Tullamore hang tough to break Ferbane hearts again

Tullamore 0-15 Ferbane 0-14

When Tullamore and Ferbane met in last year's Offaly SFC decider, the full time scoreline read 1-5 to 0-6 and the match was talked about throughout the winter for all the wrong reasons.

The dreadful weather did provide extenuating circumstances on that very forgettable day but, thankfully, this year's renewal will be talked about for the right reasons.

While there was a stiff wind that favoured Ferbane in the first half here, weather conditions were much more favourable and an infinitely better, more expansive and enjoyable game emerged.

In the end, Tullamore just barely won, breaking one of their longest hoodoos in the process as they retained their title for the first time since 1926.

It was their fifth successive final, and it took another relentless display to do it on a day when Ferbane pushed them to the pin of their collar and were so unlucky not to get a second chance.

This was the latest in a series of gut-wrenching defeats for Ferbane since they ended a 25-year famine in 2019 and they must be wondering what they have to do to win another one.

Sensational displays by John Furlong and Cillian Bourke were instrumental in Tullamore's win as they showed great character to turn the tide at two different stages.

Tullamore had a solid start against the wind and without doing anything spectacular, led by 0-4 to 0-2 after 11 minutes.

Ferbane played their best football after this, opening up a shocked-looking Tullamore with some great attacking play.

From the 15th to the 23rd minute, they got seven points in a row and while only two of those, Jack Clancy's and Darragh Flynn's, were from play, it was a run that had Tullamore in serious trouble.

John Furlong's free made it 0-9 to 0-5 at the break but