Callanan strike grabs points for Tipp

Offaly 2-14 Tipperary 1-18

A late goal from Seamus Callanan shot Tipperary to a one-point win over Offaly in their final Allianz NHL Division 1 fixture.

Free-takers Shane Dooley and Eoin Kelly led the first half scoring - with three and five points respectively - as Tipperary took an 0-11 to 0-7 half-time lead.

Injuries to David Young and Kelly, who flashed a penalty over the crossbar, hit Tipp's hopes and two goals in two minutes from Dooley pushed Offaly ahead.

However, Tipp rallied and scored 1-3 without reply, including Callanan's decisive injury-time goal.

Those injuries to wing back Young and team captain Kelly could not have come at a worse time for the Premier County who are just six weeks away from facing Cork in the Munster Championship.

Tipp manager Liam Sheedy will be eager to have both players on board for that clash, particularly Kelly whose placed ball brilliance came often turn a tie.

The Mullinahone clubman opened the scoring in Tullamore this afternoon with a '65' and Tipp did well to build a 0-4 to 0-2 lead by the quarter-hour mark.

Kelly had three of those points and Nenagh's Michael Heffernan the other, while Shane Dooley and Daniel Currams were on target for Offaly.

Dooley's early effort could have been a goal but his stinging shot was saved by goalkeeper Darren Gleeson and the Faithfuls had to settle for a point.

Currams and Shane McGrath traded points, but the former's afternoon was soon ended by an injury.

Adding to Offaly manager Joe Dooley's problems, corner back Stephen Egan also had to be substituted owing to a head injury. With Antrim awaiting in their Leinster Championship opener on May 30, Dooley will be keen to have a full panel to choose from.

Into the second half, Kelly opted to flash a penalty over the crossbar as he took his tally to 0-7 before he sustained a suspected hamstring injury when attempting another point. The Tipp skipper was clearly in some pain, throwing his hurley to the ground in frustration as he made his way off.

Tipp were looking a little rudderless as Offaly seized the initiative and Shane Dooley's brace of quick-fire goals gave the hosts all the momentum as they suddenly led 2-14 to 0-15.

Dooley was unmarked as he took a pass from Joe Bergin and fired home in the 54th minute. The tricky corner forward then added his sixth goal of the campaign, just moments later, as a long ball in from David Kenny allowed him to shot past Gleeson from close range.

But the scores dried up for Offaly in a disappointing finish. Tipp got back on the attack and chipped away at the lead with two frees from Seamus Callanan and a point from play from Pat Kerwick.

Offaly goalkeeper James Dempsey had to be on his toes to block a goal-bound shot from Tipp midfielder Hugh Maloney, but the visitors' patience paid off. In the fourth minute of injury-time, Callanan threaded a low shot through to the back of the net to seal Tipp's fourth league win and a fourth place finish in the table.

Offaly finished seventh but showed enough in recent weeks to deservedly hold onto their top flight status for another season.