Faithful championship worth the long wait

THE Offaly SHC began at the weekend with four tightly contested games.

Kilcormac/Killoughey got off to a winning start with a 0-17 to 0-14 win over last year’s finalists Birr, with Peter Geraghty landing four points. The other game on Friday night saw a rip-roaring affair with Ballinamere and Shinrone playing out a 3-19 to 2-22 draw.

Ballinamere had led from the end of the first half and were looking good leading by three points late on before an Adrian Cleary goal and DJ McLoughlin point put Shinrone a point up. Ballinamere needed an injury-time free from Brian Duignan, son of county chairman Michael Duignan, to draw.

Ballinamere forward John Murphy bagged a hat-trick of goals while fellow U-20 star Killian Sampson landed nine points for the Shinrone men.

Champions St Rynagh’s got off to a winning start with a 0-20 to 1-14 win over Belmont on Saturday. St Rynagh’s led 0-13 to 0-7 at half-time and were in command before an Oisín Kelly goal brought Belmont back into the game. St Rynagh’s had enough in reserve to hold out though with Seán Dolan impressing.

Elsewhere, newly promoted Seir Kieran had to line out without Joe Bergin and in a game of fine margins, they missed him as they fell to a 1-16 to 0-18 defeat at the hands of Coolderry.