Galway 2-19
Offaly 0-19
John Fallon reports from Duggan Park, Ballinasloe
HENRY SHEFFLIN’S REIGN as Galway manager got off to a winning start with a goal in either half proving decisive in this entertaining Walsh Cup match.
It was a good workout for Shefflin and his former Ballyhale Shamrocks and Kilkenny teammate Michael Fennelly, now heading into his third year in charge of Offaly, in front of a limited capacity crowd of 3,000 at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.
The sides were level three times during a lively opening quarter with points from Ronan Glennon and Conor Walsh helping Galway lead by 0-7 to 0-5 at the first water break.
Eoghan Cahill landed three points from play for Offaly in that opening quarter with John Murphy and wing-back Conor Molloy also hitting the target.
Galway lost experienced centre-forward Jason Flynn to a hamstring injury with Donal O’Shea, son of former Tipper manager Eamon and the first from the Salthill/Knocknacarra junior club to play senior hurling for Galway, taking over the free-taking duties and he landed four from four before the break.
Galway led by 1-12 to 0-13 at the interval with eight players finding the target including debutant midfielder Ronan Glennon, younger brother of all-Ireland winner Davy who is now with Westmeath, while Brian Concannon struck for the only goal of the half when he rifled a first-time effort to the net just before the interval.
That pushed Galway four points clear for the second time in the game but the Offaly response was good. Brian Duignan, son of chairman Michael, became the seventh player to score while Cahill took his opening half haul to 0-7, five of them from play, to cut the gap to two at the break.
Scores were a bit harder to come by in the third quarter but Cahill’s accuracy helped Offaly draw level at 1-14 to 0-17 after 51 minutes before two more efforts from O’Shea edged Galway in front.
Another Cahill free cut the gap to the minimum going into the final quarter but Galway took over from there as both sides emptied their benches.
O’Shea pounced for Galway’s second goal 15 minutes from the end and they pulled away from there for a deserved win.
Scorers for Galway: Donbal O’Shea 1-9 (0-7f, 0-1 ’65), Brian Concannon 1-0, Ronan Glennon 0-3, Jason Flynn 0-2 (0-1f), Sean Blehane 0-1, Conor Walsh 0-1, Greg Thomas 0-1, Cianan Fahy 0-1, Ronan Murphy 0-1.
Scorers for Offaly: Eoghan Cahill 0-11 (5f), Aidan Treacy 0-2 (0-1f), Conor Molloy 0-1, Ross Ravenhill 0-1, Leon Fox 0-1, Jason Sampson 0-1, John Murphy 0-1, Brian Duignan 0-1.
Galway
1 Darach Fahy (Ardrahan)
2 Stephen Barrett (Liam Mellows), 3 Jack Fitzpatrick (Killimordaly), 4 Declan Cronin (Cappataggle)
5 Sean Bleahene (Ahascragh/Fohenagh), 6 Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree), 7 Conor Walsh (Turloughmore)
8 Ronan Glennon (Mullagh), 9 Ronan Murphy (Tommy Larkins)
10 John Fleming (Meelick/Eyrecourt), 11 Jason Flynn (Tommy Larkins), 12 Cianan Fahy (Ardrahan)
13 Greg Thomas (Castlegar), 14 Brian Concannon (Killimordaly), 15 Donal O’Shea (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
Substitutes:
20 Adam Clarke (Craughwell) for Flynn (9)
22 Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge) for Fleming (51)
21 Diarmuid Kilcommons (Annaghdown) for Murphy (57)
18 Sean Neary (Castlegar) for Glennon (63)
17 Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea) for Blehane (65)
19 Caiman Killeen (Loughrea) for Barrett (65)
Offaly
1 Stephen Corcoran (Coolderry)
2 Joey Keenaghan (Clodiagh Gaels), 3 Ciaran Burke (Durrow), 4 David King (Coolderry)
5 Conor Molloy (Coolderry), 6 Ben Conneely (St Rynagh’s), 7 Killian Sampson (Shinrone)
8 Ross Ravenhill (Durrow), 9 Leon Fox (Belmont)
10 Eoghan Cahill (Birr), 11 Jason Sampson (Shinrone), 12 Adrian Cleary (Shinrone)
13 John Murphy (Ballinamere), 14 Brian Duignan (Durrow), 15 David Nally (Belmont)
Substitutes:
19 Aidan Treacy (St Rynagh’s) for Fox (half-time)
23 Padraic Guinan (Drumcullen) for Conneely (half-time)
17 Eoghan Parlon (Coolderry) for Cleary (51)
20 Luke Nolan (Birr) for Duignan (51)
24 Conor Hardiman (Kinnity) for K Sampson (53)
22 Shane Ryan (Coolderry) for Nally (53)
18 Cathal Kiely (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for J Sampson (53)
21 Aaron Maher (Ballinamere) for Cahill (61)
25 Paddy Delaney (Kinnity) for King (63)
26 Cathal O’Meara (Clara) for Hardiman (67)
Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin)
