Carlow too strong for Offaly in Corden Cup

Andrew Corden Cup First Round: Carlow 3-10 Offaly 0-10

Kyle Nolan, third from left

After coming so close in two of their three games in the under 20 football championship group stages, Carlow finally got a win which their endeavour deserved as they proved too good for Offaly at the SETU Campus tonight.

It may have been the Andrew Corden cup but it was compensation for frustrating defeats to Laois and Wexford. Three points on the trot from Kyle Nolan, Kieran Nolan and Liam Gavin set them on their way.

It got better for them after that and when Offaly failed to gather a spinning ball off a block-down, Gavin scored his first of two three-pointers from close range. A Ross Kellaghan point got the visitors off the mark but they were making little headway in most areas around the field.

Gavin’s second goal was also opportunistic but credit to John Phiri who kept the ball in play and the corner forward found the net once more. While Geordi O’Meara and Robbie Gallagher landed two Offaly points, the game was all but over as Gavin and Kyle Nolan also rifled over one each to leave Carlow leading 2-6 to 0-3 at the interval.

In their first attack after the resumption, the eventual winners struck again. This time it was Cialan Brady who raised a green flag. From there the home side all but sauntered through to the winning post.

Offaly were disappointing on the night and everything that they threw at Carlow was absorbed by a solid defence who were giving nothing away in what was a hugely satisfying win for the Barrowsiders.

Scorers – Carlow: L Gavin 2-4 (3fs), Kyle Nolan 0-3, C Brady 1-0, S Cormican, Kieran Nolan, B Kelly 0-1 each

Offaly: M Dalton 0-3 (2fs), R Gallagher 0-2 (1f), C Melia (f), C Foran (f), R Kellaghan, S Doran, G O’Meara 0-1 each.

CARLOW: A Power; Kieran Nolan, J Whelan, S Cormican; M Mullen, A Delaney, T Dillon; Kyle Nolan, A Burgess; B Kelly, C Brady, J Egan; J Brady, J Phiri, L Gavin.

Subs: J Nolan for J Brady (50), E Corr for Egan (53), C McGrath for Dillon (59), E Corcoran for Kyle Nolan (61).

OFFALY: C Melia; D O’Neill, C McKeon, E Bolger; D Byrne, G O’Meara, L Bourke; C Egan, M Dalton; R Kellaghan, N Furlong, S Doran; S Afolabi Joseph, R Gallagher, L Kelly.

Subs: D McKeon for Egan (h/t), C Foran for Kellaghan (h/t), B Kennedy for Kelly (48), B Kenny for Gallagher (52), C O’Reilly for Bolger (52).

Referee: D Stynes (Dublin)