TWELVE POINTS FROM Stephen Bennett and a second half penalty save from Billy Nolan saw Waterford overcome fourteen man Offaly at a rainy Walsh Park and secure promotion to Division 1A for 2026. The two teams will meet again in the 1B decider next month.
In a scrappy encounter, the Faithful saw James Mahon dismissed on a straight red after 24 minutes for a high challenge on Gavin Fives. A Brian Duignan goal saw Johnny Kelly’s men hit the front early in the second half but Bennett’s accuracy and Nolan’s stop from Duignan got the job done for Waterford in front of 2,294 spectators. The hosts sent over the last eight points of the contest.
It took the home side just 12 seconds to raise a white flag via Stephen Bennett. All Star defender Tadhg De Burca, starting his first inter county game in ten months, landed a point from his own 65.
Brian Duignan missed a free for Offaly before Killan Sampson sent over their opener. In the ninth minute, Shane Bennett fetched a delivery from his brother Kieran and booted the sliotar over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Two Stephen Bennett frees and a Jack Prendergast point from play made it 6-1 after fourteen minutes.
Duignan replied at the other end before Déise netminder Billy Nolan deflected a close range shot from Charlie Mitchell away for a 65. Duignan missed the 65. He was guilty of three first half misses from placed balls. Sampson’s second from play and one from Ter Guinan cut the gap to two. Offaly number one Mark Troy then pulled off a full length save from Shane Bennett.
On 24 minutes, the visitors were reduced to fourteen men when James Mahon got a straight red card from Johnny Murphy for a high tackle on Gavin Fives. Four Stephen Bennett frees left the home team six up approaching half time. Offaly grabbed the last two points of the half however as Sampson scored his third from play before Duignan nailed an injury time free (0-10 to 0-6).
The game continued in that vein on the resumption as Duignan and Mitchell picked off points. On 37 minutes, Mitchell supplied Duignan and the number fifteen held off Billy Nolan before flicking the ball to the cobwebs. Sampson’s fourth point of the evening followed. 1-9 to 0-10 to the fourteen men from the Faithful. The home team regrouped as three Stephen Bennett points (two from play) sent them back in front.
Nolan was then penalised for charging out with the ball and leaving Mitchell on the ground. Johnny Murphy awarded a penalty and flashed a yellow to Nolan. After Mitchell left the field, Nolan flicked Duignan’s penalty over the bar.
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The loudest roar of the evening. Off the next play, a Paddy Leavey point edged Waterford ahead. Dan Bourke equalised for Offaly but the fifteen men got the upper hand in the last quarter. Stephen Bennett, Jamie Barron, Gavin Fives, Tom Barron, Charlie Treen, Padraig Fitzgerald and Dessie Hutchinson all split the posts to send the Déise back to the top flight. Troy saved brilliantly from Bennett two minutes into injury time.
Elsewhere in Division 1B, Dublin defeated Laois, but their promotion charge fell short on account of Waterford’s win over Offaly. Darragh Power and David Purcell combined for 2-2 to power Dublin to victory as PJ Scully top-scored for the already-relegated Laois with 0-4.
Killian Doyle helped himself to 1-15 as Westmeath edged out a high-scoring battle with Carlow.
Westmeath were already relegated ahead of throw-in, but rounded off their league campaign with a brilliant win, scoring all three of their goals in the first half. Doyle’s three-pointer was complimented by a brace from David Williams. Marty Kavanagh and Jake Doyle raised green flags for Carlow as Westmeath held a 3-8 to 2-7 half-time lead.
Conor Kehoe provided Carlow’s third goal in the second half as the sides battled it out for victory. Killian Doyle and Williams added vital points to edge Westmeath into a five-point lead with time running out as Carlow ran out of time.
