Last-gasp strike denies Faithful
Offaly clung to a two-point lead deep in injury-time and appeared on the cusp of a victory that would have concluded their league campaign on a positive note.
Instead Tipperary scrambled in the closing stages, holding their hosts scoreless in the final quarter and snatching success when Seamus Callanan hammered a 20-yard free low past a thicket of players and to the net in the 73rd minute.
Offaly were left crestfallen after a scoring spree midway through the second-half by Shane Dooley had placed them on course for victory. Tipperary boss Liam Sheedy didn’t need anyone to point out the element of good fortune his players had enjoyed.
“We went to sleep for a long time there in the second-half and paid a heavy price for it. Offaly went into the driving seat and we were lucky to win it in the finish. It was a great shot by Seamus for the late goal and I couldn’t believe it went in.
“We got a win but it probably wasn’t justified on the day as Offaly did the better hurling. They got inside easily for the two goals in the second-half and all the space seemed to be at that end of the pitch.
“But we made eight changes from the last day so to come out with a one point win is pleasing. It’s been a satisfactory league campaign. We only had two defeats, by a point against Cork and then got well beaten by Dublin early on.
“But it’s all about building up now for six weeks time in the first round of the Munster championship.”
Sheedy saw three players exit the second half action through injury. The most worrying of those withdrawals was in the 40th minute when Eoin Kelly limped off clutching his right hamstring, but the indications afterwards were that the Mullinahone attacker had not suffered a serious injury.
Everything associated with a dead-rubber clash came to bear in a low-key first-half which never got out of first gear. Tipperary were 0-11 to 0-7 ahead at the break with Kelly spearheading their scoring drive with a five points haul.
Darragh Egan struck a spectacular point for Tipperary as well on his comeback to the starting line-up, while there was other good news for Tipperary in the bright displays of David Young and Seamus Hennessy along the right flank.
Offaly were dealt a blow by the loss of impressive attacker Daniel Currams midway through the first-half with a hand injury yet Shane Dooley picked up the scoring mantle decisively in the second-half. After Tipperary had surged ahead 0-15 to 0-11 by the 46th minute, Offaly strung together their best phase of the game. Three quick points from Brian Carroll, Dooley and Sean Kelly were the prelude to a superb two-goal blast in three minutes from Dooley. Both strikes were opportunistic and skilful finishes which left Offaly 2-14 to 0-15 ahead by the 55th minute. However the promise of that position had dissipated by the finish due to Tipperary’s powerful left rally which left Offaly boss Joe Dooley disappointed afterwards.
“It is fierce disappointing to lose the game that way. But we achieved our aim of staying in Division 1. We had an aim of reaching six points which would have needed three wins. We finished on four points and were unlucky not to get a win there today.”
Scorers for Tipperary: E Kelly 0-7 (0-2f, 0-1 pen, 0-1 ‘65), S Callanan 1-2 (1-2f), S McGrath, S Hennessy 0-2 each, Padraic Maher, J Brennan, D Egan, M Heffernan, P Kerwick 0-1 each.
Scorers for Offaly: S Dooley 2-6 (0-3f, 0-1 ‘65), D Currams, J Bergin 0-2 each, R Hanniffy, S Kelly, C Parlon, B Carroll 0-1 each.
Subs for Tipperary: Patrick Maher for Kelly (inj) (42), S Maher for O’Mahony (43), B Maher for Young (inj) (50), J O’Brien for Heffernan (56), P Kerwick for Egan (inj) (63).
Subs for Offaly: J Rigney for Egan (inj) (11), C Mahon for Currams (inj) (22), B Carroll for Parlon (42), G Oakley for Molloy (68)
Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath).
