Offaly minors sharpen the radar in second half to reach first All-Ireland in 33 years

Offaly's Leigh Kavanagh catches a breaking ball. ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Offaly 2-16 Clare 0-18

A rousing second half showing from Offaly, led by captain Dan Ravenhill, secured the county a first All-Ireland minor hurling final appearance in 33 years.

After a largely forgetful opening half an hour, at the end of which Offaly had registered more wides than scores, Leo O’Connor’s youngsters sharpened the collective radar during a second half display full of verve and vigour.

Behind by two at the break, 1-6 to 0-7, Clare had the deficit reduced to the minimum within 30 seconds of the restart. No closer, though, would they come as Offaly came to life when goaling all of 16 seconds later through a superb Conor Doyle strike.

Four-in-a-row from the Banner to leave the scoreline reading 2-8 to 0-12 suggested they had smothered Offaly momentum, but the Faithful pushed on again with five of the game’s next six scores to stretch their lead out to 2-13 to 0-13.

The first three Offaly white flags in this sequence were top drawer efforts from half-time sub Daniel Hand and centre-forward Ravenhill. Indeed, the first of two huge efforts from the Offaly captain on the Ryan Stand sideline took county chairman Michael Duignan out of his chair and punching the air with delight. Mind you, he wasn’t the sole Offaly supporter roused onto their feet by Ravenhill’s long-distance point-taking.

Clare required a green flag in the final quarter to unnerve their opponents. They never did trouble Liam Hoare’s goal, however.

The three-point win means a first All-Ireland minor final for Offaly since 1989, the year the county won the last of its three minor crowns. In the decider on Saturday, July 2, they will play the winners of Sunday’s semi-final between Galway and Tipperary.

An error-ridden, stop-start, and somewhat flat opening half ended with Offaly 1-6 to 0-7 in front, that despite the Faithful youngsters going almost the entire first quarter without raising a flag of any colour.

Clare’s Jack O’Neill, Oisín Whelan (free and ‘65), and James Organ had the Banner four in front by the time Adam Screeney opened the Offaly account in the 14th minute.

The corner-forward’s free was the first score in an unanswered 1-3 from the Leinster champions, their goal rooted in a misplaced restart directly after a Ravenhill free had reduced the gap to the minimum - 0-4 to 0-3 - on 16 minutes.

The subsequent puckout was hit straight at Ravenhill, with possession worked to Cillian Martin whose point attempt was half blocked and spun perfectly to Screeney. The Kilcormac-Killoughey forward still had a bit of work to do, but he was superb in rounding corner-back Eoghan Gunning and delicately lofting the sliotar over onrushing Clare goalkeeper Mark Sheedy.

Whelan brought to an end a 12-minute wait for a Clare score on 23 minutes, but considering the next two points arrived at the other end of the field, Offaly had outscored the beaten Munster finalists by 1-5 to 0-1 between the 14th and 26th minute.

Clare, who were making very little stick with their inside line and were guilty of several unforced mistakes further back, did finish out the half with points from Cian Neylon and Matthew O’Halloran to narrow the gap to two. And while they came within the minimum 30 seconds after the restart, never did they stand level after falling behind on 16 minutes.

Scorers for Offaly: A Screeney (1-5, 0-5 frees); D Ravenhill (0-6, 0-3 frees); C Doyle (1-0); D Shirley, L Kavanagh, C Martin, S Rigney, D Hand (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: O Whelan (0-8, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65); C Neylon (0-3); J O’Neill, J Organ (0-2 each); M O’Halloran, D Stritch, S Scanlon (0-1 each).

Offaly: L Hoare (Carrig & Riverstown); C Larkin (Carrig & Riverstown), J Mahon (Kilcormac-Killoughey), R Kelly (Lusmagh); D Shirley (Tubber), B Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), T Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey); N Furlong (Tullamore), C Martin (Tullamore); C Doyle (Clara), D Ravenhill (Durrow), L Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey); C Robinson (Kinnitty), S Rigney (St Rynagh’s), A Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey).

Subs: D Hand (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Robinson (HT); S Connolly (Coolderry) for Martin (64).

Clare: M Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); E Gunning (Broadford), F Treacy (Éire Óg), J Cahill (Clooney/Quin); S McMahon (Smith O’Brien’s), J Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona), J Moylan (Cratloe); M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), D Stritch (Clonlara); M Collins (Clonlara), J O’Neill (Clooney/Quin), J Organ (Corofin); S Scanlon (Clooney/Quin), O Whelan (Clarecastle), C Neylon (Kilmaley).

Subs: R McNamara (Cratloe) for Treacy (temporary, 36-38); P Ó Sé (Ruan) for Collins (40); D Keane Hayes (Kilmoyley) for Neylon (58); R McNamara (Cratloe) for Moylan (63); F Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona) for Whelan (64) 

Referee: K Jordan (Tipperary).