Leinster SHC: Galway overcome Offaly
Jason Rabbitte of Galway during the Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Round 2 match between Galway and Offaly at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile.
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round-Robin
Galway 2-26 Offaly 1-18
By Billy Coss at Pearse Stadium
Late goals from Conor Cooney and Rory Burke helped Galway to withstand a second half Offaly rally and make it two wins from two in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in Salthill.
Micheál Donoghue's side failed to hit the heights of their emphatic victory over Kilkenny at the same venue a week previous, and saw their lead cut to 0-20 to 1-13 when Offaly sub Oisín Kelly cracked home a brilliant 55th minute goal.
From there, though, the hosts reasserted their authority. Jason Rabbitte, Cathal Mannion and the Burkes, Daithí and Rory, all fired points to go with their match-defining goals in the 63rd and 65th minute.
The in-form Conor Whelan was Galway's star of the opening half, shooting four of his overall five-point tally as the hosts retired to their dressing-room with a 0-13 to 0-10 advantage despite shooting into the wind.
They started in the ascendancy and were 0-6 to 0-1 to the good on 13 minutes on the back of points from Whelan (three), Aaron Niland (two, one free) and Rabbitte.
Dan Bourke fired Offaly's lone reply and the visitors remained 0-9 to 0-4 adrift by the 20th minute after Darragh Neary, Rory Burke and Niland (free) all found the target for Galway. Offaly top scorer Adam Screeney sent a goal chance inches over Darach Fahy's crossbar and along with netminder Liam Hoare converted placed balls from distance.
From there to half-time, Offaly enjoyed the better of the exchanges. Conor Doyle and Screeney (free, 65) picked off two points apiece and Shane Rigney and Jack Clancy were also on target.
Galway's late scores came from Gavin Lee and Whelan, while Niland topped up his tally to leave three between the teams at the end of the opening 35 minutes.
The Tribesmen would have enjoyed a more substantial advantage but for the excellence of Hoare who denied Rory Burke (twice) and Jason Rabbitte from point-blank range in the half. Aaron Niland also fizzed a shot past his post.
Galway looked to have made a telling move in the third quarter when hitting seven of the half's opening nine points. Niland continued to punish Offaly from frees and play while the Mannion brothers, Cathal and Padraic, also tallied along with a fifth from Whelan. The Offaly net continued to live a charmed life as Rabbitte had a goal attempt blocked and Whelan struck a post.
Offaly's replies came from Shane Rigney and Screeney (free) and their prospects of a first championship win over their western neighbours since 1994 improved when a Ross Ravenhill white flag was followed by Oisín Kelly's 55th minute goal that closed the gap to 0-20 to 1-13.
From there, Galway reasserted their authority with Rabbitte, Cathal Mannion and the Burkes, Daithí and Rory, all firing points to go with their match-sealing goals in the 63rd and 65th minute from Conor Cooney and Rory Burke as they pulled clear.
Scorers for Galway: Aaron Niland 0-9 (7f); Rory Burke 1-2, Conor Whelan 0-5; Cathal Mannion 0-4 (3f); Conor Cooney 1-0; Jason Rabbitte 0-2; Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Gavin Lee and Darragh Neary 0-1 each.
Scorers for Offaly: Adam Screeney 0-8 (5f, 165); Oisín Kelly 1-0; Shane Rigney and Conor Doyle 0-2 each; Liam Hoare (f), Ross Ravenhill, Jack Clancy, Dan Bourke, Brian Duignan and Charlie Mitchell 0-1 each.
Galway: Darach Fahy; Darren Morrissey (captain), Cillian Trayers, Ronan Glennon; Gavin Lee, Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke; Cian Daniels, Cathal Mannion; John Fleming, Darragh Neary, Rory Burke; Jason Rabbitte, Conor Whelan, Aaron Niland. Subs: Conor Cooney for Niland (54), Tom Monaghan for Neary (59), Colm Molloy for Fleming (65), Kieran Hanrahan for Trayers (67), Shane Morgan for Daithí Burke (67).
Offaly: Liam Hoare; Patrick Taaffe, Sam Bourke, Ben Conneely; Ross Ravenhill, Killian Sampson, Ter Guinan; Ciaran Burke, Jack Clancy; Shane Rigney, Daniel Bourke, Conor Doyle; Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan, Adam Screeney. Subs: Ruairí Kelly for Sam Bourke (HT), Ben Miller for Clancy (46), Oisín Kelly for Dan Bourke (54), Eoghan Cahill for Doyle (67), Ciaran Cleary for Ravenhill (70)
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
