Waterford blitz leaves Offaly reeling before late wobble

Waterford won’t be pleased with with how they allowed Offaly back into the game late on. They also failed to take any of the five goal chances they created.

Waterford's Patrick Curran celebrates his goal against Offaly in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B final. Curran scored 1-3 in all. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B final: Waterford 1-27 Offaly 2-20 

Waterford were in such a hurry to be done with Division 1B that they didn’t even allow time for a contest. Well, not for the first 65 minutes anyway. There was some mild discomfort encountered late on before the steps could be climbed and silverware collected.

The curtain-raiser on Leeside was cooked as early as the end of the first quarter. No exaggeration there. Suspense was handed an incredibly minor role and did not feature in the script beyond the 18th minute. By that juncture, the Déise’s lead was already eight strong. 0-11 to 0-3.

The five-minute gap between Waterford’s 10th and 11th points amounted to a canyon in light of what came before. Waterford’s opening four points arrived in a two-minute spell. Shane Bennett, Patrick Curran, Dessie Hutchinson, and Mark Fitzgerald set the tone.

When Hutchinson clipped his second eight-and-a-half minutes in to drive the Déise 0-7 to 0-1 clear, it was Waterford’s 11th shot of the afternoon.

Their eighth point from Séan Walsh meant all six starting forwards were on the scoresheet and we hadn't even yet reached the 10th minute of proceedings. Not even the elements could claim full responsibility for the sheer totality of Déise dominance.

The half-time scoreline read 0-17 to 0-6. Factor in six Waterford wides, two goal shots smothered and saved, as well a point attempt short, and that’s 27 shots the winners amassed in a most one-sided opening half.

Offaly might have been out of their depth, but they were also incredibly jittery. Their handling was dreadful. They kept contributing to their own demise.

In a single passage of play, Daniel Bourke was short with a point attempt, Killian Sampson played a dreadful pass and then couldn’t hold possession when it later came back to him. All the sloppiness concluded with a Patrick Curran point at the far end. Between the 22nd minute and first of injury-time, they raised no flag.

The elements did not lift them upon the change of ends. Goalkeeper Mark Troy and full-back Ciarán Burke conspired to mess up a short puckout, almost allowing Stephen Bennett in for a gift-wrapped major.

Mark Fitzgerald, who finished with three points and a goal assist, Stephen Bennett’s first from play, and another free from the same player had Waterford 0-20 to 0-7 to the good on 39 minutes.

Their lead peaked at 15 points on 53 minutes. Patrick Curran’s goal, after Fitzgerald’s pass, cancelled out a fortuitous Oisín Kelly green flag at the City End two minutes earlier. 1-24 to 1-9.

Bizarrely, and completely out of kilter with everything that had happened up to then, Waterford managed only three further points across the remaining 22 minutes and saw that 15-point lead whittled to four in the process.

That erosion of their advantage stemmed from an unanswered Offaly 1-8 between the 56 and 68 minutes. And that was without a blatant penalty Brian Duignan should have been awarded. Kelly buried a second goal. Duignan, Daniel Bourke, Kelly, Killian Sampson, and sub Eoin Burke put up the points. 1-25 to 2-18. Game on for the very first time. It was a fleeting game on.

Offaly fumbled through sub David King, Patrick Curran steadied his team with a point. Dessie followed with his first of the second-half. Game over once again.

Waterford won’t be pleased with that late switch off. They also failed to take any of the five goal chances they engineered.

Plenty to keep them busy ahead of Clare’s visit on April 27. Offaly open their Leinster campaign away to Dublin eight days earlier.

Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett (0-12, 0-6 frees, 0-3 65s); P Curran (1-3); M Fitzgerald, D Hutchinson (0-3 each); J Barron (0-2); G Fives, D Lyons, S Walsh, Shane Bennett (0-1 each).

Scorers for Offaly: B Duignan (0-12, 0-6 frees, 0-1’ 65); O Kelly (2-1); C Spain, C King, D Bourke, K Sampson, C Mitchell, E Cahill, E Burke (0-1 each).

WATERFORD: B Nolan; G Fives, I Daly, I Kenny; M Fitzgerald, T De Búrca, P Leavey; C Sheahan, D Lyons; P Curran, J Barron, Stephen Bennett; Shane Bennett, S Walsh, D Hutchinson.

Subs: P Hogan for Shane Bennett (27-31 minutes, temporary); P Hogan for Walsh (45); K Bennett for Sheahan (54); P Fitzgerald for Shane Bennett (57); C Treen for Lyons (60); T Barron for P Hogan (67) 

OFFALY: M Troy; C Burke, B Conneely, P Cantwell; R Ravenhill, D Shirley, J Sampson; C Spain, C King; K Sampson, D Ravenhill, O Kelly; B Duignan, D Bourke, C Mitchell.

Subs: D King for Cantwell, E Cahill for D Ravenhill (both 42); J Clancy for Spain (48); P Taffee for Shirley (52); E Burke for Mitchell (59) 

Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).