Offaly show second half fighting qualities to limit damage and give positives for championship

WHEN Waterford got five of the first six points of the second half to push their lead out to 0-23 to 0-9 with 50 minutes on the clock- it was fifteen points, 1-24 to 1-10 four minutes later - you would have got very long odds on only four points separating them and Offaly at the end of a very strange National Hurling League Division 1B final in Cork on Sunday afternoon.

National Hurling League Division 1B final

Waterford 1-27

Offaly 2-20

Waterford were worth every single point of their lead at that stage as almost nothing went right for an error prone, lethargic Offaly. You would have put your house on Waterford surpassing the 30 point mark and Offaly falling well short of 20 points, yet both happened and the underdogs were not 100 miles away from getting right back into it.

Offaly had the gap back to four with three minutes left and a goal could have propelled them to a sensational come from behind win. They should have had a penalty in the 57^th minute when Brian Duignan was held while trying to strike home a simple goal and Waterford will be wondering how they managed to go so close to the edge in a game that they were the better side by a country mile in for almost three quarters of the distance.

It made almost surreal viewing as Offaly fought their way back into it and limited the damage, avoiding the really bad beating that would have damaged their morale heading into a very tough Leinster championship campaign.

Waterford were full value for their fourteen point lead at the 50 minute mark, playing some great hurling and controlling every facet of the play. It really was a nightmare for Offaly at that stage and they did so well to salvage their pride from here.

Oisin Kelly's 51^st minute goal, tapping home a rebound when Brian Duignan's attempt for a point hit the upright, made it 1-9 to 0-23 and barely raised a cheer, Waterford looked to have answered it very emphatically with 1-2 in the next three minutes to lead by 1-25 to 1-10, the goal riffled home by the very impressive Patrick Curran.

A super strike by Oisin Kelly for his second goal in the 55^th minute changed things as Offaly suddenly threw off the shackles and ran in straight lines at Waterford. Brian Duignan was one of the players who ignited into life, getting three points from play as well as a couple of frees in the closing quarter. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Offaly crept back into it. Kelly's goal was followed by eight points without reply between the 58^th and 67^th minutes and almost unbelievably, the gap was 1-25 to 2-18 and anything was possible – the Cork and Tipperary supporters arriving for the Division 1A final also got behind Offaly, helping to drive them on.

A mistake by David King when he gave the ball away allowed Curran to settle Waterford with a 68^th minute point, their first score in fourteen minutes and Dessie Hutchinson's follow up one pushed the gap out to six and took the heat out of Offaly's renaissance. They finished with two Duignan points, one free, and Offaly were able to walk off the field in a reasonably content frame and positive frame of mind.

At the same time, appearances were deceiving and the first 55 minutes cannot be airbrushed into history. A spell when Waterford and Offaly looked to occupy two different orbits and there was such a vast gulf between the teams. Probably some where in the middle of the fifteen point lead Waterford held after 55 minutes and the four point one they had at the end would be a more accurate reflection on this one.

Waterford certainly took their foot off the gas when they looked home and dry, running in their quota of subs but more importantly, reducing their intensity levels by a good bit. That was a big factor in Offaly getting back into it but full credit to them for digging deep and once they scented blood and an opening, they really went at it and that was very pleasing to see – it would, however, be grasping at straws too much to paint too positive of a line on this and probably the best way to sum it up is to suggest that it could have been an awful lot worse for Offaly and they did really well to only lose by four.

Things went badly wrong for Offaly from the start as they got caught in possession and made a few mistakes. The wind favoured Waterford and was a definite factor but it was deeper than that and at half time, Offaly were in a dire position, trailing by 0-17 to 0-6.

Six points was a very poor return for Offaly while Waterford were very sharp at the other end, able to find space and finish with confidence.

The alarm bells were ringing for Offaly from the throw in. Waterford had six shots in the first two minutes, four of them flying over the bar. Brian Duignan got a point from Offaly's first attack in the fourth minute but it was 0-8 to 0-2 by the ninth minute. It was 0-12 to 0-4 after nineteen minutes and Waterford got five in a row before Colin Spain got Offaly's fifth in injury time.

The only saving grace for Offaly was that they hadn't conceded a spirit breaking goal. Mark Troy saved well from Sean Walsh in the 27^th minute while Brian Duignan had been denied by Billy Nolan at the other end in the 15^th minute.

