Offaly to look for refixture as fog leads to abandonment of Walsh Cup tie with Galway coasting towards facile win

A VERY heavy fog resulted in the abandonment of Sunday's Walsh Cup tie between Offaly and Galway in Tullamore with the visitors coasting to a facile win.

Walsh Cup Senior Hurling Competition Group 3 Round 2

Galway 4-14

Offaly 1-11

(Match abandoned)

Galway were leading by 4-14 to 1-11 and would have won but Leinster GAA will now have to make a call on what happens. Offaly manager, Johnny Kelly confirmed afterwards that they would be seeking a refixture, remarking that another game would be very welcome as they prepare for the National Hurling League Division 1 campaign.

The Portumna man revealed that they have got very little field work done so far because of the weather and this has been reflected in their displays against Laois and Galway in the Walsh Cup. He stated that they would welcome any opportunity for a game.

“We will look for it to be refixed. It is another game so I think so. We haven't done much on the field yet so every game we get will help us in preparation for the league,” he confirmed.

There have been early suggestions from some people in the Galway camp that they won't play a second game and would rather concede it than make a second journey to Offaly but whether they take such a militant stance remains to be seen.

Unless Offaly agreed to let the result stand as it is, the game will have to be replayed as it was not finished and a midweek fixture, probably in Faithful Fields, Kilcormac, is likely either this week or next week if Galway play it.

In fairness to Galway, you can see why they wouldn't want to make a second trip to Offaly and it was pure bad luck that the game wasn't played to a conclusion. Johnny Kelly made no bones about admitting that Galway's win would probably have been in the region of ten points if it had been finished and there is absolutely no doubt that there would have been no come from behind win for Offaly.

Galway were in cruise control and while Offaly were giving it their all, they couldn't have overturned a 12 point deficit.

There will now be questions asked about allowing this game go ahead at all. It had been in doubt right up to throw in and possibly should have been pulled earlier in the morning. However, once that wasn't done, it was the right decision to try and play it and it was also the right decision to pull the plug when they did did as visibility had worsened and it had become dangerous for ittproceed.

Referee David Hughes eventually called it after consultations with Johnny Kelly and Galway manager Henry Shefflin and there is no doubt that both manegements wanted it called off at that stage.

With the dense fog lifting and dropping almost in the blink of an eye, the chances of this game starting and finishing looked, well, grey, for a long time and unfortunately, it didn't get completed, even though there was only fourteen minutes left.

The fog, however, provided the only element of doubt about the outcome of this and within a couple of minutes everyone in the ground knew that Galway would record their expected win.

Offaly battled very hard and did as well as they could. They worked hard but Galway had a definite edge in pace and physicality. Their 3-11 to 1-8 half time lead was a fair reflection of the way the game went and the teams played.

Offaly were somewhat competitive and played with more structure and method than in their defeat by Laois on Thursday evening but it was also very quickly clear that Galway were a superior outfit.

The visitors had 1-1 on the board after just a minute with the goal a clincial finish from John Cooney. After 12 minutes, it was 1-6 to 0-2 and it was 1-7 to 0-3 six minutes later.

Offaly should have got a goal in the 15th minute when Eoghan Cahill drew a good save from Eanna Murphy but they got one in the 22nd minute when Charlie Mitchell found the net after Murphy fumbled a Jason Sampson shot that dropped short.

Cahill added a point from play and all of a sudden, it was a three point game, 1-7 to 1-4 after 23 mintues. For Offaly, however, it was like poking a sleeping bear as Galway struck back with 2-2 without reply. John Cooney got his second goal in the 25th minute after a great build up involving Jason Flynn and Donal O'Shea and then set up Declan McLoughlin for the third two minutes later.

Offaly dug deep and responded well with three in a row but Galway got two of the last three points for that half time lead – it meant that Offaly's most realistic chance of salvaging the game was that the fog would result in it being called off.

The fog was a factor in an enjoyable game and visibility was very poor for players – it may not have been as bad for the teams and officials on the pitch for a while but it was difficult viewing for supporters the whole way.

