LEINSTER SHC FIRST ROUND/Offaly 2-26 Antrim 3-16:THIS INFUSION of fresh blood into the system has stirred the provincial campaign, although Offaly – in the end – proved old values of heart and character can also get the job done. In a Leinster quarter-final yesterday at Parnell Park which ebbed and flowed like the tide in regular time, Offaly finally unleashed a one-way torrent in extra-time to see off Antrim.
Lucky? Unlucky? For sure, Antrim will feel they had the winning of the game in regulation only for a last-ditch free from Offaly’s Shane Dooley, an increasingly important asset to the team, to square matters with the last puck of the ball. The reactions of the two teams to that pointed free said it all: Offaly players jumped towards the skies, Antrim’s threw their hurleys to the turf in disappointment and frustration.
And the argy-bargy between the managers, Antrim’s Dinny Cahill and Offaly’s Joe Dooley, on the sideline in the aftermath of the pointed free, showed how heated championship exchanges can get.
For much of this match, it looked as if Antrim would cause a huge upset. They could, possibly should, have done so. From the start, they showed they were up for it by out-muscling the Offaly players and getting to the ball quicker. Their sharpness was reflected in a scoreline which had them 1-2 to 0-0 in front after six minutes, with the impressive Neil McManus grabbing the goal.
Offaly got over their stuttering start to register 1-8 without reply, Dooley firing brilliantly to the net in the 17th minute after a good build-up involving James Rigney and Joe Bergin. If it seemed Offaly had found self-belief, we were to be proved wrong. By half-time, Antrim had a three-point lead – 3-9 to 1-12 – after a couple of reasonably soft goals, the first from Colm McFall after some keystone cops stuff in the Offaly defence in the 31st minute and the next just two minutes later when Karl McKeegan kicked first-time to the net.
The sparring in the early part of the second half was tame enough, with Antrim comfortably holding Offaly at arms length. And, then, in the 48th minute, Offaly’s plight got worse when Derek Molloy wrapped his arm around Karl Stewart’s neck and was sent off on a second yellow card. When Stewart tagged on another point a minute later to increase his team’s lead to five points, the writing was truly on the wall for Offaly.
Maybe that sending off will mark the turning point in Offaly’s championship, for the upshot was an increased work-rate from the 14 men. Dooley stepped up to the plate with a run of four unanswered points. But, as if to prove not all matches are won by scoring, it was goalkeeper James Dempsey’s magnificent point-blank save from Joey Scullion which was the most important act.
That 64th minute save prevented Antrim putting daylight between the sides, and Offaly outshot their opponents by three points to one in the remaining time to salvage a draw, with Offaly on 1-21 to Antrim’s 3-15. “The final score was a crucial one altogether, that kept us in the championship,” remarked Dooley of his son’s game-saving pointed free.
Once the teams returned for extra time, there was only going to be one winner. All the momentum had swung Offaly’s way and the tired Antrim legs couldn’t stay the pace. The decisive goal came six minutes into the first period when Dooley found Brian Carroll – who was reintroduced on to the team – who in turn picked out Rory Hanniffy, who made no mistake from close range.
“We’re well disappointed by losing,” admitted Cahill. “Maybe we were good enough to win it in normal time. We didn’t seem to have the legs for extra-time.”
OFFALY: B Mullins; D Franks, P Cleary, M Verney; J Rigney, D Kenny, D Morkan; R Hanniffy (1-1), K Brady (0-3); D Currams, J Brady, D Molloy (0-1); B Carroll (0-3), J Bergin (0-3), S Dooley (1-11, six frees, two 65s). Subs: J Dempsey for Mullins (35 mins), B Murphy for Currams (35 mins), G Healion (0-1) for Carroll (45 mins), C Parlon for J Brady (53 mins), D Hayden (0-1) for K Brady (68 mins), O Kealey (0-2) for Parlon (83 mins), S Egan for Verney (89 mins), S Kelly for Murphy (90 mins). B Carroll brought back on at start of extra-time to return team to 15 players.
ANTRIM: G Magee; K McGourty (0-1), C Donnelly, A Graffin; N McAuley (0-1), J Campbell (0-2, one free, one 65), C Herron; P Shiels, K Stewart (0-2); E McCloskey, T McCann, J Scullion; S McNaughton (0-5, two frees), N McManus (1-4, two frees), K McKeegan (1-0). Subs: C McFall (1-0) for McCloskey (23 mins); L Watson for McCann (35 mins), B McFall (0-1) for C McFall (70 mins), S McCrory for Shiels (70 mins).
Referee: Anthony Stapleton (Laois).
