Late flurry ensures Offaly Schools finish with a comfortable win

OFFALY SCHOOLS 2-21

LAOIS SCHOOLS 1-12

A STRONG finish in the closing minutes ensured Offaly Combined Schools advanced to the knock out stages of the Leinster Schools Senior A hurling championship as Group Team winners after this victory over Laois Schools at The Faithful Fields on Saturday.

The final scoreline certainly doesn't give a true reflection of the game. With four minutes left Offaly held just a two point lead as Laois chipped away slowly at their advantage while Offaly were missing chances at the other end.

But two minutes from the end Offaly finally breached the Laois backline for a goal and that seemed to release the shackles from them and they added a further 1-3 without reply in the remaining minutes to give them a somewhat flattering 12 point winning margin.

Offaly were the better team but their wastefulness in the second half kept Laois in the game approaching the closing minutes. The Offaly goal also had a couple of let offs when Laois threatened a second goal which could really have thrown the cat among the pigeons but Ofafly survived those scares, including one when Conor Taylor took the ball off the line after Ruairi Kavanagh had edged it past Liam Hoare.

Offaly had also missed one good goal chance before they eventually found the net but all round they were the better team. Nine different players got on the scoresheet from play for the winners, while only three did for Laois and only 1-3 of their total came from play, compared to 1-15 from Offaly.

Laois Schools made the better start scoring the first three points of the game while Offaly lost joint captain Ruairi Kelly to a shoulder injury. Offaly then settled into the game and had moved two points clear when Laois hit another good spell scoring 1-2 without reply to lead by a goal seven minutes before half time.

It was Offaly's response to those scores which showed the difference between the teams. They didn't panic and over a five minute spell hit six points without reply and that helped them to a two point half time lead.

Offaly went five points in front on a couple of occasions in the second half but they just couldn't shake off their opponents until that devastating late surge when they scored 2-4 without reply to ensure they advanced to the next stage of the competition.

Offaly Schools are holders of the Leinster title and this victory will give them confidence as they move forward. Seven different schools were represented in the starting line up. Caelum Larkin, Ajay Cleary and Mark Ryan played well in defence, Ricky Fitzsimons had a good hour at midfield and in attack Liam O'Riordan, Cathal Robinson and Shane Rigney all had strong moments.

Charlie Hand, Cormac Hogan, Conor Mortimer, Eoghan Murphy and Ruairi Murphy were best for Laois Schools.

Laois Schools made a bright start and Eoghan Murphy put them ahead from a free after two minutes. Stephen O'Donnell quickly added a second and Eoghan Murphy pointed a free from midfield to stretch the lead to three after six minutes.

Offaly lost full back Ruairi Kelly to injury but they settled into the game and Shane Rigney got their first score after eight minutes. Liam O'Riordan added a free and Ricky Fitzimons levelled matters after 11 minutes. Eoin Bailey O'Brien then put Offaly in front and Liam O'Riordan got their fifth point in five minutes from a 60m free. Eoghan Murphy pointed another free for Laois to cut the gap to a point at the end of the first quarter.

Liam O'Riordan played a good ball into Eoin Bailey O'Brien for another Offaly point but Laois hit back and Eoghan Murphy (free) and Ruairi Kavanagh brought them level before a good move ended with Cormac Byrne setting up Cormac Hogan to finish to the net.

Offaly's reply was very impressive as they hit the next six scores in a five minute spell. Liam O'Riordan began the run with a free, James Liffey finished a good move with the next, Cathal Robinson and Conor Grennan hit a quickfire double and Shane Rigney shot a brace to move Offaly three points clear before Eoghan Murphy closed out the first half scoring from a free with Offaly holding a 0-12 to 1-7 half time lead. Laois probably should have had a second goal when Cormac Byrne got through but he steered his shot just wide of the advancing Liam Hoare.

Offaly kept up the momentum after the break. Liam O'Riordan pointed a free after just 25 seconds and Cathal Robinson and Ajay Cleary stretched the lead to five points after four minutes. But Laois weren't giving up and Ruairi Kavanagh and another Eoghan Murphy free kept them within touch.

Scores were harder to come by after that and over the next 20 minutes two Liam O'Riordan frees were responded to by three in a row from Eoghan Murphy frees to leave just two in it with four minutes to go. Offaly also missed a great goal chance when Cathal Robinson but James Liffey in but his shot for the top corner went just outside the post.

