Donegal contingent create history with London as they stun Offaly in Tailteann Cup

London were represented by a large number of Donegal men yesterday with Moville man Ciarán Diver leading the way as the Exiles caused a sensational upset against Offaly on their own patch on Saturday afternoon.  

In doing so, this gave the 2024 Tailteann Cup an explosive start as London picked up their first championship win in 11 years. 

Alongside Diver, who finished with 1-5 on the day, Daniel Clarke, who was with Naomh Colmcille, scored two points from centre-forward, while Gaoth Dobhair’s Michael Carroll chipped in with a point of his own. 

St Mary’s Convoy Josephy McGill and St Eunan’s man Michael Miller came on as second-half substitutes, while other Donegal members on the panel include, Michael Lynch, formerly of Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Colmcille, Termon’s Nathan McElwaine, St Mary’s Convoy’s Patrick Dolan, and Seán McMonagle from the Na Rossa club. 

Both teams started the match with real vigor, and after 20 minutes of play, the scoreboard reflected an equal standing of four points each, with Offaly’s Ian Duffy, Cathal Donoghue, Dylan Hyland, and Jack Bryant contributing to their tally, while Ciarán Diver led London's charge with three consecutive points, closely supported by Ruairí Rafferty. 

As the first half progressed, London exhibited a clear momentum. Their purposeful play yielded three unanswered scores courtesy of Diver, Stephen Dornan, and Michael Carroll, establishing a noticeable advantage. 

At halftime, London held a two-point lead with the score standing at 0-8 to 0-6. They continued to dominate proceedings post the interval, executing swift counterattacks and precise finishes, with Aidan McLoughlin and Shay Rafter extending their lead. Rafter's standout performance in the second half culminated in four additional points. 

Both teams traded points until the 51st minute, when a defensive error from Offaly allowed Dornan to capitalise, widening London's lead with a goal of his own.  

Despite Offaly's attempts to rally through substitutions, London maintained their stronghold, with McLoughlin, Dornan, and Daniel Clarke demonstrating exceptional midfield prowess. 

In the 66th minute, Diver secured London's second goal, effectively sealing Offaly's fate. Moments later, Offaly's Dan Molloy received a red card, further dampening their prospects. 

The final scores, courtesy of Diver, Clarke, and Liam Gallagher, reflected London's dominance throughout the match, leaving Offaly with no recourse.  

Scorers for London: Ciarán Diver 1-5 (3fs), Stephen Dornan 1-1, Shay Rafter 0-4, Daniel Clarke, Ruairí Rafferty and Joshua Obahor 0-2 each, Michael Carroll, Aidan McLoughlin, Eoin Walsh and Liam Gallagher (1f) 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Offaly: Dylan Hyland 0-4 (2fs), Jack Bryant (1f) and Nigel Dunne (1f) 0-2 each, Cathal Donoghue, Peter Cunningham, Eoin Carroll (0-1 mark), and Ian Duffy (’45) 0-1 each. 

London: Andrew Walsh; Eoin Walsh, Daire Rooney, Ciarán McKeon; Oran Kerr, Shay Rafter, Aidan McLoughlin; Stephen Dornan, Liam Gallagher; Michael Carroll, Daniel Clarke, Ciarán Diver; Joshua Obahor, Ruairí Rafferty, Fiontan Eastwood. Subs: Michael Miller for O Kerr (58), Cahir Healy for A McLoughlin (60), Tighe Barry for C McKeon (64), DJ O’Flaherty for S Rafter (64) and Joseph McGill for R Rafferty (70+1). 

Offaly: Ian Duffy; Lee Pearson, David Dempsey, John Furlong; Cormac Egan, Rory Egan, Peter Cunningham; Eoin Carroll, Cathal Donoghue; Dylan Hyland, Cathal Flynn, Jordan Hayes; Cian Farrell, Keith O’Neill, Jack Bryant. Subs: Jack O’Brien for R Egan (43), Nigel Dunne for C Flynn (45), Ruairí McNamee for C Farrell (48), Nathan Poland for C Donoghue and Dan Molloy for D Dempsey (66). 

Referee: Derek O’Mahony (Tipperary)