Late goal enough to see Waterford home

Offaly 1-19 Waterford 2-19, Tullamore, Allianz Hurling League

Waterford got back to winning ways in Division 1 with a deserved victory over Offaly at O’Connor Park.

Free-taker Richie Foley did most of the scoring as the Deise foraged into a 1-14 to 0-10 interval lead, aided by Shane Walsh’s goal late in the half.

Offaly, who remain locked in a relegation dogfight with Wexford, responded with a goal from Joe Bergin and finished strongly, but Brian O’Sullivan’s 56th-minute goal was enough to see Waterford home.

Davy Fitzgerald gave a debut to Gavin Crotty at full-forward and he was on target early on, replying to a first minute score from Offaly captain Shane Dooley.

The Munster champions began to hit their stride as Richie Foley and Shane Walsh (0-02) bisected the posts, with Dooley doubling Offaly's total with a free from near the stand.

Joe Bergin and Brian Carroll helped Offaly cut the gap back to two points after Waterford scores from Crotty, Walsh and Seamus Prendergast. But four points in-a-row from the influential Foley moved the Deise 0-11 to 0-06 ahead as the half hour approached.

Then came Walsh's 27th-minute goal, which saw him strike past James Dempsey after the Offaly defence had failed to clear their lines. Either side of that, Colin Egan, Dooley (0-02) and Carroll registered points to reduce the deficit to 1-14 to 0-10 at the break.

A superb catch and drilled shot off his left from Bergin, four minutes into the second half, raised Offaly's hopes. Foley was quick to respond however, adding two more points to his tally.

Points followed from Carroll, Dooley and Egan as Joe Dooley's charges kept battling away, but the Tullamore crowd fell quiet when a long delivery from Foley broke for Brian O'Sullivan to smash home Waterford's second goal.

Dooley pointed a free in the next play, making it 2-18 to 1-14, and although the same player and Carroll converted a handful of late points, Waterford had done enough to earn their third Division 1 win which leaves them with an outside chance of qualifying for the final.

The Deise's final game, on Sunday, April 17, is at home to second-placed Galway who are a point ahead of them in the table.

Offaly are bottom of the table, level on two league points with Wexford but with a poorer scoring difference. Dooley's side beat Wexford last weekend for their only win so far and their survival hopes hinge on a trip to Kilkenny in the final round.