The final of the Offaly senior football championship ended inconclusively in Tullamore yesterday when Edenderry came from seven points down at half-time to force a replay with Rhode.

5he teams served up disappointing fare in a disjointed first half in which Rhode used wind advantage to build an interval lead of 1-7 to 0-3. The Rhode goal in the 20th minute was the result of quick thinking as David Bannon nipped in to turn Eddie Byrne's quickly-taken free past Donal Seery.

When Rhode increased their lead within seconds of the resumption they seemed destined to take home the Dowling Cup. However, they reckoned without the fighting spirit of their opponents. Edenderry restricted Rhode to just one further point.

Robbie Glennon's 36th-minute goal was followed by a string of points, culminating in substitute Ciarβn Reilly pointing a 58th-minute free to balance the scores.

EDENDERRY: D Seery; S Bagnall, K Guing, W Mooney; B Malone, F Cullen, J Hurst; S Connell, A Mahon; M Keogh, P Brady (0-4), R Glennon (1-2); D Flynn, S ╙g Farrell, T Kenny. Subs: C Farrell for Keogh; C Reilly (0-3) for Flynn; N Comerford for Farrell.

RHODE: A Daly; A Kelleghan, B Malone, S Sullivan; J Kilmurray, T Coffey, K Kavanagh; D Bannon (1-1), F Dunne; D Hope (0-2), P Kenny, A McNamee (0-2); R Malone (0-1), E Byrne, P Kelleghan (0-3). Subs: P Daly for Hope ; K Kellaghan for Dunne.

Referee: B Gavin (Clara).