Heroic Offaly snatch sensational against the odds win with powerful second half rally

DISPLAYING terrific, heart warming character, Offaly rallied powerfully in injury time to snatch an against the odds win over a shell shocked Dublin in a thrilling National Hurling League shootout in Croke Park on Saturday evening.

National Hurling League Division 1B Round 4

Offaly 0-27

Dublin 1-23

It was a hugely significant win for Offaly, back in the top flight after what seemed a very long absence. Having drawn with Carlow and beaten Laois and Antrim in the opening three rounds, we knew Offaly were going well but this was a major test for them. It was their first outing against a top tier team and they showed real guts to get the result.

Dublin had been clearly the better side in the first half and Offaly were relieved to be only four points down at half time. The deficit could have been bigger but they dug deep to hang in there and turned things around spectacularly in the second half.

With almost no wind of any note in headquarters, Offaly got much tighter in the second half. They didn't allow Dublin the freedom they enjoyed in the first half and the favourites were suddenly doing everything under much more pressure.

Offaly had been working hard in the first half but there was a noticeable pick up in their all round intensity and tempo in the second half.

The early stages of the second half was way more even with Offaly the better team if anything. They did very well to cut the gap to a point, 0-15 to 0-14 after 45 minutes, Brian Duignan getting three of them from free and Charlie Mitchell getting his point from play before being replaced a few minutes later.

Offaly's increased work rate was a key element in them starting so well – though Dublin restored their four point lead by the 53^rd minute with three Donal Burke points, two from frees. From here on, Offaly's desire came into play and as the realisation that the game was there for the taking emerged, their confidence reached new heights.

Wonderful points from Dan Ravenhill and Brian Duignan got the gap back to two with fifteen minutes left and it was clear it would go down to the wire. Dublin were out to four again, 0-21 to 0-16 after 59 minutes but a Duignan free and Oisin Kelly's fourth point reduced it to two again with eight minutes left.

A major turning point came in the 65^th minute when excellent Dublin midfielder Conor Burke was sent off in an incident that left Donal Shirley requiring treatment. Offaly scented blood and tore into Dublin. Three points without reply in the space of a few seconds from the 66^th to 67^th minutes had them 0-22 to 0-21 ahead. They were 0-23 to 0-22 ahead in the 69^th minute after Brian Duignan's quality point put them back in front but the pendulum swung back to Dublin in the 69^th minute when sub Brian Hayes got in for a good goal.

Dan Bourke had been quiet in the second half after a productive first but he sprang into life when Offaly needed him. His 70^th minute point reduced it to the minimum but Donal Burke's free gave Dublin what looked to be a winning lead. However, with five minutes of injury time to be played and a further stoppage in that, there was ample time for Offaly.

Brian Duignan got two points, the second from play to level it up in the 74^th minute and it was heart attack stuff in the remaining two minutes. Dublin had the ball in advanced territory and a score very possible on a couple of occasions but engaged in too much passing and it broke down. Dan Ravenhill proved to be Offaly's hero, striking over a sensational winning free from well inside his own 65 metre line in the 76^th minute to give the visitors a win that should prove to be of great benefit to them in the coming weeks.

It was a very good enjoyable game of hurling. Open and with plenty of space, both sides took full advantage of this in the first half.

Dublin were definitely the better team in the first half. They led by 0-14 to 0-10 at half time and that may not have fully reflected the quality of some of their hurling. They were so slick, some of their passing was wonderfully intuitive and some of their points took the breath away.

For Offaly, it was a matter of hanging in there and they did this very efficiently. They worked terrifically hard, blocking, hooking and chasing as well as trying to use every ball. On limited possession, ten points was a good first half return with Oisin Kelly getting three of those points.

The first half also saw a welcome return to action for Cillian Kiely after a long lay off, coming on for Sam Bourke after 24 minutes – Bourke had picked up an early knock and encountered some problems but also came out with a very good ball just before being called ashore.

Kiely went into the forward line with Cathal King going back to defence and Killian Sampson moving to midfield. Offaly never got a true spell of dominance in the first half. They were 0-5 to 0-2 down after seven minutes, 0-9 to 0-5 behind after 19. Their 6^th and 7^th points from Oisin Kelly and a Brian Duignan free was the only occasion they put two back to back, reducing the gap to 0-9 to 0-7. It was 0-10 to 0-8 after 26 minutes and Dublin had played a lot of hurling to be only two points up.

Dublin got four of the last six points to give the scoreboard a more realistic look and Offaly were very thankful to Ciaran Burke who got back to make a great goal line save from Diarmaid O'Dulaing in injury time.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ciaran Burke (Offaly): Offaly had a good few candidates with three of them really putting their heads up: Defenders Ciaran Burke and Donal Shirley and attacker Oisin Kelly.

Burke is my choice. He never put a foot wrong at full back and the two blocks he made to deny Dublin goals, one in each half, kept Offaly alive at a stage when it could have slipped away from them. He had been immense this season, revelling in the role of captain and he was inspirational once again here.

