Second-half surge sees Galway to victory

Offaly 1-10 Galway 1-24

Defending champions Galway raced clear of Offaly in the second half of this Allianz NHL Division 1 clash in Tullamore.

John McIntyre’s men built a 0-9 to 0-5 half-time lead, with Offaly forward Cathal Parlon picking up his second yellow card.

Free-taker Ger Farragher led the scoring for visitors, who had a well-taken goal from Aonghus Callinan.

Galway fired over 10 unanswered points between the 54th and 61st minutes, before Offaly’s Joe Bergin netted from a late free.

Bergin’s goal was meaningless in the end as seven days after their 21-point trouncing of Wexford, Galway cruised past another of their Leinster Championship rivals.

The visitors were 0-4 to 0-0 ahead by the ninth minute, with Iarla Tannian on target twice and Farragher landing a brace of frees.

Brian Carroll, who had Bergin and Stephen Wynne alongside him in the half-forwards, collected Offaly’s opening point a minute later.

And there was no sense of Galway getting away from Joe Dooley’s men as efforts from Bergin, Parlon and Shane Dooley, who converted a ‘65’, sandwiched a David Burke point at the other end.

Farragher tagged on three more points coming up to half-time, and Tannian also notched his third of the afternoon as Galway reopened that four-point lead.

Dooley had responded for the Faithfuls during that period, but the dismissal of Parlon left the home side with a huge task in the second half.

It was the second 35 minutes which cost Offaly against Cork last time out and there was no sense of complacency from Galway as they used the extra man intelligently.

Tannian’s terrific pass sent Callanan through on goal, and he produced a smashing finish to leave goalkeeper James Dempsey with no chance.

By the midpoint of the second half, Galway had opened a double scores lead at 1-13 to 0-8.

Burke, Adrian Cullinane and Farragher kept the scoreboard ticking over, with scores from Michael Cordial, Dooley and Carroll powering Offaly’s fading challenge.

The competitiveness went out of the game when Galway put together that 10-point surge.

Their haul was completed by a Farragher ‘65’, and Bergin gave the final scoreline a more respectable look by driving home from a close range free.