Offaly end golden week with Joe McDonagh Cup final win against Laois

Glorious redemption for Offaly at Croke Park and the cherry placed on top of a terrific week for hurling in the Faithful County.

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Goals at the beginning of both halves from Brian Duignan, who top-scored with 1-04, and substitute Oisin Kelly, fired Offaly to a first ever Joe McDonagh Cup title - securing their return to the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 2018.

A week after the county's much-celebrated All-Ireland U-20 win, it was another dramatic breakthrough success, though the sides were tied for the 11th time in an epic encounter at the 70-minute mark.

Three points in-a-row from Killian Sampson, Charlie Mitchell and Jack Clancy ultimately won it for Johnny Kelly's side who went one better than last year's agonising final defeat to Carlow.

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Aside from securing their place in the Leinster championship for 2025, a more immediate reward for Offaly is an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final clash with Cork in Tullamore next Saturday.

All is not lost this season for Laois who will have the opportunity to make progress in the All-Ireland series too when they take on Wexford in Portlaoise.

Laois, winners of the McDonagh Cup in 2019, gave it everything they had and twice bounced back from slow starts to each half and goal concessions by drawing level, but they couldn't repeat their group stage win over their neighbours.

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Offaly boss Kelly made 11 changes from the experimental side that beat Down in the final round robin game, naming four of the U-20s that competed in last weekend's landmark win over Tipperary.

Duignan was one of the four Offaly players retained from the line-up against Down and his second minute goal came as a giant boost to the favourites.

Dan Bourke won possession after a Laois puck-out was turned over and when he played in Duignan the Durrow man had only the net on his mind.

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Duignan added a sixth-minute point and at that stage Offaly led by 1-03 to 0-01, a blistering start that brought back memories of Charlie Mitchell's early goal in last year's decider against Carlow.

Offaly, of course, failed to win that one 12 months ago and their big early lead was reeled in this time too, as Laois belatedly found their range.

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Five Laois points in-a-row between the seventh and 14th minutes tied it up at 0-06 to 1-03.

Purcell got one of those points and it was quickly becoming evident that the Laois midfield of Purcell and Corby was on top in their sector.

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