Offaly left reeling by devastating defeat in high scoring shootout

OFFALY were left reeling when they suffered a devastating, sickening defeat to Laois in a thrilling Joe McDonagh Cup opener in Portlaoise on Sunday afternoon.

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Joe McDonagh Cup Round 1

Laois 2-21

Offaly 0-24

A Patrick Purcell goal three minutes into injury time secured the win for Laois and it was a very bitter pill for Offaly to swallow. The visitors were 0-16 to 0-11 up at half time and were still very much in control when they led by 0-21 to 0-15 with less then twenty minutes left. Unfortunately it all unravelled for them after this as they could only manage three more points and Laois scored 2-6 for a dramatic win.

The defeat was still hard luck on Offaly who deserved at least a draw and in those tension filled closing minutes, they could have snatched the win as easy as the home side.

The game was everything we had wished for as both sides emptied the tank. For a first round tie of a six team group, the stakes were very high and both sides were desperate to get off to a winning start.

This was reflected with a high intensity, no holds barred, high scoring shootout. Space was at a premium, every ball fiercely fought for and some excellent scores were taken. The hurling was of a high standard, though both made mistakes and wasted some ball. The closing quarter was as dramatic as it comes as both sides went into the empty but continued to fight for everything, the error count increased and chances were missed. The nervousness among both sets of supporters was palpable in the stand but it was Laois who got the win that really sets themselves up now and leaves Offaly with little margin for error and an absolutely massive game at home to Westmeath next Saturday.

Offaly went in leading by 0-16 to 0-11 at half time and were very happy with that after a very productive first half. They could have got another couple of points but by and large, were very clinical up front and converted the vast majority of their chances.

Offaly were wonderfully sharp early on as they led by 0-5 to 0-2 after eight minutes and their first wide only arrived from Cillian Kiely a minute later. Laois brought it back to 0-5 to 0-4 before Offaly got their second run of four in a row to lead by 0-9 to 0-4 after fifteen minutes – these included fabulous scores from Dan Ravenhill and Dan Bourke.

Laois then had their best spell of the first half with five of the next six points to trail by 0-10 to 0-9 after 28 minutes. By this time Eoghan Cahill and Dan Ravenhill had gone off injured, Ravenhill with what looked a worrying recurrence of his hamstring injury – Ravenhill had been playing well in a very lively attack.

One of the replacements Adam Screeney oozed quality as he floated over two delicious points from play to have Offaly ahead by 0-13 to 0-10. The outstanding Aidan Corby got the third of his three first half points but Offaly finished with a flourish. Brian Duignan, Sam Bourke and Screeney (free) got the last three points for that five point interval lead.

Offaly continued to play very well for the opening twenty minutes of the second half. They got five of the first nine points to lead by six as the closing quarter approached and they were clearly the better team at this stage. Unfortunately, they didn't get the goal that would have killed the game off and they had their chances, both falling to Eimhin Kelly.

The Lusmagh man drew a save from Enda Rowland with his first a minute after the resumption and then the game turned spectacularly after his second chance in the 52^nd minute. He seemed to stumble a bit as he got in on goal and Laois swept immediately upfield for Patrick Purcell to clincially dispatch his chance. Suddenly it was a different game but a three point lead was still a three point lead. Offaly still held that gap, 0-23 to 1-17 after 56 minutes and while they were beginning to take wrong options, they showed plenty of bottle and fight.

Offaly could only manage one point in the all important closing minutes and that is the single biggest reason they lost. There was a sense of self implosion in Offaly's late downfall. Some times simple passes weren't taken, fatique crept into their play and hit and hope clearances and shots were taken off. Cillian Kiely and Leon Fox had a couple of these – Kiely was a terrific tower of strength in the Offaly defence but his distribution and shooting was off the mark on this occasion.

Laois smelled blood and got four points on the trot to take the lead with normal time just up. Jer Quinlan's lead point was greeted with jubiliation among the Laois supporters but Offaly fought with everything. Leon Fox got a terrific 71^st minute equaliser and both sides would have settled for a draw at this stage. Stephen Maher dropped a shot short for Laois, Leon Fox underhit a chance and Killian Samspon was wide.

