Offaly show their mettle

Offaly 3-9 Galway 0-18: For only the second time in 34 league meetings Offaly and Galway shared the points when they crossed sticks in Tullamore yesterday.

A plucky second-half performance by the home side enabled them to upset the odds, for in the wake of the 17-point defeat inflicted by Tipperary the previous week they were given little chance of upsetting Ger Loughnane's charges, particularly in the continued absence of their Birr players.

This fine performance was achieved by a team that bore little resemblance to that which started against Tipperary a week earlier. Shane Dooley and Daniel Currams were non-starters and were replaced by Kevin Grogan and Brian Leonard. There was also a string of positional switches.

Galway's interval lead of 0-11 to 1-3 did not reflect the visitors' superiority during that opening 35 minutes, with Brian Carroll's 13th-minute goal barely keeping the Midlands side afloat.

Galway stretched their lead with two early points on the resumption, but it was then that Offaly began to hurl with great determination and considerable skill.

Four points on the trot - two by the outstanding Carroll and one each from David Franks and substitute Daniel Currams - cut home arrears to just two points, but this lead was doubled when Kevin Hynes and Ger Farragher, with a pointed free, replied for Galway.

The game was turned on its head when, within the space of 60 seconds, David Franks and Ger Healion both shook the net behind James Skehill and suddenly Offaly were in front by 3-8 to 0-15 with 14 minutes remaining.

Home supporters were temporarily silenced when a brace of points by Ger Farragher brought Galway to level terms.

Although Franks restored the home team's lead, Ger Farragher again rescued his side with a balancing point deep into injury-time.

OFFALY: S O'Connor; C Hernon, K Brady, K Grogan; D Horan, J Bergin, D Kenny; B Leonard, J Rigney (0-1); C Mahon, G Oakley (0-1), D Franks (1-2); B Carroll (1-3, 0-2 frees), D Molloy, F Kerrigan (0-1). Subs: G Healion (1-0) for Kerrigan (half-time), D Currams (0-1) for Oakley (40 mins), S Dooley for Mahon (68 mins).

GALWAY: J Skehill; D Joyce, T Óg Regan, C Dervan; G Mahon, J Lee, A Keary; A Cullinane (0-1), K Hynes (0-1); G Farragher (0-10, five frees, one sideline), D Forde (0-2), K Wade (0-2); A Kerins (0-1), I Tannian, A Callanan (0-1). Subs: F Coone for Tannian (53 mins), F Healy for Callanan (61 mins).

Referee: D Murphy (Wexford).

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times