Harte vows to continue with Offaly ‘if they’ll have me’

By Kevin Egan

The media briefing room underneath the Hogan Stand was suddenly very quiet. Wicklow’s sensational comeback win over Offaly was the story of the day in the Tailteann Cup, and in the time between the final whistle to confirm the 2-26 to 4-15 scoreline and Oisín McConville coming in to speak to the press, it felt like reporters from Wicklow were coming out of retirement in order to have a chat with the former Armagh star.

Fast forward 20 minutes when Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly came in to give their thoughts, and it was a much quieter, more sombre environment. After all, trying to explain the turnaround between leading by eight points at half-time and what followed, required more than a little contemplation.

“I think we were fierce efficient in the first half, that was the big difference. We were winning a lot of break ball, dirty ball and making it pay on the scoreboard. To get 3-11 at half-time, no matter what the rules are, it's a brave return,” said Harte.

“It will always come back to bite you if you are creating chances and not taking them and they weren't very difficult chances. There were three or four very good chances of widening the gap and we didn't do it.

“Then I feel, it showed them there is a door here if you want to come through it and boy did they come through it.”

There was a time when shutting up shop was an option, but now, in the new game, it feels like when an opposition tidal wave comes at you, there’s nothing to do but stand there, take the brunt, and hope you don’t drown.

“It's hard to break that momentum. When teams get a run on you now, it is very hard,” admitted Declan Kelly.

“An eight-point lead at half time, probably in the old rules you would see it out. You'd be able to lock it up a bit but when Wicklow got the run, they were getting the scores.

“When we got the goal, you were thinking we are back in it now and they kicked a two pointer straight away and pushed it out again. We probably had done something similar in the first half. When they got a goal, we came straight down the field and got a goal. The way it is now when you are on top and have that momentum, it is the time to make them pay.”

Of course, there was the inevitable question of if the duo intended to return and take charge for 2027. And Harte said that it was his intention to be back, “please God, if they’ll have me”.

The ‘if’ part of that question will have to be addressed by the Offaly panel, the county board executive and clubs over the next few weeks, but the Tyrone legend made his case for staying on by arguing that there had been progress made in 2026.

“I think it has been a good campaign in the broad sense of what we have done. After the defeats we had in the league and losing in the Leinster championship, to go to Clare and get a win, to beat Down in Tullamore and to beat Wexford, who are a decent team and have had two promotions, and then this game here.

“We can't put all the emphasis of this competition on the outcome and result today. It has to be taken in the round, four games. How did we do in those four games? I think we did very well.”

Kelly suggested that while the results weren’t what the team wanted, on a player-by-player basis, there were success stories.

“The one thing the league did do is you have to throw a number of guys in who were knocking around the panel the last year,” was his take.

“Definitely, a few players have definitely stepped up and found their way. This year we had to give lads game time in the league and championship, which is probably a hard enough environment to do it in. On that basis, you have definitely unearthed and found lads who can play at the level. So are we in a better position? I would say yes,” Kelly added.