Division 1B Results:
Laois 0-13 Dublin 2-21
Westmeath 3-18 Carlow 3-15
Waterford 0-22 Offaly 1-11
Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett 0-12 (8fs), Paddy Leavey, Tadhg De Burca, Jamie Barron, Jack Prendergast, Dessie Hutchinson, Shane Bennett, Gavin Fives, Tom Barron, Charlie Treen, Padraig Fitzgerald 0-1 each.
Scorers for Offaly: Brian Duignan 1-4 (2fs, 0-1 pen), Killian Sampson 0-4, Dan Bourke, Charlie Mitchell, Ter Guinan 0-1 each.
Waterford
1. Billy Nolan
2. Conor Ryan, 3. Mark Fitzgerald, 18. Gavin Fives
5. Paddy Leavey, 6. Tadhg De Burca, 7. Kieran Bennett
8. Conor Sheahan, 9. Darragh Lyons
10. Stephen Bennett, 11. Jamie Barron, 12. Jack Prendergast
13. Patrick Curran, 14. Dessie Hutchinson, 15. Shane Bennett
Subs
17. Peter Hogan for Sheahan (40)
19. Tom Barron for Lyons (51)
21. Sean Walsh for Curran (57)
20. Charlie Treen for Shane Bennett (62)
22. Padraig Fitzgerald for Kieran Bennett (65)
Offaly
1. Mark Troy
2. Ben Conneely, 3. Ciaran Burke, 4. James Mahon
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5. Ross Ravenhill, 6. Donal Shirley, 7. Jason Sampson
8. Colin Spain, 9. Killian Sampson
12. David Nally, 11. Dan Bourke, 10. Oisin Kelly
17. Ter Guinan, 14. Charlie Mitchell, 15. Brian Duignan
Subs
18. DJ McLoughlin for Nally (HT)
19. Luke Watkins for Mitchell (48, Blood)
23. David King for Kelly (51)
24. Eoghan Cahill for Guinan (62)
20. Patrick Taaffe for Conneely (67)
26. Eoin Burke for Spain (72)
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0-12 for Bennett as Waterford seal promotion against 14-man Offaly, Dublin overcome Laois
LAST UPDATE | 23 Mar
Waterford 0-22
Offaly 1-11
Tomás McCarthy reports from Walsh Park
TWELVE POINTS FROM Stephen Bennett and a second half penalty save from Billy Nolan saw Waterford overcome fourteen man Offaly at a rainy Walsh Park and secure promotion to Division 1A for 2026. The two teams will meet again in the 1B decider next month.
In a scrappy encounter, the Faithful saw James Mahon dismissed on a straight red after 24 minutes for a high challenge on Gavin Fives. A Brian Duignan goal saw Johnny Kelly’s men hit the front early in the second half but Bennett’s accuracy and Nolan’s stop from Duignan got the job done for Waterford in front of 2,294 spectators. The hosts sent over the last eight points of the contest.
It took the home side just 12 seconds to raise a white flag via Stephen Bennett. All Star defender Tadhg De Burca, starting his first inter county game in ten months, landed a point from his own 65.
Brian Duignan missed a free for Offaly before Killan Sampson sent over their opener. In the ninth minute, Shane Bennett fetched a delivery from his brother Kieran and booted the sliotar over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Two Stephen Bennett frees and a Jack Prendergast point from play made it 6-1 after fourteen minutes.
Duignan replied at the other end before Déise netminder Billy Nolan deflected a close range shot from Charlie Mitchell away for a 65. Duignan missed the 65. He was guilty of three first half misses from placed balls. Sampson’s second from play and one from Ter Guinan cut the gap to two. Offaly number one Mark Troy then pulled off a full length save from Shane Bennett.
On 24 minutes, the visitors were reduced to fourteen men when James Mahon got a straight red card from Johnny Murphy for a high tackle on Gavin Fives. Four Stephen Bennett frees left the home team six up approaching half time. Offaly grabbed the last two points of the half however as Sampson scored his third from play before Duignan nailed an injury time free (0-10 to 0-6).
