around the middle - Grennan swapping with McManus - and making some adjustments themselves. Colm Quinn's frees halted the scoring trend and when Roy Malone and Claffey took the field for the closing stages, the attack began to exert more pressure with Malone's pace in particular causing problems.
In a passage of play towards the end, the scale of Laois's task was laid bare. Replacement David Sweeney, on the field for two minutes, committed a reckless foul in front of the linesman, had a free turned into a throw-in and he got a red card from referee Michael Collins in the 65th minute.
Offaly should have finished it shortly afterwards.
Kellaghan and Claffey combined for the latter to dart in on goal only for his shot to be desperately beaten out by the twin interventions of Paul McDonald and Byron.
When McManus boomed over a howitzer of a point at the end of normal time to extend Offaly's lead to three, that looked to have concluded the matter. But it simply set the stage for a frantic injury-time.
The sides will replay in Tullamore on Bank Holiday Monday next week.
LAOIS: F Byron; T Kelly, C Byrne, J Higgins; D Rooney, D Conroy, A Fennelly (0-1); P Clancy, N Garvan; R Munnelly (0-3, 3f), I Fitzgerald, B McDonald (0-1); M Lawlor (1-4, 2f), K Fitzpatrick, D Delaney (0-2, 1f). Subs: P McDonald for Conroy (half-time), S Kelly (0-1) for Delaney (half-time), D Miller for Fitzgerald (39 mins), D Sweeney for S Kelly (65 mins).
OFFALY: K Meehan; C Daly, G Rafferty, B Mooney; J Kenny, F Cullen, K Slattery; A McNamee, C McManus (1-3, 2'45s); C Quinn (0-4, 4f), N Coughlan, J Grennan; P Kellaghan (0-1), J Reynolds (0-3), N McNamee (0-1). Subs: M Stones for Kenny (half-time), R Malone for Reynolds (58 mins), V Claffey for N McNamee (63 mins).
Referee: M Collins (Cork)