Both teams deserve credit for the way they went about their business in such imperfect condtions.

It meant that it was no place for judging teams or players but Offaly will have been glad of the two Walsh Cup games ahead of a testing Division 1 league campaign and Johnny Kelly clearly wants a third now.

In the second half, the sides had swoppd three points apiece in the first fourteen minutes before Jason Flynn blasted home a 52nd minute penalty goal after Kevin Cooney was fouled. That made it 4-14 to 1-11 and it was all over four minutes later.

For Offaly, the most significant thing in the second half was the half time introduction of Adam Screeney into the attack, though Kelly remarked afterwards, with tongue very much in cheek and a smile on his face, that he couldn't see what he was doing from where he was – and that was not because of Screeney's slight build.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

TJ Brennan (Galway): TJ Brennan was having a great game in the Galway defence. He mopped up a lot of ball, defended superbly and found his man very well, apart from a couple of mistakes.

THE SCORERS

Galway: Jason Flynn 1-4 (penalty goal and 3f), John Cooney 2-0, Gavin Lee 0-3, Declan McLoughlin 1-0, Tiernan Killeen, Jamie Ryan and Donal O'Shea (2f\) 0-2 each, Cianan Fahy 0-1.

Offaly: Eoghan Cahill 0-9 (8f), Charlie Mitchell 1-0, Sam Bourke and Dan Bourke 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Stephen Corcoran (Coolderry); Cathal King (Carrig-Riverstown), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), Ben Conneely (St Rynagh's); Donal Shirley (Tubber), Jason Sampson (Shinrone), Sam Bourke (Durrow); Jack Clancy (Belmont), Luke Watkins (Shinrone); Dan Bourke (Durrow), Killian Sampson (Shinrone), David Nally (Belmont); Eimhin Kelly (Lusmagh), Charlie Mitchell (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Eoghan Cahill (Birr). Subs - Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Watkins (HT), Leon Fox (Belmont) for Watkins (HT), Eamon Cleary (Shinrone) for Corcoran (47m),

GALWAY: Eanna Murphy; Shane Morgan, TJ Brennan, Michael Walsh; Cianan Fahy, Gearoid McInerney, Tiernan Killeen; Donal O'Shea, Gavin Lee; Jamie Ryan, Jason Flynnm, John Cooney; Kevin Cooney, Martin MacManus, Declan McLouglin. Subs -Alex Connaire for Ryan (47m), Dan Loftus for Flynn (53m),

Referee – David Hughes (Kilkenny).

REFEREE WATCH

David Hughes had a big call to make with starting the match and will be queried over this as it didn't finish. However, with the two teams there, you could see why he gave it an opportunity to go ahead. Apart from that, he had an excellent game and was very efficient.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

The decision to call off the game with fourteen minutes left.

VENUE WATCH

As I walked into O'Conor Park at 1.00pm, a debate was ongoing about whether the match would be going ahead and it was suggested that throw in would be delayed until 2pm, if it would proceed at all. Within seconds, the referee had decided it would go ahead at 1.30pm and it was a questionable call at that stage. You couldn't see from one end of the field to the other then but within a couple of minutes, the heavy fog had begun to lift and you could see the full pitch.

A few minutes later it dropped again, almost in the blink of an eye with visibility not good enough for a game. Then it improved. It was that type of a day. It wasn't great and the fog was lingering with the potential to worsen but it was the right call. Neither side wanted to pack up and go home without a game and be forced into a midweek fixture this week or next and they had to give it every chance.

As things worked out, they didn't get away with it and unfortunately, the sun didn't manage to break through for long enough to lift the fog. The pitch was well cut up from an All-Ireland junior football club game on Saturday but there was no opportunity to roll it or do anything

WHAT'S NEXT

Galway play Laois next weekend while Leinster Council will have to decide on a fixture for this match.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 3 (2 in first half); Galway - 10 (7 in first half).

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