Offaly 1-13
Wicklow 2-9

An unanswered 1-6 from Offaly after half-time proved crucial as they eclipsed Wicklow in this evening's Leinster minor football championship meeting in Aughrim.

Cian Johnston struck 1-4 for the winners, including the all-important goal on 40 minutes which turned the game in his team's favour after the Garden men had opened up a five-point lead at the start of the second-half.

The win means Offaly advance into the quarter-finals of the provincial championship after having overcome Longford last week.

Midfielder Darragh Fitzgerald had the hosts up and running inside two minutes in this one with a fine point, before Dan Kelly doubled their lead from a free on six minutes.

Offaly responded handsomely, firing over three points on the trot via Cian Johnson, Shane O'Brien and ace forward Conor Lynam (free) but all their good work would be undone in an instant when Conor Byrne smashed in a goal off the back of some terrific work from  fellow Avondale clubman Saoirse Kearon.

Kelly pushed Wicklow's advantage up to three with a 17th minute free, which Cian O'Neill erased, and the leaders ensured to keep their foot on the throttle until half-time, with scores from Jack McCall and Cormac O'Shea outweighing Johnson's effort to leave it at 1-6 to 0-5 when the sides went in.

A Kelly free had the leaders five to the good within a minute of the restart and from the resultant kick-out the rampage from the visitors ensued, with a Michael Mooney point sparking the turn around.

Two quick scores from Lynam (one a free) followed and it saw Offaly ride their momentum all the way, as Johnson was given the time and space to bury in their goal before adding a free three minutes later.

Mooney and Ronan Hynes sent Wicklow into further arrears and Padraig Murphy's men looked to be coasting towards victory until Jack Kelly had his goal effort foot-blocked in the square, handing the home side a huge life-line with 10 minutes left on the clock.

Dan Kelly converted the resultant penalty and he'd keep Wicklow in the fight until the very end after cancelling-out a Hynes' second point of the evening, but Offaly were able to hold out for their berth in the last eight.

Offaly - B Rohan; D Norris, D Kavanagh, J Quinn; R Hynes (0-2), S Geoghegan, D Molloy; M Mooney (0-2), S Molloy; E Farrell, C O'Neill (0-1), A Delaney; C Johnson (1-4, 0-2f), S O'Brien (0-1), C Lynam (0-3, 1f). Subs: D Fleming for C O'Neill, L Mangan Gavin for D Molloy, D Bodsy for M Mooney, S Farrell for J Quinn, R Galbraith for E Farrell.

Wicklow - M Jackson; T Kearns, T Maher, A Curran; J McCall (0-1), S Kearon, J Cotter; J Bellamy, C Kelly; C O'Shea (0-1), C Byrne (1-0), D Fitzgerald (0-2); C Kelleher, D Kelly (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-3f), J Kelly. Subs: F O'Shea for J Cotter, C O'Shea for A Curran, A Boland for D Fitzgerald, R Kelly for J Bellamy, C O'Flaherty for C Kelleher.

Referee - D Moore.

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