It was as nerve tingling as it comes and it was Laois who got the decisive score, a goal from Patrick Purcell after Willie Dunphy had initally seemed to waste the chance. There was still time but Offaly now needed a goal and never looked like breaking through in the last couple of minutes as Laois defenders in Offaly.

Offaly were heartbroken at their defeat and the only consolation was news that Kerry had surprised Westmeath, throwing the competition up in the air and suggesting that there may be more unexpected results in the remaining rounds. However, their home game against Westmeath now takes on huge importance and Offaly really have to win that.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Aidan Corby (Laois): Laois got a huge return from their midfield with Aidan Corby scoring four points and 2-1 coming off Patrick Purcell. Offaly in contrast got no score from their starting midfield pairing of David Nally and Jason Samspon, though other players played out there over the 70 minutes. Corby gets the nod, even though he was replaced late on. His three first half points were pivotal at a stage when Laois were on the back foot while Purcell really came into it late on.

Had Offaly won, Adam Screeney would have been my choice. He was brilliant when he came on in the 18^th minute, scoring eight points, four of them from play. He may have mishit a “certainty” of a close in free but made amends with a spectacular long distance one later while that miss was cancelled out when Aaron Dunphy missed a couple of scoreable ones at the other end.

Ben Conneely, Sam Bourke, the excellent Dan Bourke and Brian Duignan also impressed for Offaly, though some of the forwards found it hard to get going on the day.

THE SCORERS

Laois: Patrick Purcell 2-1, Aaron Dunphy 0-5 (3f), Aidan Corby and Stephen Maher (2f and 1 '65') 0-4 each, Jer Quinlan 0-3, Tom Cuddy 0-2, Liam O'Connell, John Lennon 0-1 each.

Offaly: Adam Screeney 0-8 (4f), Brian Duignan 0-4 (2f), Sam Bourke, Killian Sampson, Dan Bourke, Eoghan Cahill (1f) 0-2 each, Cathal King, Charlie Mitchell, Leon Fox, Dan Ravenhill 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Mark Troy (Durrow); Ben Conneely (St Rynagh’s), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), Cathal King (Carrig-Riverstown); Killian Samspon (Shinrone), Cillian Kiely (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Sam Bourke (Durrow); David Nally (Belmont), Jason Sampson (Shinrone); Dan Bourke (Durrow), Brian Duignan (Durrow), Eoghan Cahil (Birr);Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), Charlie Mitchell (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Eimhin Kelly (Lusmagh). Subs – Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Cahill, inj., (18m), David King (Coolderry) for Ravenhill, inj. (22m), Leon Fox (Belmont) for Kelly (54m), Jack Clancy (Belmont) for Dan Bourke (66m), Oisin Kelly (Belmont) for Duignan (70m).

LAOIS: Enda Rowland; Ian Shanahan, Ryan Mullaney, Diarmuid Conway; Liam O'Connell, Padraig Delaney, Tom Cuddy; Aidan Corby, Patrick Purcell; John Lennon, Aaron Dunphy, David Dooley; Jer Quinlan, Martin Phelan, Tomas Keyes. Subs – Stephen Maher for Lennon (HT), Willie Dunphy for Phelan (44m), Mark Dowling for Keyes (45m), Fiachra C. Fennell for Corby (69m), Ross King for Dunphy (71m).

Referee – Calum Cunning (Antrim).

REFEREE WATCH

Calum Cunning had a good game, allowing play to develop but keeping control and punishing fouls. A few decisions went against Offaly in the closing quarter but these probably balanced out over the entirety.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Laois's first goal from Patrick Purcell in the 52^nd minute changed everything. It came just seconds after Eimhim Kelly missed a chance at the other end and had Offaly got a goal in the first twenty minutes of the second half, it is very doubtful if there would have been a way back for Laois.

VENUE WATCH

On a lovely sunny day, the O'Moore Park pitch was excellent and Laois hosted the enthusiastic crowd with great efficiency.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly host Westmeath next Saturday while Laois are away to Meath.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 13 (6 in first half); Laois – 11 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly - 1 (Jason Sampson); Laois - 2 (David Dooley, Mark Dowling).

Red cards: 0