Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG

Hurling

hurling

Allianz HL QF: Kilkenny edge lively battle

Richie Leahy, Kilkenny, and Cillian Kiely, Offaly, in Allianz Hurling League Quarter-Final action.

Richie Leahy, Kilkenny, and Cillian Kiely, Offaly, in Allianz Hurling League Quarter-Final action.

Allianz Hurling League Quarter-Finals

KILKENNY 0-24 OFFALY 1-19

By Kevin Egan at Bord Na Mona O'Connor Park

Kilkenny became the first team to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Allianz Hurling League, but they were made to fight to the last minute for that place by a fiercely competitive Offaly team.

Shane Dooley’s eighth point of the afternoon in the 69th minute drew the sides level and set up a dramatic finish, but it was appropriate that each of Kilkenny’s two star attackers – TJ Reid and Walter Walsh – popped up with late scores to secure the win for Brian Cody’s side.

Momentum appeared to be very much on Kilkenny’s side coming into this contest, given the Cats turnaround after losing their first two games of this league campaign. Offaly, in contrast, burst out of the blocks with a sensational win over Dublin, but struggled to live up to that standard since then, and rounded off their campaign with a home defeat to Antrim – albeit while playing with an understrength team.

Yet it was the Faithful men who hit the ground running as a collective force, while Kilkenny were more dependent on a few key individuals, most notably Reid at centre forward and Walsh on the edge of the square.

Conor Mahon opened the scoring for the home side after 40 seconds and while Kilkenny roared back into the tie with the next three scores, Offaly showed no signs of intimidation or fear and hung in there with a series of excellent scores from play, including glorious points from range from Cillian Kiely and Shane Kinsella.

Walter Walsh’s quick runs out from the edge of the square yielded a couple of points for the Cats as they kept their noses in front for most of the first half, but Offaly seized the lead with just a few minutes to go before half time, Conor Mahon kicking the ball to the net after Cillian Kiely’s low delivery from underneath the stand bounced into the square and wasn’t cleared at the first attempt by the Kilkenny backline.

Offaly weren’t done either and two points from Colin Egan gave them a 1-10 to 0-10 interval lead, but Kilkenny wasted no time in turning the tide after the break and within six minutes they had drawn level through two points from TJ Reid and a simple catch and score from Liam Blanchfield.

The breeze behind Darren Brennan allowed the St. Lachtain’s man to fire his puckouts right on top of the head of Walsh in the middle of the “D”, and the big attacker won a series of frees that allowed Kilkenny move three points in front, 0-18 to 1-12, midway through the half. It looked at that stage as if the Cats would power home and win with something to spare, but Kevin Martin’s side dug deep and picked off some inspirational scores in the closing minutes, none better than Shane Dooley’s remarkable strike from right out under the terrace, just 15 metres in from the end line.

When Conor Mahon caught a ball and drew a foul from Joey Holden that allowed Dooley to level the tie, the home supporters could dare to dream – but as they have done all their careers, Walsh and Reid stepped up to crush those dreams and wrap up another win for Kilkenny.

Scorers for Offaly: Shane Dooley 0-8 (5fs), Conor Mahon 1-2, Joe Bergin, Shane Kinsella and Colin Egan 0-2 each, Dan Currams, Cillian Kiely and David King 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-12 (9fs), Walter Walsh 0-4, Liam Blanchfield 0-3, James Maher & John Donnelly 0-2, Ger Aylward 0-1.

OFFALY: Eoghan Cahill; Tom Spain, Seán Gardiner, Ben Conneely; David O’Toole, Dermot Shortt, Pat Camon; Shane Kinsella, David King; Conor Mahon, Cillian Kiely, Colin Egan; Joe Bergin, Shane Dooley, Dan Currams.

Subs: Paddy Rigney for Gardiner (47), Oisín Kelly for Kiely (58), Damien Egan for Kinsella (58), Tommy Geraghty for C Egan (67), Sean Ryan for Rigney (70+2)

KILKENNY: Darren Brennan; Joey Holden, Padraig Walsh, Paddy Deegan; Conor Delaney, Cillian Buckley, Conor Browne; Richie Leahy, Ollie Walsh; Liam Blanchfield, TJ Reid, James Maher; Ger Aylward, Walter Walsh, Richie Reid

Subs: Luke Scanlon for Aylward (41), John Donnelly for O Walsh (41), Lester Ryan for Leahy (61), Enda Morrissey for Browne (64), Alan Murphy for R Reid (65).

REFEREE: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow).