Offaly secure Leinster SHC status with nervy victory over 14-man Antrim

Antrim were reduced to 14 players due to Niall O’Connor’s stamp on Charlie Mitchell in the eighth minute.

Killian Sampson scored a late goal for Offaly against Antrim which elicited a collective sigh of relief from home supporters in Tullamore. Pic: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

Leinster SHC: Offaly 3-15 Antrim 1-16 

It was a relegation final in all but name, and leading up to it, the question that everyone was asking was if Antrim would be able to dial up their best performance of the year when they needed it most, and if Offaly would pay a price for going all out in every game, burning energy that would be needed for the fixture that leapt off the page as a potentially season-defining tie from the moment the fixtures were released.