The game continued in that vein on the resumption as Duignan and Mitchell picked off points. On 37 minutes, Mitchell supplied Duignan and the number fifteen held off Billy Nolan before flicking the ball to the cobwebs. Sampson’s fourth point of the evening followed. 1-9 to 0-10 to the fourteen men from the Faithful. The home team regrouped as three Stephen Bennett points (two from play) sent them back in front.
Nolan was then penalised for charging out with the ball and leaving Mitchell on the ground. Johnny Murphy awarded a penalty and flashed a yellow to Nolan. After Mitchell left the field, Nolan flicked Duignan’s penalty over the bar.
The loudest roar of the evening. Off the next play, a Paddy Leavey point edged Waterford ahead. Dan Bourke equalised for Offaly but the fifteen men got the upper hand in the last quarter. Stephen Bennett, Jamie Barron, Gavin Fives, Tom Barron, Charlie Treen, Padraig Fitzgerald and Dessie Hutchinson all split the posts to send the Déise back to the top flight. Troy saved brilliantly from Bennett two minutes into injury time.
Elsewhere in Division 1B, Dublin defeated Laois, but their promotion charge fell short on account of Waterford’s win over Offaly. Darragh Power and David Purcell combined for 2-2 to power Dublin to victory as PJ Scully top-scored for the already-relegated Laois with 0-4.
Killian Doyle helped himself to 1-15 as Westmeath edged out a high-scoring battle with Carlow.
Westmeath were already relegated ahead of throw-in, but rounded off their league campaign with a brilliant win, scoring all three of their goals in the first half. Doyle’s three-pointer was complimented by a brace from David Williams. Marty Kavanagh and Jake Doyle raised green flags for Carlow as Westmeath held a 3-8 to 2-7 half-time lead.
Conor Kehoe provided Carlow’s third goal in the second half as the sides battled it out for victory. Killian Doyle and Williams added vital points to edge Westmeath into a five-point lead with time running out as Carlow ran out of time.
Division 1B Results:
Laois 0-13 Dublin 2-21
Westmeath 3-18 Carlow 3-15
Waterford 0-22 Offaly 1-11
Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett 0-12 (8fs), Paddy Leavey, Tadhg De Burca, Jamie Barron, Jack Prendergast, Dessie Hutchinson, Shane Bennett, Gavin Fives, Tom Barron, Charlie Treen, Padraig Fitzgerald 0-1 each.
Scorers for Offaly: Brian Duignan 1-4 (2fs, 0-1 pen), Killian Sampson 0-4, Dan Bourke, Charlie Mitchell, Ter Guinan 0-1 each.
Waterford
1. Billy Nolan
2. Conor Ryan, 3. Mark Fitzgerald, 18. Gavin Fives
5. Paddy Leavey, 6. Tadhg De Burca, 7. Kieran Bennett
8. Conor Sheahan, 9. Darragh Lyons
10. Stephen Bennett, 11. Jamie Barron, 12. Jack Prendergast
13. Patrick Curran, 14. Dessie Hutchinson, 15. Shane Bennett
Subs
17. Peter Hogan for Sheahan (40)
19. Tom Barron for Lyons (51)
21. Sean Walsh for Curran (57)
20. Charlie Treen for Shane Bennett (62)
22. Padraig Fitzgerald for Kieran Bennett (65)
Offaly
1. Mark Troy
2. Ben Conneely, 3. Ciaran Burke, 4. James Mahon
5. Ross Ravenhill, 6. Donal Shirley, 7. Jason Sampson
8. Colin Spain, 9. Killian Sampson
12. David Nally, 11. Dan Bourke, 10. Oisin Kelly
17. Ter Guinan, 14. Charlie Mitchell, 15. Brian Duignan
Subs
18. DJ McLoughlin for Nally (HT)
19. Luke Watkins for Mitchell (48, Blood)
23. David King for Kelly (51)
24. Eoghan Cahill for Guinan (62)
20. Patrick Taaffe for Conneely (67)
26. Eoin Burke for Spain (72)
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
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