Below par Offaly sent back to Division 2 by impressive Antrim

OFFALY returned to division 2 hurling when a dispiriting and below par performance saw them well beaten by Antrim in Navan on Saturday afternoon.

National Hurling League Division 1 relegation play off

Antrim 2-24
Offaly 2-17

It was a very disappointing day at the office who never really performed or clicked into top gear in the Division 1 relegation play off.

In many ways, it was Offaly's worse and most thought provoking performance of the year. While Division 1 hurling had proven too big of a jump for them and they shipped some heavy beatings in the A group, they had performed well in some of the games. Their defeats by the top counties were expected and understandable but this was a different story, however. It was against opposition that Offaly will be meeting in the Joe McDonagh Cup in April, they really wanted to keep their top flight status and the pressure was on them to perform.

Unfortunately, however, Offaly didn't perform. They were strangely flat on the day and their hurling very rarely reached the level it needed to. Offaly tried but it is an indictment of their display that they were a well beaten docket from well before the final whistle and this game fizzled out very harmlessly – Offaly's second goal came deep in injury time when Eoghan Cahill blasted a free to the net but it didn't raise a murmur of excitement and had absolutely no impact on the game.

Antrim were in cruise control at that stage and it was an impressive display by them. They were the better team in the first half when playing against the wind and the way they responded to serious questions by Offaly early in the second half really showed their calibre.

It was not Offaly's biggest defeat of the campaign by any stretch and they were blown out of the water early on but in some ways and on some criteria, this was their poorest display, their most thought provoking defeat. The fact that it came against a Joe McDonagh Cup team will capture particular attention and Offaly manager Michael Fennelly and back room team now have a job on hand to lift things again.

It can be done and championship is championship but Offaly were resoundingly beaten here and never looked like they were going to win, apart from a brief spell coming up to half time while an Eoghan Cahill penalty goal early in the second half ignited false hope – Cahill's 39th minute goal reduced arrears to a point, Offaly got on level terms moments later from a Leo O'Connor free but they never built on it as Antrim responded superbly as they pulled clear.

Antrim had struck for 1-2 in first half injury time to lead by 2-11 to 0-12 at the break but over the balance of the first half, that was actually a deserved lead.

Playing against the wind in the first half, the northerners had been the better team, quietly running the game as Offaly lived dangerously at times and never really clicked as an attacking force.

It was one of Offaly's poorest halves in the league as they never moved with real conviction and purpose, instead lofting in long ball and relying on breaks and half chances.

Offaly's best spell had been coming up to half time when Eoghan Cahill, David Nally, Luke O'Connor and Jason Sampson fired over fine points to level it up at 0-12 to 1-9. Even though they had the wind, Offaly would have been very happy with that half time score but instead Antrim struck gold before the half time whistle.

Ciaran Clarke and Keelan Molloy got points and then Molloy raced through for a super goal after receiving from Conal Cunning. It changed the complexion of the game and stacked the odds against Offaly.

Before that, Antrim had played most of the hurling and looked like they might get in for goals anytime they passed the Offaly forty. A lovely third minute goal from James McNaughton had given them a 1-1 to 0-2 lead, though Offaly will not have been happy with the space he got and the ease he finished with.

Offaly had Stephen Corcoran to thank for the situation not getting a whole lot worse as the Coolderry man made a fantastic double save to deny McNaughton and Keelan Molloy in the eight minute.

Offaly did dig deep and points from Jason Sampson and a huge Corcoran free levelled it up by the 11th minute. Antrim went 1-4 to 0-5 ahead and led by 1-6 to 0-6, 1-8 to 0-7 and 1-9 to 0-8 as Offaly hung on for dear life. A magnificent Eoghan Cahill point out of nothing sparked Offaly's late revival – Cahill had played very deep at times but his two points from play just took the breath away.

Offaly hit the ground running in the second half with 1-2 without reply to level it at 1-14 to 2-11 and for a brief few minutes, they looked like they could win it. The penalty was a debatable one – Brian Duignan was cutting in on the end line and advancing menacingly but it is debatable if he was in the penalty area when he was sliced down. Sub Niall O'Connor was shown a black card and while you could also argue if it was a clearcut goal chance, it was a big break for Offaly.

