Heartbreak for Offaly as Clare snatch victory deep into injury time

A POINT from a free five minutes into injury time gave Clare a dramatic one point victory over a gallant Offaly side in the final group game of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A tie at Grant Heating St Brendan's Park, Birr, on Saturday.

Allianz National Hurling League Division 1A Round 5

CLARE 0-23

OFFALY 1-19

Offaly led for almost the entire game but backed by the wind Clare just kept coming back at them in the second half and they tied up the game in injury time before snatching that late winner, both scores from frees conceding by a tiring Offaly defence.

True, Clare weren't at full strength for this tie having already secured their place in the league semi-finals, but after their heavy defeat to Cork the previous Sunday, it was the kind of response the Offaly management would have been looking for from their side and it was heartbreaking for them to have victory snatched from their grasp at such a late stage.

Clare got the first point of the game but it was the only time they led until that final score of the game deep into injury time. Offaly hit back well and when Jack Clancy found the net for the only goal of the game after 14 minutes they were 1-4 to 0-2 ahead. Any time Clare threatened to come back at them in that first half, Offaly were able to respond and at the interval they held a six point advantage, 1-12 to 0-9.

The sides exchanged points throughout the third quarter and midway through the half Offaly's lead still stood at six points. Clare threw on some experienced players as subs and in a three minute spell hit four answered points to get right back into the contest. Offaly held them off for a while and went four ahead again with 10 minutes left but that was their last score of the game. Clare nibbled away at the lead and it looked like Offaly might hold on for a win or at least a draw but those two injury time frees gave Clare the victory.

It was a tough way for Offaly to lose and they will look back on the game as a chance missed of grabbing a morale boosting victory. They had a couple of bad wides from decent opportunities in the second half and will also look back on the last Clare score as one where they got themselves into trouble from a short puck out. They had the opportunity to clear the ball but were slow in getting rid of the ball and Clare closed them down and eventually won possession from which they were awarded the winning free.

Clare would also point to an incident late on when they probably should have been awarded a penalty when David Reidy was bundled over but they have also to be given credit for not giving up and sticking with it right until the end. Victory means they finish their campaign unbeaten on top of the group and they will face Tipperary in the league semi-final next Saturday.

Conditions were difficult with rain falling before the start and a wind blowing towards the town end and the pitch was quite soft in places. Despite that both sides tried to play open hurling and spread the ball around.

After their heavy defeat to Cork the previous week, Offaly would have been happy with the way they started and they looked much sharper than they had the previous Sunday. They found the target more regularly from play, though by half time four of their points had come from defenders and another from midfield with just one point from play from the attack. They yielded more scores from their attack after the break and by the end nine different players had scored from play for them.

Cillian Kiely had been named to start for Offaly but was ruled out for the second game running. Padraig Cantwell and Sam Bourke both played well in the corners while Luke Watkins made a good impression and Killian Sampson cleared up an awful lot of ball. David King put in a big effort in midfield while in attack Eimhin Kelly and Eoghan Cahill worked hard, David Nally had some good moments and Oisin Kelly benefited from another game under his belt after a long lay off and looked to be getting back to form.

Rory Hayes, Conn Smyth and Cian Galvin did well in the Clare defence, Seadna Morey had a fine game in midfield and Ian Galvin was the star of the attack with Patrick Crotty, Shane Meehan and David Conroy also doing well.

Clare began brightly and had two wides on the board before David Conroy opened their account with a point from a free. Offaly responded well and Eoghan Cahill pointed three frees in three minutes to push them in front. The first score from play came in the 10th minute when Keith Smyth pointed for Clare but Offaly's response was immediate with wing back Luke Watkins picking off a good point from distance.

Fourteen minutes into the contest Offaly found the net when Eimhin Kelly gave a good pass to Jack Clancy and although he was partially blocked with his first attempt he pulled low to the net from his second to raise a green flag. Luke Watkins stretched the lead four minutes later but Seadha Morey replied for Clare.

Eoghan Cahill pointed a free and a '65' for Offaly, sandwiching a Patrick Crotty effort for Clare before David Conroy and Shane Meehan both hit the target to cut the gap to four points. Sam Bourke and Patrick Crotty exchanged points before David Nally and another long range Sam Bourke effort stretched Offaly's lead to six points after half an hour.

David Conroy (free) and Ian Galvin both pointed for Clare but David King and Eoghan Cahill (free) hit back for Offaly to leave the home side leading by 1-12 to 0-9 at half time.

