Déise in a hurry, but Offaly refuse to down tools

The Division 1B final was cooked in the first quarter but Offaly didn't go away.

Paddy Leavy of Waterford. Pic: James Lawlor, Inpho

Allianz HL 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. 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 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. Their opening four points arrived in the space of 85 seconds. A white flag every 21 seconds. Shane Bennett, Patrick Curran, Dessie Hutchinson, and Mark Fitzgerald set the tone. The Déise were in a rush and Offaly were advised not to get in their way.

When Hutchinson clipped his second eight-and-a-half minutes in to drive his team 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 reached the 10th minute of proceedings. Not even the elements could claim full responsibility for the sheer fullness 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 as 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. Waterford’s opener came from a needless Offaly turnover. It went from there.

In a single passage of play on 24 minutes, Daniel Bourke was short with a point attempt, Ross Ravenhill showed a poor touch, Killian Sampson lost possession, and Oisín Kelly couldn’t hold a pass. All the sloppiness concluded with a Curran point at the far end. Between the 22nd minute and first of injury-time, they raised no flag.

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

Mark Fitzgerald, 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 -1-24 to 1-9 - on 53 minutes. Curran’s goal, after Fitzgerald’s pass, cancelled out a fortuitous Oisín Kelly green flag two minutes earlier.

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

Offaly boss Johnny Kelly pointed to where the county has risen from as the reason why they couldn’t afford to down tools when faced with a pre-championship annihilation.

“Jesus, after all that has happened over the last while, it would have completely deflated the entire environment in there and it would have been very difficult to pick it up, so at least we've redeemed our pride.” 

Their erosion of Waterford’s advantage stemmed from an unanswered 1-8. Kelly buried the second goal. Duignan swung over four. 1-25 to 2-18. Game on for the very first time.

Offaly fumbled through sub David King, Patrick Curran punished to steady his crew. As it was all day. Game over once again.

Offaly left empty-handed only in silverware. This pre-championship eye-opener was a timely education. Their naivety and occasional dawdling were cut no slack. And so will be the case as they go forward into Leinster for the first time in seven years.

For Waterford, the silverware captured will prove no use in their sixth attempt to emerge from the provincial round-robin. To what extent they were disadvantaged by spending spring in the second tier will only become clear in the coming weeks and starting with Clare on April 27. The hurry to escape Division 1B now needs to repeat itself in a first escape from Munster.

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 mins, 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)