Joe McDonagh Cup
OFFALY 3-24 KERRY 0-15
By Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park
40 minutes of competitive hurling was followed by a 30 minute landslide in Tullamore this afternoon, as Offaly outscored Kerry by 2-12 to 0-3 in the last half hour to ease their way back into the Joe McDonagh final.
This result confirms all the important placings in advance of the final round of games, with Offaly and Laois set to meet in the final on June 8th in Croke Park, while Meath will play their hurling at the Christy Ring level in 2025.
Kerry tested the Faithful men in the early exchanges, as Daithí Griffin hoovered up a world of ball as the sweeper in front of the full back line, capitalising on some very poor distribution on the Offaly side. Maurice O’Connor was in deadly accurate form from placed balls, and some gorgeous scores from Ronan Walsh and Killian Hayes helped the Kingdom to drive into an early 0-6 to 0-3 lead.
When the Offaly forwards did get the ball into their hands, they looked sharp. Charlie Mitchell shot three first half points in total and he was the primary threat, and when a long ball was sent in his direction, he was being held inside the large square by Evan Murphy, and Offaly were awarded a penalty to get back on level terms.
Eoghan Cahill duly despatched the penalty with a precise finish, and Kerry never had another lead.
By half-time Offaly were four up, with Cathal King and Killian Sampson getting the pick of their scores, but the tie was still in the balance early in the second half when one of the best points of the game was fired over from Colin Walsh, struck on the run from the stand-side sideline to make it 1-12 to 0-12.
Cillian Kiely hoisted one over from his own 45m line in response, and Offaly never looked back. Just as they played into Kerry’s hands in the first half by sending a lot of ball in Griffin’s direction, Stephen Molumphy’s side did the same after the break, and that allowed Cillian Kiely to control the game. Jason Sampson, Eoghan Cahill, Eimhin Kelly and Dara Maher were among those who registered points, while Dan Bourke’s powerful run set up Killian Sampson for the game’s second goal, with Oisín Kelly demonstrating his power to shake off a defender and drive the ball to the net for a third with just over five minutes remaining.
Scorers for Offaly: Eoghan Cahill 1-8 (1-0 pen, 0-4f, 0-1 65), Killian Sampson 1-2, Charlie Mitchell 0-4, Brian Duignan 0-3, Oisín Kelly 1-0, Cillian Kiely 0-2, Jason Sampson 0-2, Cathal King 0-1, Eimhin Kelly 0-1, Dara Maher 0-1.
Scorers for Kerry: Maurice O’Connor 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 65), Colin Walsh 0-2 (0-1f), Ronan Walsh, Killian Hayes 0-1, Fionán Mackessy 0-1, David Woulfe 0-1, Niall Mulcahy 0-1.
Offaly: Mark Troy; Ben Conneely, Ciarán Burke, Cathal King; Luke Watkins, Cillian Kiely, David King; Jason Sampson, Ross Ravenhill; Killian Sampson, Brian Duignan, Eimhin Kelly; Dan Bourke, Charlie Mitchell, Eoghan Cahill. Subs: Adam Screeney for Cahill (38-42 temp), Sam Bourke for Watkins (46), Oisín Kelly for D Bourke (55), Dara Maher for King (55), Jack Clancy for E Kelly (63), Paul Cleary for K Sampson (67).
Kerry: Louis Dee; Flor McCarthy, Evan Murphy, Eric Leen; Ronan Walsh, Darragh Shanahan, Kyle O’Connor; Killian Hayes, Brandon Barrett; Michael Leane, Colin Walsh, Gavin Dooley; Daithí Griffin, Maurice O’Connor, Fionán Mackessy. Subs: Dan Goggin for O’Connor (34), David Woulfe for Barrett (51), Tomás O’Connor for Shanahan (54), Niall Mulcahy for Dooley (54), Tom Doyle for Hayes (63), Bill Keane for Murphy (64, temp).
Referee: Niall Malone (Clare).
