Former Offaly hurler and now GAA pundit Brian Carroll had an eventful start to his inter-county managerial career as a last as Offaly conjured two late goals to get their Electric Ireland Leinster MHC campaign off to a winning start
Captain Odhran Fletcher was central to the remarkable revival, as the dangerous high ball dropping in cost Meath a historic win.
Two Offaly frees from almost identical positions out on the right wing at Grant Heating St Brendan's Park weren't cleared in the 53rd and 64th minutes and ended up in goals, which won it for the Faithful.
Fletcher took both frees, with Darragh Phelan capitalising on the first delivery to strike to the net, and the free-taker's second possibly travelled all the way through a crowded goalmouth to the net.
What's certain is that it was a sickening blow for Meath, who must have suspected they'd done enough to at least claim a draw.
Offaly steal it at the death! 🤯🤯
Odhran Fletcher's strike carries all the way into the back of the net as @Offaly_GAA win it with the last puck of the game! 🤩
Watch the @gaaleinster Minor Hurling Championship back NOW on https://t.co/yMkMTpFmTc 📺 pic.twitter.com/Re3m9AfThb— Clubber (@clubber) March 22, 2025
Speaking to Clubber TV after the game, Carroll was just delighted to get over the line.
“Absolutely massive relief,” Carroll said.
“We knew we would be in for a big battle coming down here to play Meath. That’s not being condescending or anything like that cause Meath had beaten our boys twice at the 16 level, and the Offaly minors were lucky to beat them last year up there as well, so we knew that they had serious talent, and we knew it was going to go down to the wire.
If we had prepared our boys for it going down to the wire, I don’t think we could have snuck the result today.
Darragh Phelan is claiming it, so that’s 2-3 from midfield. That’s not bad for a young man; it's part of the progression of Offaly hurling. We know we are in tier two and have a lot of work to do to get up to tier one, hurling.
Right now, you have to commend these young men for the way they applied themselves the last couple of months, the way they complied with themselves today, and didn’t lose faith. I suppose that’s the only way to keep going because you never know if it might turn out okay if you keep going and work hard.
We should have been further in front at halftime. We left three goal chances, which we could have easily taken two in the first half. It was important at halftime that we regrouped and said look this is the battle we talked about that was coming today.
You’re right. It wasn’t great with five minutes to go, but fair play to them. There is not much you can do on the line. It’s the players that do it in this situation, and the players dug deep, and they found a way to be fair to them.”
Offaly will now play Antrim in two weeks.
