Mixed emotions as Offaly relieved to draw a game they should have closed out

IT was very much a case of mixed emotions for Offaly as they secured a quarter-final berth in the Leinster U-20 Hurling Championship when drawing with Galway in Tullamore on Saturday afternoon.

Leinster U20 Hurling Championship Tier 1 Group 1 Round 2

Offaly 0-15

Galway 1-12

Five points up inside the last twenty minutes and playing very well, Offaly really should have won from there. They were the better team over the seventy minutes plus but they could have been very easily beaten as well.

Dan Ravenhill was wide from a 55^th minute penalty, not getting true conviction into his strike after a foul on Leigh Kavanagh that saw Galway wing back Joshua Ryan sent off for a second yellow card.

Offaly were leading by 0-15 to 1-8 at that stage and even though a swirling wind was mainly favouring Galway at this stage, they were still in complete control. It all unravelled badly for Offaly after this as they lost their composure and made unforced mistakes.

Dan Bourke overcarried the ball with options to his left and right with Aaron Niland tapping over the free and suddenly Galway found a new lease of life. Another Niland free, sandwiched on each side by points from Oisin Lohan and Rory Burke had Galway level with the 60 minutes just up but three minutes of injury time to play.

The very impressive Donal Shirley was wide with a fairly straightforward chance and Adam Screeney was blocked down as he tried to make space but all the momentum was with Galway and they had their chances to snatch a come from behind win. Aaron Niland and Rory Burke were wide with decent chances and in the end, Offaly were relieved to hear the final whistle and get out of town with the draw.

And while they will regret not closing the game out when they had a floundering Galway on the ropes, the draw is a very acceptable result for Offaly. It assures them of at least a quarter-final and that was the big target for them here. The three teams in this group all go through but the third placed goes into a preliminary quarter-final and that is fixed for the same weekend as the Joe McDonagh Cup against Westmeath, which would have ruled those players out of senior action.

The top team goes into a semi-final and that could still be Offaly. Dublin and Galway play in the final game in this group and if Dublin get a result, Offaly will be top – if Galway win, scoring difference will dictate and as Offaly only beat Dublin by a point, it will more than likely be the Connacht side if this scenario emerges.

With no team bowing out in the group stages, the results don't really matter but the performances do and Offaly once again showed they have real prospects of retaining their Leinster title. It wasn't their most accomplished performance ever but for just over twenty minutes of the second half, they were quite superb and it was impossible not to feel a twinge of excitement about them.

1-5 to 0-7 behind at half time, they grabbed the lead with quick second half points from Shane Rigney and Adam Screeney (free). Aaron Niland levelled up with a 38^th minute Galway free but after this Offaly clicked into top gear and Galway couldn't live with them. They scored four points in a row to lead by 0-13 to 1-6 after 45 minutes, the outstanding Barry Egan and Dan Bourke getting ones from play.

Oisin Lohan got one for Galway but Barry Egan got two more points for that 0-15 to 1-7 lead and the visitors looked shellshocked. Offaly missed chances and had ample possession to add to extend their tally and their failure to score from the 51^st to 73^rd minute was the big negative from the afternoon for them.

Cathal King and Barry Egan had poor wides and Dan Ravenhill underhit a clear chance. Niland got Galway's eight point but Offaly missed their chance to wrap it up with Ravenhill's penalty.

Full credit to Galway for the way they salvaged a point and they played their best hurling in that final quarter. Offaly, however, are clearly going well and won't be too perturbed if they do have to play a quarter-final.

Their defence was outstanding as a unit on Saturday while Colin Spain put in another great shift at midfield and Cathal King had fine purple patches. The attack were reliant on Barry Egan and Adam Screeney, who also spurned a goal chance early in the second half, passing to Dan Ravenhill instead of putting the after burners on himself – Ravenhill had his moments after being introduced after ten minutes for Daniel Hand who looked to pull up with a hamstring injury and Dan Bourke had good spells.

The first half never really ignited to life as it was quite stop-start and neither side able to generate really fluency.

The wind was a difficult one to both play with and against but Offaly were disappointed to go in trailing by 1-5 to 0-7 at half time.

They were very much the better side in the opening quarter and full value for teir 0-5 to 0-2 lead at that stage – Adam Screeney scoring them all with his first point coming from play and the rest frees. Screeney was very unlucky when his shot was deflected onto the crossbar by Darragh Walsh after a fantastic catch in the 17^th minute and Galway got into it after this.

Two points were followed by an excellently taken Darren Shaugnessy goal in the 21^st minute and without doing anything special, Galway were ahead by 1-4 to 0-5. Aaron Niland mishit a great goal chance for Galway in the 25^th minute and Offaly missed too many chances – Donal Shirley, Adam Screeney, Dan Bourke, Barry Egan and Dan Ravenhill all had wides and some of them should have been points.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

James Mahon (Offaly): It is telling that most of the outstanding players were on the Offaly side. Normally Barry Egan's opportunism and four points from play would get it but James Mahon was so good in the Offaly defence, that he is the choice. The Kilcormac-Killoughey man made some great blocks and flicks, won good ball and regularly cleared his lines. He scarcely put a foot wrong in an excellent defence where Ruari Kelly, Donal Shirley and Ter Guinan also staked claims.

Rory Burke, Tiarnan Leen and Aaron Niland were among the Galway players who caught the eye.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Adam Screeney 0-8 (7f), Barry Egan 0-4, Ter Guinan, Shane Rigney and Dan Bourke 0-1 each.

Galway: Aaron Niland 0-7 (4f and 1 '65'), Darren Shaughnessy 1-1, Oisin Lohan 0-2, Rory Burke and Tiarnan Leen 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Liam Hoare (Carrig-Riverstown); Ruari Kelly (Lusmagh), James Mahon (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Donal Shirley (Tubber), Ben Miller (Birr), Ter Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Colin Spain (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Cathal King (Carrig-Riverstown); Shane Rigney (St Rynagh's), Dan Bourke (Durrow), Leigh Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Daniel Hand (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Barry Egan (Clara), Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey). Subs – Dan Ravenill (Durrow) for Hand (10m), Conor Doyle (Clara) for Leigh Kavanagh (58m),

GALWAY: Darragh Walsh; Conor Lawless, Dylan Dunne, Sean Murphy; Joshua Ryan, Rory Burke, Cillian Whelan; Tiarnan Leen, Matthew Tarpey; Oisin Lohan, Darren Shaughnessy, Micheal Power; Diarmuid Davoren, Michael Burke, Aaron Niland. Subs – Jason Rabbitte for Power (43m), Paddy McCartaigh for Burke (40m), Cullen Killeen for Davoren (49m),

Referee – Owen Beehan, Kilkenny.

REFEREE WATCH

A mixed bag by Owen Beehan. He was fair and neither side could really complain at him but there were a few frees missed.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Offaly's missed penalty changed the game and had Dan Ravenhill converted that, it would have been all over.

VENUE WATCH

Despite the various weather warnings, O'Connor Park was very much playable, though the wind did make conditions challenging. The pitch looked good and once again, a large Offaly crowd turned up to see this group of players.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly's group games are now completed with Dublin and Galway clashing in the last group 1 game next Saturday. All three teams qualify for the knockout stages and the group is only about positions and whether it is semi, quarter or preliminary quarter-final you go into.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 13 (7 in first half); Galway - 13 (7 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 3 (Dan Bourke, Adam Screeney and Dan Ravenhill); Galway – 3 (Joshua Ryan 2 and Tiarnan Leen).

Red cards: Offaly – 0; Galway – 1 (Joshua Ryan 2 yellows).