A MERCURIAL DISPLAY from Cathal Mannion lit up an otherwise error-strewn contest in Tullamore this evening, where Offaly’s monstrous error count ensured that they were unable to take advantage of an extra man for the entirety of the second half.
The Faithful County got a dream start when David King fired in a low ball to Killian Sampson and the Shinrone man stepped inside his marker to rifle the ball past Darach Fahy in the second minute, but they were in huge trouble in the full back line from the start, with Mannion and Colm Molloy wreaking havoc.
Molloy, making his championship debut, had three points on the board in the first ten minutes but it was Mannion’s goal, punishing a butchered short puckout, that really put Offaly on the back foot in their first home Leinster SHC game for seven years, played in front of 10,073 spectators.
A couple of frees from Brian Duignan and Dan Ravenhill, as well as a superb score from Charlie Mitchell, brought the gap back to a single point with 15 minutes played, but the remainder of the first half was one-way traffic.
Daithí Burke’s return to full back made a strong impact as he controlled that key position, with Pádraic Mannion and TJ Brennan also dominant in the wing-back berths. However it was Mannion who really ran the show, converting his own scores and also dropping outfield to orchestrate play for the Tribesmen.
There was a stroke of luck to their second goal as he dropped in a ’65 and it deflected off Donal Shirley’s hurl past Mark Troy for a second Galway goal, but Offaly were handed another lifeline when the sides sparked off one another going into the dressing room at half-time, and Daithí Burke was shown a straight red card by James Owens after the two teams emerged from the dressing rooms.
Offaly had wasted several opportunities in the first half but they were even more wasteful after the interval, and when Cillian Kiely failed to hit the target from the corner of the square with just Darach Fahy to beat, it felt like their chance was lost.
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Charlie Mitchell of Offaly with David Burke and Gavin Lee of Galway. Andrew Paton / INPHO
Andrew Paton / INPHO / INPHO
Despite the best efforts of the crowd to get into the game, Offaly’s attack couldn’t muster up any momentum, even after they introduced Adam Screeney for his first senior action of the year, while at the other end Mannion kept loading the bullets for players like TJ Brennan and Brian Concannon with inch-perfect passes.
A second yellow card for Galway manager Micheál Donoghue was arguably the main talking point of the final quarter as Offaly struggled to keep pace and Galway continued to accumulate plenty of chances, only to rack up eight final quarter wides of their own.
It was the win they needed after their dismal showing in Kilkenny last time out, but still a long way short of the form they’ll need to find if they’re to bridge that gap with the Cats in any future meeting, or even to be sure of overcoming Wexford in a fortnight.
Scorers for Galway: Cathal Mannion 2-8 (3 frees, 1-0 ’65), Colm Molloy 0-5, Brian Concannon 0-3, TJ Brennan 0-3, Conor Whelan 0-2, David Burke 0-1, Tiernan Killeen 0-1, Cianán Fahy 0-1, John Fleming 0-1.
Scorers for Offaly: Brian Duignan 0-5 (4 frees), Killian Sampson 1-1, Adam Screeney 0-3 (2 frees), Charlie Mitchell 0-2, Dan Ravenhill 0-2 (1 free), Oisín Kelly 0-1.
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2-8 for mercurial Mannion as Galway bounce back against blundering Offaly
Galway 2-25
Offaly 1-14
Kevin Egan reports from Glenisk O’Connor Park
A MERCURIAL DISPLAY from Cathal Mannion lit up an otherwise error-strewn contest in Tullamore this evening, where Offaly’s monstrous error count ensured that they were unable to take advantage of an extra man for the entirety of the second half.
The Faithful County got a dream start when David King fired in a low ball to Killian Sampson and the Shinrone man stepped inside his marker to rifle the ball past Darach Fahy in the second minute, but they were in huge trouble in the full back line from the start, with Mannion and Colm Molloy wreaking havoc.
Molloy, making his championship debut, had three points on the board in the first ten minutes but it was Mannion’s goal, punishing a butchered short puckout, that really put Offaly on the back foot in their first home Leinster SHC game for seven years, played in front of 10,073 spectators.
A couple of frees from Brian Duignan and Dan Ravenhill, as well as a superb score from Charlie Mitchell, brought the gap back to a single point with 15 minutes played, but the remainder of the first half was one-way traffic.
Daithí Burke’s return to full back made a strong impact as he controlled that key position, with Pádraic Mannion and TJ Brennan also dominant in the wing-back berths. However it was Mannion who really ran the show, converting his own scores and also dropping outfield to orchestrate play for the Tribesmen.
There was a stroke of luck to their second goal as he dropped in a ’65 and it deflected off Donal Shirley’s hurl past Mark Troy for a second Galway goal, but Offaly were handed another lifeline when the sides sparked off one another going into the dressing room at half-time, and Daithí Burke was shown a straight red card by James Owens after the two teams emerged from the dressing rooms.
Offaly had wasted several opportunities in the first half but they were even more wasteful after the interval, and when Cillian Kiely failed to hit the target from the corner of the square with just Darach Fahy to beat, it felt like their chance was lost.
Despite the best efforts of the crowd to get into the game, Offaly’s attack couldn’t muster up any momentum, even after they introduced Adam Screeney for his first senior action of the year, while at the other end Mannion kept loading the bullets for players like TJ Brennan and Brian Concannon with inch-perfect passes.
A second yellow card for Galway manager Micheál Donoghue was arguably the main talking point of the final quarter as Offaly struggled to keep pace and Galway continued to accumulate plenty of chances, only to rack up eight final quarter wides of their own.
It was the win they needed after their dismal showing in Kilkenny last time out, but still a long way short of the form they’ll need to find if they’re to bridge that gap with the Cats in any future meeting, or even to be sure of overcoming Wexford in a fortnight.
Scorers for Galway: Cathal Mannion 2-8 (3 frees, 1-0 ’65), Colm Molloy 0-5, Brian Concannon 0-3, TJ Brennan 0-3, Conor Whelan 0-2, David Burke 0-1, Tiernan Killeen 0-1, Cianán Fahy 0-1, John Fleming 0-1.
Scorers for Offaly: Brian Duignan 0-5 (4 frees), Killian Sampson 1-1, Adam Screeney 0-3 (2 frees), Charlie Mitchell 0-2, Dan Ravenhill 0-2 (1 free), Oisín Kelly 0-1.
Galway
1. Darach Fahy (Ardrahan)
2. Fintan Burke (St. Thomas’), 3. Daithí Burke (Turloughmore), 4. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields)
5. Pádraic Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 6. Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge), 7. TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge)
8. Cianán Fahy (Ardrahan), 25. David Burke (St. Thomas’)
10. John Fleming (Meelick-Eyrecourt), 12. Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea), 13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
14. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly), 11. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 26. Colm Molloy (Kilnadeema-Leitrim)
Subs
Offaly
1. Mark Troy (Durrow)
4. Pádraig Cantwell (Shamrocks), 3. Ciarán Burke (Durrow), 2. Ben Conneely (St. Rynagh’s)
5. Ross Ravenhill (Durrow), 6. Donal Shirley (Tubber), 7. Jason Sampson (Shinrone)
8. Cathal King (Carrig & Riverstown), 9. David King (Coolderry)
10. Killian Sampson (Shinrone), 11. Daniel Bourke (Durrow), 12. Oisín Kelly (Belmont)
13. Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), 14. Brian Duignan (Durrow), 15. Charlie Mitchell (Kilcormac-Killoughey)
Subs
Referee: James Owens (Wexford).
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GAA Galway Hurling Leinster SHC Match Report Offaly