It was a very bleak first half by Offaly and even with the wind to come, they were on a damage limitation exercise for the second half. By the 40^th minute, the game looked way out of reach as Waterford took just four minutes to surpass the 20 point milestone, leading by 0-20 to 0-7 and you could not see any danger on the horizon for the winners.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Mark Fitzgerald (Waterford): Mark Fitzgerald had a brilliant first half for Waterford, getting on a lot of ball on the half back line, scoring two points and setting up others, as well as scoring the first point of the second half. He also defended solidly in the first half and was one of several Waterford players who reached a high level for three quarters of the game – Gavin Fives, Jamie Barron, Stephen Bennett and Patrick Curran also turned in five star displays.

A good few of the Offaly players didn't play well but some of them managed to turn it around and finished with all guns blazing. Oisin Kelly was certainly one of them, scoring 2-1 in a very good second half and taking on Waterford at every chance. Brian Duignan tried hard the whole way through and was excellent in the closing quarter, inspiring all around him to raise their effort levels and creating a buzz in the crowd when he gained possession.

Jason Sampson was one of Offaly's better and most consistent performers on the day, delivering some good ball forward while Ciaran Burke, Ben Conneely, Cathal King and Dan Bourke, late on, also had their moments.

THE SCORERS

Waterford: Stephen Bennett 0-12 (6f and 3 '65's), Patrick Curran 1-3, Mark Fitzgerald and Dessie Hutchinson 0-3 each, Jamie Barron 0-2, Gavin Fives, Darragh Lyons, Sean Walsh, Shane Bennett 0-1 each.

Offaly: Brian Duignan 0-12 (5f and 2 '65'), Oisin Kelly 2-1, Colin Spain, Cathal King, Dan Bourke, Killian Sampson, Charlie Mitchell, Eoghan Cahill, Eoin Burke 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Mark Troy (Durrow); Ben Conneely (St Rynagh's), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), Padraig Cantwell (Shamrocks); Ross Ravenhill (Durrow), Donal Shirley (Tubber), Jason Sampson (Shinrone); Colin Spain (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Cathal King (Carrig-Riverstown); Oisin Kelly (Belmont), Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), Killian Sampson (Shinrone); Charlie Mitchell (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Dan Bourke (Durrow), Brian Duignan (Durrow). Subs – David King (Coolderry) for Cantwell (41m), Eoghan Cahill (Birr) for Dan Ravenhill (41m), Jack Clancy (Belmont) for Spain (46m), Patrick Taaffe (Belmont) for Shirley (52m), Eoin Burke (Coolderry) for Mitchell (57m),

WATERFORD: Billy Nolan; Ian Kenny, Gavin Fives, Iarlaith Daly; Mark Fitzgerald, Tadgh De Burca, Paddy Leavey; Conor Sheahan, Darragh Lyons; Patrick Curran, Jamie Barron, Sean Walsh; Dessie Hutchinson, Shane Bennett, Stephen Bennett. Subs – Peter Hogan for Walsh (45m), Kieran Bennett for Sheahan (55m), Padraig Fitzgerald for Shane Bennett (57m), Charlie Treen for Lyons (60m), Tom Barron for Hogan (66m),

Referee – Michael Kennedy, Tipperary.

REFEREE WATCH

Michael Kennedy refereed it well and was not a factor at all in the result, though it was a complete mystery how he didn't give Brian Duignan a penalty when he was clearly held back while trying to get a goal in the 57^th minute.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Patrick Curran's 53^rd minute goal was a key moment. It cancelled out Oisin Kelly's first strike and gave Waterford a 1-24 to 1-9 lead. While Offaly ate into that deficit, it was a huge gap to be chasing down.

VENUE WATCH

There was a lot of debate about the Pairc Ui Caoimh venue for this fixture but it was a great place to play it and a great occasion with Cork and Tipperary following in the Division 1A final,. Despite the initial panic, plenty of Offaly fans got their hands on tickets and travelled from all parts of the county. The Cork journey is nowhere near as bad as some people were suggesting – there was a motorway most of the way and it was less than two and a half hours from Tullamore, shorter for areas in the south. It is a fantastic stadium and Cork GAA were super hosts.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly now turn their attention to the championship opener against Dublin in a couple of weeks time.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly – 7 (5 in first half); Waterford – 11 (6 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 2 (Ciaran Burke and Brian Duignan); Waterford – 2 (Conor Sheahan and Patrick Curran).

Red cards: 0