Galway 5-18
Offaly 2-15
Kevin O’Brien reports from Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, Tullamore
GALWAY SENT FIVE goals past Offaly to open up the defence of their Leinster SHC crown a comfortable 12-point victory in Tullamore.
Brian Concannon bagged 2-1 on his championship debut for Galway, while Joseph Cooney clipped over 1-4 and Conor Whelan scored 1-1 as well as setting-up two goals. Substitute Jason Flynn grabbed the fifth goal at the death.
Galway have already bettered their goal tally from the two they managed on their run to the Liam MacCarthy Cup last year.
They would have raised even more green flags had it not been for the brilliance of Offaly goalkeeper Eoghan Cahill, who saved a Joe Canning penalty, twice denied the Hurler of the Year from play and made a great stop from Cathal Mannion.
Talisman Shane Dooley top-scored for the Faithful with 1-9 (1-1 from play), while the midfield pairing of David King and Shane Kinsella battled hard for the 70 minutes.
Offaly corner-back Ben Conneely had a fine contest with Whelan, who grabbed his scores late on as the home defence were tiring.
8,300 filled into Bord na Mona O’Connor Park for the opening game of the new Leinster round-robin campaign, with a heavy slate of games to come in the coming weeks.
Offaly will play on next three weekends with Kilkenny in Nowlan Park up next, while Galway have a week off before they host Cats in Pearse Stadium.
They didn’t put the game to bed until the final quarter, but Galway’s firepower eventually told.
Concannon enjoyed a stunning first 10 minutes where he scored 1-1, set-up a Conor Cooney point and send through Whelan for a golden goal chance that struck the post.
That left Donoghue’s side 1-3 to 0-2 in front, but the hosts began to assert control at midfield. If there was one criticism of Offaly in the first-half, they were a little wasteful in front of the posts and hit nine wides compared to Galway’s four in the opening period.
Dooley rattled the onion bag for a goal in the 11th minute after a brilliant catch and run from Oisin Kelly. Dooley had 1-6 on the board by the half, with King the only other Offaly player to score in the opening period.
Joseph Cooney was Galway’s most dangerous player early on and his 35th-minute goal left the Tribesmen 2-9 to 1-7 up at half-time. His green flag arrived at a pivotal stage in the game, when Offaly had brought themselves back into a point.
Nine minutes after the restart, Concannon had his second goal after another wonderful assist by Whelan. Canning, who had a quiet game by his standards, converted his fifth free to stretch Galway’s lead to six but Offaly responded with a smash and grab Joe Bergin goal after a long ball in from Daniel Currams.
The Kilcormac/Kiloughey forward fired over another score to leave the Faithful 3-13 to 2-10 behind but it was as good as things would get for the home side.
Whelan bagged a deserved goal 10 minutes from time and Canning was twice denied a three-pointer by Cahill’s heroics in goal. Flynn rounded off the win in style with Galway’s fifth goal in stoppage-time with a well-taken finish after a crossfield ball from Niall Burke.
Scorers for Offaly: Shane Dooley 1-9 (0-8f), Joe Bergin 1-1, David King 0-2, Dan Currams, Shane Kinsella and Eoghan Cahill (0-1f) 0-1 each.
Scorers Galway: Joe Canning 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 65), Brian Concannon 2-1, Joseph Cooney 1-4, Conor Whelan 1-1, Jason Flynn 1-0 Conor Cooney 0-2, Cathal Mannion 0-1.
Galway
1. James Skehill (Cappataggle)
2. Adrian Tuohy (Beagh)
3. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore)
4. John Hanbury (Rahoon/Newcastle)
5. Padraig Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
6. Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree)
7. Aidan Harte (Gort)
8. Johnny Coen (Loughrea)
9. David Burke (capt, St Thomas’)
10. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
11. Joe Canning (Portumna)
12. Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields)
13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
14. Conor Cooney (St Thomas’)
15. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)
Subs
18. Sean Loftus (Turloughmore) for Coen (58)
25. Jason Flynn (Tomas O Lorcain) for Cooney (58)
22. Niall Burke (Ornamore) for Cathal Mannion (63)
19. Ronan Burke (Turloughmore) for Harte (65)
24. Jonathan Glynn (Ardrahan) for Canning (67)
Offaly
1. Eoghan Cahill (Birr)
2. Tom Spain (Brosna Gaels)
3. Sean Gardiner (Lusmagh)
4. Ben Conneely (St Rynagh’s)
5. Damien Egan (Belmont)
6. Pat Camon (St Rynagh’s)
7. Brendan Murphy (Birr)
8. David King (Coolderry)
9. Shane Kinsella (Kinnitty)
10. Joe Bergin (Seir Kieran)
11. Conor Mahon (Kilcormac/Killoughey)
12. Oisin Kelly (Belmont)
13. Dan Currams (Kilcormac/Killoughey)
14. Colin Egan (Belmont)
15. Shane Dooley (Tullamore)
Subs
17. Cillian Kiely (Kilcormac/Killoughey) for Mahon (52)
18. Sean Ryan (Birr) for Murphy (58)
22. Paddy Murphy (Ballinamere) for Egan (61)
20. Tommy Geraghty (Kilcormac/Killoughey) for Currams (62)
26. Paddy Rigney (Kinnitty) for Spain (69)
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