Antrim's response knocked the resistance out of Offaly. They got five of the next six points to lead by 2-16 to 1-15 after 52 minutes and Offaly never threatened to win again. The closest they could get was three points and they really needed a goal when Luke O'Connor did well to break free in the 53rd minute. O'Connor's shot, however, was too high and eventually went out for a “65” that Eoghan Cahill pointed.

Keelan Molloy floated over a beaut before Stephen Corcoran made another super double save, this time denying Ciaran Clarke and Conal Cumming though he was the architect of his own discomfort as his misplaced puckout to Leon Fox had created the opening for Antrim. James McNaughton pointed the “65” to make it 2-18 to 1-16 and Antrim eased home from here as Offaly's effort levels dwindled when it became clear they would not win.

Antrim got 2-21 to 1-16 ahead and were 2-22 to 1-17 clear when Joey Keenaghan was sent off for a second yellow card. Antrim were 2-24 to 1-17 ahead when a silly and messy melee saw Niall O'Connor sent off after getting a yellow to go with his earlier black – Eoghan Cahill got a yellow.

Cahill's goal from a free was immaterial while Antrim had a penalty goal from Ciaran Clarke ruled out for advancing inside the line.

There was absolutely no disputing the merit of Antrim's win and their superiority. They had most of the best players on the field with Gerard Walsh, Keelan Molloy and Ciaran Clarke superb for them. Offaly had no one that got up to this level, though Eoghan Cahill again performed well while Stephen Corcoran, Ben Conneely, David King and Jason Sampson were among the others who did well.

Offaly had too many players who didn't reach their full potential. The game bypassed a couple of the forwards and there was just too much going wrong here for management to arrest things.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ciaran Clarke (Antrim): Antrim had a few contenders but the choice is Ciaran Clarke who got four points from play, created a lot of space for himself and did the simple thing very efficiently.

THE SCORERS

Antrim: Conal Cumming 0-11 (9f), Keelan Molloy and James McNaughton (1 “65” and 1f) )1-2 each, Ciaran Clarke 0-4, , Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Joe Maskey, Conor McCann, Eoin O'Neill 0-1 each.

Offaly: Eoghan Cahill 2-6 (1-0, p, 1-4 fs and 1 “65), Jason Sampson and Luke O'Connor (1f) 0-3 each, Stephen Corcoran (f), David King, David Nally, John Murphy and Paddy Clancy 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Stephen Corcoran (Coolderry); Jack Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Ben Conneely (St Rynagh's), Joey Keenaghan (Clodiagh Gaels); Leon Fox (Belmont), David King (Coolderry), Killian Sanmpson (Shinrone); Adrian Cleary (Shinrone), David Nally (Belmont); Brian Duignan (Durow), Jason Sampson (Shinrone), John Murphy (Ballinamere); Liam Langton (Clodiagh Gaels), Eoghan Cahill (Birr), Luke O'Connor (St Rynagh's). Subs – Ciaran Burke (Durrow) for Cleary (HT), Eimhin Kelly (Lusmagh) for Langton (HT), Eoghan Parlon (Coolderry) for Fox (57m), Paddy Clancy (Belmont) for Duignan (57m), Sean Cleary (Shinrone) for O'Connor (63m).

ANTRIM: Ryan Elliott; David Kearney, Gerard Walsh, Stephen Rooney; Paddy Burke, Eoghan Campbell, Joe Maskey; Ryan McGarry, Keelan Molloy; James McNaughton, Domhnall Nugent, Conal Cunning; Conor Johnston, Conor McCann, Ciaran Clarke. Subs – Niall O'Connor for Kearney (HT), Seaan Elliot for McNaughton (57m), Eoin O'Neill for Johnston (64m), Daniel McKernan for Nugent (69m), Phelim Duffin for McGarry (71m).

Referee – Rory McCann (Clare).