Offaly out to avenge Tipperary

Guinness All-Ireland Hurling quarter-final

Offaly v Tipperary, Croke Park, 4pm

Up until last season, Tipperary and Offaly had never met in the All-Ireland hurling championship but they clash for the second time in 12 months today.

A place in the All-Ireland semi-finals is at stake this time, whereas they clashed in the qualifiers last year.

It was all very easy for Tipperary who marched to a 2-19 to 1-09 win at Portlaoise on a day when Brian O’Meara (1-02), John Carroll (1-01), Mark O’Leary (0-04) and Eoin Kelly (0-04) were Tipperary’s main scorers.

All four also line out today. It was a sad occasion for Offaly for as well as producing a disappointing performance, it also marked the last championship game for Johnny Dooley, who came on as a sub despite carrying a knee injury which forced him to retire earlier this year.

Tipperary met in this year’s National Hurling League with Tipp winning easily by 4-14 to 1-08 in Nenagh in February.

Lar Corbett scored 3-03 while Eoin Kelly added 0-06 as Tipp cruised to victory.

How they got here

Tipperary

Tipperary 1-18 Galway 1-17 (All-Ireland qualifier)

Tipperary 3-28 Laois 0-13 (All-Ireland qualifier)

Clare 2-17 Tipperary 0-14 (Munster quarter-final)

Offaly

Offaly 1-18 Limerick 0-14 (All-Ireland qualifier)

Offaly 1-20 Dublin 1-14 (All-Ireland qualifier)

Wexford 0-16 Offaly 1-12 (Leinster semi-final)