Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final

GALWAY 2-19 OFFALY 2-9

By Daragh O'Conchuir at O'Moore Park

Galway did as expected when accounting for Offaly to set up another clash with their conquerors in last year’s Leinster and All-Ireland finals Kilkenny, but it wasn’t all plain sailing against an Offaly unit that had no intention of making up the numbers.

In truth, the victors were comfortable in the second half from the moment Conor Cooney capitalised on a mistake in the Offaly defence to goal with less than three minutes of the latter period elapsed.

That was the first time they led in the game but with Eamonn Kelly’s crew down to 14 men after the dismissal of their captain Colin Egan in the 28thminute, Galway entered cruise control as Padraic Mannion flourished  in the spare man role around his own half-back line.

Joe Canning, David Burke, Joseph Cooney and Conor Whelan were amongst those to keep the scoreboard ticking over as the Tribesmen pulled gradually away. Offaly kept fighting and Joe Bergin stopped the rot with a point in the 56thminute. In the next attack, the full-forward was fouled for a penalty and Shane Dooley rippled the net to make it 2-15 to 2-9.

In the next minute, Conor Cooney, who had been the Maroons’ most threatening offensive player, was shown a straight red card, Colm Lyons acting on the advice of one of his linesmen. Micheál Donoghue must have been pleased with the Galway response though, as they took the wind out of their opponents’ sails with four points, including three from Canning to confirm their advance.

The game was played largely in horrible conditions, with a strong wind and sheeting rain making handling, striking and even holding onto the hurley a chore. Galway are much further down the road in terms of conditioning and that was noticeable, particularly given the number of rucks and physical exchanges.

Yet it was Offaly that flew out of the gate with a goal after just 12 seconds. Egan sent a delivery in Bergin’s direction from the throw-in. The big man collected behind John Hanbury and smashed the sliotar to the roof of the net.

Shane Dooley fizzed a drive inches over and Dermot Mooney made it a five-point game before the third minute had elapsed. Galway were level 10 minutes later. Canning struggled with his placed striking into the gale in the first half but he opened Galway’s account and Conor Cooney followed, before Cathal Mannion set up Niall Burke with a sumptuous diagonal ball for the levelling goal.

The scoring rate slowed considerably thereafter but Offaly would have been very pleased to go in leading by 1-7 to 1-6 at the break, particularly given the loss of Egan following his frontal charge on Fergal Moore. Galway had a very strong wind though and the goal so soon after the resumption set them up perfectly.

**Scorers for Galway: **J Canning 0-8 (6fs, 1 65); C Cooney 1-3; N Burke 1-0; David Burke, J Cooney, P Mannion 0-2 each; C Whelan, C Donnellan 0-1 each

Scorers for Offaly: S Dooley 1-5(0-4fs, 1-0 pen); J Bergin 1-1; D Mooney, J Mulrooney, P Murphy 0-1 each

**GALWAY: **C Callanan, J Coen, J Hanbury, F Moore, P Mannion, Daithi Burke, A Harte, David Burke, D Glennon, N Burke, J Cooney, C Cooney, C Whelan, J Canning, C Mannion. Subs: C Donnellan for Glennon (47), J Flynn for N Burke (51), A Smith for David Burke (70+2)

OFFALY: J Dempsey, N Wynne, C McDonald, P Rigney, D Mooney, S Gardiner, D King, P Murphy, S Ryan, S Kinsella, S Dooley, J Mulrooney, K Connolly, J Bergin, C Egan.

**Subs: **C Kiely for Dooley (27-28), E Nolan for Connolly (ht), Kiely for Mulrooney (ht), P Guinan for Ryan (45), J Flynn for N Burke (51), B Conneely for Gardiner (58), S Cleary for Murphy (69)

**REFEREE: **C Lyons (Cork)

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