A late goal from Offaly midfielder Joe Bergin shattered Carlow hopes of a shock win as the Faithful County kept their promotion hopes alive at Dr Cullen Park yesterday.

This was a game 14-man Carlow should have won. They led by four points (1-9 to 0-8) after 55 minutes. But an unconvincing Offaly side dug themselves out of a hole when, having cut the arrears to a single point, a silly free conceded by Carlow in the visitors’ half saw Derek Morkan launch a 69th-minute ball into the Carlow goalmouth for Bergin to make perfect contact.

Carlow got off to a dreadful start when forward Seán Murphy received a straight red card in the fifth minute for an off-the-ball incident.

By the interval Offaly were 0-6 to 0-4 ahead but Carlow had their reward on 49 minutes when Craig Doyle’s goal put the home side ahead for the first time. But Bergin’s late goal won it for Offaly.