FAITHFUL HAVE BELIEF DESPITE TRIBE’S MARCH
IN LAST year’s Leinster semi-final between the same teams, Galway broke hurling’s glass ceiling of 30 points, not needing to raise a green flag as they raised 33 white ones. On a day when Offaly lined out with a double sweeper, it was interpreted by some as a slight on the county’s traditional values. Kevin Martin promised a return to such on his appointment and can take positives from the display on Saturday night. Ben Conneely hurled up a storm at corner-back and Pat Camon was also part of a staunch rearguard action. With Offaly playing the ball smartly through the lines, David King and Shane Kinsella were operating as crucial link men and had Galway on the back foot for much of an evenly contested first half, until Joseph Cooney was played in by the hugely impressive Conor Whelan to put daylight between the sides. By the end Offaly were indebted to goalkeeper Eoghan Cahill who was like a human pinball machine at times, making four superb saves, three from Joe Canning. And still the gap was 12 by the end. ‘We’re trying to promote attacking hurling if we can,’ said Martin. ‘People might say you could have put a sweeper at the back and maybe cut out Galway forwards cutting through, but what’s the point in sitting back and let him come at you either? I’m a positive man and I want positive hurling and players to be positive and push forward if they can. Then get back when they have to get back. Because you have to enjoy the game as well, and you don’t enjoy the game if you’re sitting back. ‘I thought we had a very good first half, even though we went in 2-9 to
1-7 at half-time — they got a goal just before half-time. We missed four or five easy enough chances in the first half that you just can’t afford to miss against Galway, you have to take every chance when you get it. In the second half they seemed to find a bit more space in our back line and they exploited it.’ In other years, Offaly’s Leinster campaign would be over. Consigned to the scrapheap of history after a gutsy display wasn’t enough against the overall class of the holders. Instead, the new roundrobin system represents a double-edged sword: next up for Offaly are Kilkenny in Nowlan Park in a week. ‘Kilkenny are going to be every bit as tough if not tougher next weekend. Galway probably were a little bit behind in the fitness stakes coming back from the All-Ireland win and holiday. ‘Dublin have a serious level of fitness as well and Wexford bring what Wexford bring. Every game is going to be hammer and tongs.’
GALWAY: J Skehill; A Tuohey, D Burke, J Hanbury; P Mannion, G McInerney, A Harte (R Burke 65); J Coen (S Loftus 58), D Burke; C Mannion (N Burke 62), J Canning (J Glynn 67), J Cooney; C Whelan, C Cooney (J Flynn 58), B Concannon. Scorers: J Canning 0-8 (0-6fs, 0-1 65), J Cooney 1-4, B Concannon 2-1, C Whelan 1-1, J Flynn 1-0, C Cooney 0-2, C Mannion, S Loftus 0-1. Yellow card: A Harte 36, J Canning 62, N Burke 69, D Burke 72 Frees: 6 (5) Wides: 4 (6) OFFALY: E Cahill; T Spain (P Rigney 68), S Gardiner, B Conneely; D Egan, P Camon, B Murphy (S Ryan 59); D King, S Kinsella; D Currams (T Geraghty 62), C Mahon (C Kiely 52), C Egan (P Murphy 61); O Kelly, J Bergin, S Dooley. Scorers: S Dooley 1-9 (8fs), J Bergin 1-1, D King 0-2, D Currams 0-1, S Kinsella 0-1, E Cahill (f) 0-1. Yellow card: D King 38, O Kelly 40, D Currams 45 Frees: 12 (6) Wides: 9 (2) Referee: J Murphy (Limerick)