Justice done as Dooley has last say for Faithful

SOME day, somehow, John McIntyre and Offaly hurling are going to catch a break.

Not our words but McIntyre’s during what was a particularly frustrating spell in charge of the midland county some years ago.

Well, he finally got that break yesterday and how ironic that it should come against his old charges, who rolled back the years in giving a vintage display that could have yielded victory.

That McIntyre’s Galway side clung on for a draw was somewhat fortunate for the fact is that they did so on the back of a hotly-disputed first-half sideline point from Ger Farragher that was clearly wide.

That controversial score was claimed as early as the fourth minute and it seemed at the time as though the accuracy or otherwise of the midfielder’s effort would be immaterial, such was Galway’s dominance in the opening exchanges.

Instead, Offaly recovered to hit three goals in the space of 14 eye-rubbing first-half minutes. They led by seven points at one point and came back to level matters twice in the space of the final 10 minutes.

There was no limit to their determination and it would be no exaggeration to say that it rekindled memories of the county’s greatest days in the 1980s and 90s when they habitually thumbed their noses up at the game’s aristocracy.

Nothing it seemed, could keep them down. Even when Daniel Currams saw red for a frontal challenge on David Burke midway through the second half, Offaly responded with six of the next seven points. It was exhilarating and bewildering in equal measure.

Offaly had approached the tie on the back of a fortunate escape against Antrim in the quarter-final, a hammering against Cork in a recent challenge match and their U21s’ annihilation at the hands of Kilkenny.

Quite simply, no-one saw this coming.

True, Galway had laboured at times in their win over Wexford and they approached this tie on the back of some significant injury concerns but no-one seriously expected them to struggle this badly.

That they did had a lot to do with their full-back line, one that contains some heralded defenders but which had nevertheless been singled out as a possible weak link in one Offaly newspaper.

Youth got the better of experience for the first two goals which they conceded. To be more specific, Shane Dooley got the better of Ollie Canning and the Galway defender will cringe at the memory of both.

The Tullamore youngster skipped inside the former All-Star and down the line for the first and, though Colm Callanan saved his shot, the rebound dropped favourably for Joe Brady and Offaly were on level terms.

Eight minutes later and Dooley rose above Canning to fetch a Joe Bergin ball before finding the net, and Bergin performed a similar trick on Shane Kavanagh for the third nine minutes before the break.

That last effort left Offaly six points in front and Galway were momentarily panicked judging by Joe Canning’s unsuccessful shot on goal a minute later when a calming point was the obvious choice.

Offaly’s defence deserves its share of the credit for the reversal in fortunes. David Kenny shadowed Canning to great effect all day and McIntyre’s six starting forwards finished the game with just 1-7 between them from play.

The underdogs found half-time with a five-point lead and they disappeared down the tunnel past Brian Cody and the rest of the Kilkenny entourage who sat transfixed in the Hogan Stand for the rest of the afternoon.

Visions of an historic upset dwindled appreciably on the restart when, with the breeze at their backs, Galway’s inevitable riposte delivered a rapidly constructed tally of 2-4. The goals arrived within seconds of each other. Canning claimed the first after a piercing run by Cyril Donnellan and Farragher netted the second after Aongus Callanan’s shot was batted away by James Dempsey.

When Currams walked the line soon after it seemed as though Galway had surfed the roughest waves but Offaly embarked a scoring burst of their own while simultaneously shutting their opponents out for the next 16 minutes.

It wasn’t vintage hurling by any means. There were far too many aimless balls played on both sides for that but it was undeniably engrossing, never more so than when Dooley claimed the draw with a free from just inside the Galway half and deep into injury-time.

It was the least they deserved but the thought of Farragher’s questionable first-half score will gnaw away at Joe Dooley and his boys if Galway reinforce the fact that underdogs rarely win replays.

Offaly: J Dempsey; D Franks, P Cleary, J Rigney; S Egan, D Kenny, D Morkan; R Hanniffy (0-1), D Hayden (0-2); B Carroll (0-2), J Brady (1-1), D Molloy (0-1); B Murphy, J Bergin (1-2), S Dooley (1-7, 7f). Subs: D Currams for D Molloy (HT); K Brady for Murphy (44); G Healion for J Brady (67); O Kealey for Carroll (68).

Galway: C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, O Canning; D Barry, T Og Regan (0-1), D Collins; G Farragher (1-5, 3f, 1 65), D Burke (0-2); D Hayes, C Donnellan, A Callanan (0-1); A Harte, J Canning (1-6, 1f, 2 sl), I Tannian (0-1). Subs: J Lee for Barry (30); N Healy (0-1) for Harte (HT); K Hynes for Donnellan (51); J Gantley for Hynes (67).

Ref - Johnny Ryan (Tipperary).