There is also plenty of merit in the claims of Donal Shirley and Oisin Kelly. Shirley has adapted to senior hurling like a duck to water and he was brilliant here, once again. His reading of the game and ability to get in those simple blocks and flicks cut out a lot of Dublin attacks.

It was great to see Kelly back at his best after his long battle with injuries. They could have broken him and he had to work so hard to get back but he showed how much he wanted it and got his reward here. The Belmont man made his mistakes but five points was a crucial haul and he was willing to take it on every time.

There were several other players who played well but the Durrow duo of Brian Duignan and Dan Ravenhill have to be singled out for special mention.

Duignan has been sensational this year and is playing the best hurling of his life. He has got his physicality right and his stamina has now reached where it needs to be – he is lasting the distance in games instead of running out of steam in the closing quarter and being occasionally taken off. On current form, he will be the last man taken off and this is reflected by the fact that he could be man of the match in nearly every game he plays. He was a consideration again here. His free taking has been outstanding and this is a facet he has clearly worked very hard on. He has been almost flawless from placed balls, converting ten frees here, a few of them far from simple. He is also contributing powerfully apart from that and got two crucial late points from play, one of them after a great against the head ball win – to go with his earlier one and he is a classic example of a man doing what is required to reach the right level in every aspect.]

An interesting facet here was that despite Duignan's excellence from frees, Offaly gave two of their late ones to his Durrow and Ballinamere colleague Dan Ravenhill. Ravenhill showed why quite spectacularly – the first in the 66^th minute was well within Duignan's range but was from out on the left a bit, though still quite central. Maybe it was from a side that Duignan is not as comfortable on but it didn't matter as Ravenhill floated it over. His winner was a huge strike from a huge distance, possibly outside Duignan's range while Ravenhill brought much more to the table than this. He was one of the Offaly players to hit the ground running in the first half as Dublin turned the screw. He got an important early point and his 55^th minute one from play was one of the most important scores of the evening – not only was it a sensational strike from out under the Hogan Stand but it stopped the rot for Offaly at a time when Dublin had scored three in a row to lead by four, and another point or two could have been too much for the winners to retrieve.

Dublin had plenty of contenders themselves and had they won, centre back Chris Crummey would have been an obvious possibility after some breathtaking defensive play.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Brian Duignan 0-13 (10f), Oisin Kelly 0-5, Dan Ravenhill 0-4 (2f), Dan Bourke 0-2, Killian Sampson, Charlie Mitchell and Cillian Kiely 0-1 each.

Dublin: Donal Burke 0-8 (5f), Conor Burke, Fergal Whitely, Colin Currie (3f) 0-3 each, Brian Hayes 1-0, Paddy Smyth 0-2, Conor Donohue, Diarmaid O'Dulaing, Brendan Kenny, Sean Currie 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Mark Troy (Durrow); Sam Bourke (Durrow), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), James Mahon (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Ross Ravenhill (Durrow), Donal Shirley (Tubber), Jason Sampson (Shinrone); Cathal King (Carrig-Riverstown), Colin Spain (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Killian Sampson (Shinrone), Dan Bourke (Durrow), Oisin Kelly (Belmont); Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), Charlie Mitchell (Carrig-Riverstown), Brian Duignan (Durrow). Subs – Cillian Kiely (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Sam Bourke (24m), David Nally (Belmont) for Mitchell (45m), Ter Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Spain (51m), David King (Coolderry) for Jason Sampson (60m),

DUBLIN: Eddie Gibbons; John Bellew, David Lucey, Paddy Smyth; Kevin Burke, Chris Crummey, Daire Gray; Conor Burke, Brendan Kenny; Conor Donohue, Darragh Power, Fergal Whitely; Colin Currie, Donal Burke, Diarmaid O'Dulaing). Subs – David Purcell for Crummey (43m), Brian Hayes for Kenny (45m), Sean Currie for Donohue (54m), Paul O'Dea for Kevin Burke (60m), John Hetherton for Whitely (68m),

Referee – Colum Cunning (Antrim).

REFEREE WATCH

Colum Cumming had a very good game for the most part but there were big calls in the closing quarter. Dublin could complain at a 63^rd minute decision to penalise Conor Burke for an illegal handpass. They had men forward and irrespective of whether it was right or wrong, it was a big time to make that call for the first time as there had been suspicious looking ones earlier. Burke was red carded moments later after an altercation with Donal Shirley and it gave Offaly a great chance as they were only trailing by two points.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Dan Ravenhill's winning free was the big moment while Conor Burke's sending off also had a huge bearing on it all.,

VENUE WATCH

Croke Park hosted this double bill for Dublin footballers and hurlers. Offaly were delighted to get an opportunity to play there and as usual, the great stadium was in splendid order.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly host Westmeath next Sunday.

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 9 (6 in first half); Dublin - 13 (8 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly – 1 (Cillian Kiely); Dublin – 2 (Chris Crummey and Donal Burke).

Red cards: Offaly – 0; Dublin – 1 (Conor Burke).