David Conroy cut the gap 38 seconds after the restart but Dara Maher restored Offaly's advantage. It was point for point in the third quarter with Ian Galvin, Patrick Crotty, David Conroy (free) and Ian Galvin again pointing for Clare and each being responded to in turn by Eoghan Cahill from a free and from play, Eimhin Kelly and Leon Fox to leave it 1-17 to 0-14 16 minutes into the half.

Clare then hit a purple patch with four in a row in just three minuts from Shane Meehan, Ian Galvin, Keith Smyth (free) and Seadna Morey to leave jusst two in it with 15 minutes to go and the momentum seemed to be firmly with the Banner side.

Offaly steadied and two Eoghan Cahill frees had them four up with 10 minutes left. David Reidy, a huge effort from well inside his own half from Rory Hayes and another from Paddy Donnellan cut the gap to just one going into the last five minutes. Offaly survived a scare when David Reidy seemed to have been fouled in the square and when the ball went out for a '65' he then sent that wide. However Reidy levelled from a free and five minutes into added time pointed another free to out Clare in front for only the second time in the game. Offaly had one last attack but couldn't muster a score and they were left to rue a missed opportunity.

MATCH ANALYSIS

THE TEAMS

CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan; Rory Hayes, John Conneally, Conor Leen; Ross Hayes, Conn Smyth, Cian Galvin; Seadna Morey, Darragh Lohan; Gearoid Sheedy, David Conroy, Patrick Crotty; Keith Smyth, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan. Subs. David Reidy (for Gearoid Sheedy, half time), Conor Cleary (for Conor Leen, half time), Aron Shanagher (for David Conroy, 51 mins), Colm O'Meara (for Keith Smyth, 55 mins), Paddy Donnellan (for Darragh Lohan, 62 mins).

OFFALY: Mark Troy (Durrow); Padraig Cantwell (Shamrocks), Ben Conneely (St Rynagh's), Sam Bourke (Durrow); Luke Watkins (Shinrone), Dara Maher (Shinrone), Killian Sampson (Shinrone); Jason Sampson (Shinrone), David King (Coolderry); Jack Clancy (Belmont), Leon Fox (Belmont), David Nally (Belmont); Eimhin Kelly (Lusmagh), Oisin Kelly (Belmont), Eoghan Cahill (Birr). Subs. Ross Ravenhill (Durrow) (for Dara Maher, 55 mins), Paul Cleary (Shinrone) (for Leon Fox, 68 mins), James Nally (Belmont) (for Oisin Kelly, 71 mins).

REFEREE: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).

MAN OF THE MATCH

Killian Sampson had an excellent game for Offaly, winning a lot of valuable possession in defence and delivering good ball into the forward line but overall the edge goes to Clare's Ian Galvin. He was their liveliest forward throughout, scored four points from play and was instrumental in most of their best attacking moves.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

After leading almost all the way Offaly got caught at the finish. With the game level, after a short puck out, they walked themselves into trouble, lost the ball and conceded a free from which David Reidy pointed the winner, in a heartbreaking finish for Offaly.

REFEREE WATCH

On the whole Caymon Flynn did well. He was up with the play and consistent in his decision making. He probably should have awarded Clare a penalty late on when David Reidy was bundled over close to goals but he allowed play to go on. On the whole he had a decent game.

WHAT’S NEXT

This was Offaly's last game of the campaign and their next outing will be in the first round of the Joe McDonagh Cup away to Laois on April 21st. Clare can look forward to a National League semi-final next weekend against Tipperary.

VENUE WATCH

On a wet and windy day there was a good sized crowd in St Brendan's Park for this fixture. The pitch was quite soft in places after all the rain and it meant there was little run on the ball and some uneven bounces. There were plenty of stewards on duty both inside and outside the ground and everything ran smoothly.

STATISTICS

Wides; Clare 11 (7 in first half) Offaly 8 (3 in first half)

Yellow Cards: Clare 3 (Rory Hayes, Cian Galvin, Ross Hayes) Offaly 5 (David King, Jason Sampson, Ben Conneely, Killian Sampson, David Nally)

Black Cards: None

Red Cards: None

THE SCORERS

Clare; David Conroy (0-5, 0-3 frees), Ian Galvin (0-4), Patrick Crotty (0-3), David Reidy (0-3, 0-2 frees), Keith Smyth (one free), Seadna Morey, Shane Meehan (0-2 each), Rory Hayes, Patrick Donnellan (0-1 each).

Offaly; Eoghan Cahill (0-10, 0-8 frees, 0-1 '65'), Jack Clancy (1-0), Luke Watkins, Sam Bourke (0-2 each), David Nally, David King, Dara Maher, Eimhin Kelly, Leon Fox (0-1 each).