Liam O'Riordan steadied Offaly with a fine point from play and with two minutes left he set James Liffey away and this time the Shinrone clubman made no mistake, racing away and firing a great shot on the run to the far corner of the net.

That gave Offaly breathing space and Liam O'Riordan, Shane Rigney and Dara Scully added points from Scully was fouled and Liam O'Riordan steered the penalty low to the net to give Offaly a somewhat flattering 12 point winning margin.

MATCH ANALYSIS

THE TEAMS

OFFALY SCHOOLS: Liam Hoare (St Brendan's CS, Birr); Caelum Larkin (St Brendan's Birr), Ruairi Kelly (Banagher College), Conor Taylor (Ardscoil Chiaran Clara); Conor Grennan (Gallen CS), Mark Ryan (St Brendan's CS), Ajay Cleary (St Brendan's CS); Ricky Fitzsimons (Banagher College), Niall Furlong (Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore); Shane Rigney (Banagher College), Liam O'Riordan (Cistercian College, Roscrea), Cathal Robinson (St Brendan's CS); James Liffey (Cistercian College), Eoin Bailey O'Brien (St Brendan's CS), Eoin Neville (Killina Secondary School). Subs. Adriano Szoma (St Brendan's CS) (for Ruairi Kelly, 7 mins), Dara Scully (Banagher College) (for Eoin Neville, 37 mins), Niall Kelly (Killina) (for James Liffey, 63 mins), Eoin Dunne (Colaiste Choilm) (for Ricky Fitzsimons, 63 mins).

LAOIS SCHOOLS: Ryan Peters: Tommy Goode, Charlie Hand, Liam Whelan; Eli Quinn, Cormac Hogan, Paddy O'Sullivan; Ben O'Mara, Conor Mortimer; Caelum O'Brien, Eoghan Murphy, Stephen O'Donnell; Cormac Byrne, Ruairi Kavanagh, Evan Cassin. Subs. Jordan Downey (for Ben O'Mara, half time), Kyran Cuddy (for Stephen O'Donnell, 43 mins), Dion O'Connor-Cuddy (for Tommy Goode, 46 mins), Jimmy Nortin (for Paddy O'Sullivan, 50 mins), Sam Somers (for Caelum O'Brien, 53 mins), Evan Quinlan (for Liam Whelan, 54 mins).

REFEREE: Barry Nea (Westmeath).

MAN OF THE MATCH

Offaly had some strong contenders and Ajay Cleary and Shane Rigney deserve mention, but in the end the nod goes to Liam O'Riordan. Not only was he on form from placed balls, but his overall contribution was strong. When Laois closed to two points late on, he came up with a fine point from play to steady things and then set up James Liffey for the first goal which effectively sealed the win. His workrate was good and a tally of 1-8 was impressive.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Offaly's first goal finally put the seal on a good win. Laois had hung in until the closing minutes, only two points separating them with four minutes left. Offaly had hit a number of wides which kept Laois in the contest until those closing minutes but two minutes from the end James Liffey raced through to fire to the net and give Offaly a six point advantage and there was no coming back for Laois after that.

REFEREE WATCH

Barry Nea handled the game well. He was consistent in his rulings and pulled a number of foul handpasses. Overall he got most of the decisions right.

WHAT’S NEXT

Offaly Schools move on to the knockout stages of the Leinster Championship and will face a preliminary round game (fixed for December 12th) while it's the end of the road for Laois Schools.

VENUE WATCH

The Faithful Fields was a very good nick for this game. It coped well with the crowd and everything ran smoothly as usual at this venue.

STATISTICS

Wides; Offaly Schools 11 (4 in first half) Laois Schools 3 (1 in first half)

Yellow Cards: Offaly Schools 0 Laois Schools 2 (Cormac Hogan, Charlie Hand)

Red Cards: None

THE SCORERS

Offaly Schools; Liam O'Riordan (1-8, 1-0 penalty, 0-6 frees), Shane Rigney (0-4), James Liffey (1-1), Eoin Bailey O'Brien, Cathal Robinson (0-2 each), Ricky Fitzsimons, Conor Grennan, Ajay Cleary, Dara Scully (0-1 each).

Laois Schools; Eoghan Murphy (0-9, all frees), Cormac Hogan (1-0), Ruairi Kavanagh (0-2), Stephen O'Donnell (0-1).