MIDWAY through the Allianz Hurling League, Offaly manager Joe Dooley reeled off the players unavailable to him due to injury. It sounded like a trauma unit.

MIDWAY through the second half, during a period when the Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt appeared to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of collecting the ball from the back of his net, Stamford Bridge echoed to the chant “that’s why we’re champions”.