Tailteann Cup: Offaly dig in to earn win against Banner

The Faithful ended a winless streak in Ennis.

Sat, 09 May, 2026 - 18:46

Eoin Brennan

Offaly 1-17 Clare 1-14

It’s only day 1 of the Tailteann Cup but already the form book was shredded as Offaly finally ended their four-month barren patch with a merited victory over hosts Clare in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis.

Off the back of an encouraging battling display against All-Ireland champions Kerry, Paul Madden’s side would have expected to overcome their injury crisis that saw captain Cillian Rouine added to the treatment table due to illness and hold off an Offaly side devoid of a competitive victory since their O’Byrne Cup win over Meath in January.

Nine successive defeats were dismissed with this rousing performance that gathered pace thanks to capitalising on a strong first half wind at their backs to take a 0-9 to 0-4 advantage into the break.

Half-time couldn’t come son enough for a lacklustre home side who did re-emerge in determined mood, with a 1-3 unanswered blitz in just two minutes, 1-2 if which stemmed from Cormac Murray, completely flipping the script at 1-8 to 0-9 in Clare’s favour by the 45th minute.

Offaly would not be denied though as having put so much into establishing control early on, they simply refused to yield and would wrestle back the lead on four more occasions before finally wearing their hosts down in the final ten minutes.

When needed most, Dylan Hyland stood up tallest for Declan Kelly and Mickey Harte’s side as each of his nine points were crucial scores at critical junctures. Diarmuid Egan, Nathan Poland, Keith O’neull, Marcas Dalton and Cormac Egan were others to shine in a refreshing redemption for the Leinster side.

Both sides were without key protagonists for varying reasons but it was Offaly who proved the more efficient throughout. Clare kicked 14 wides, shared evenly in both halves so considering they only scored 15 times, it was a clear fault line for the home side in front of just 1,467.

The Banner also found it difficult to track the roaming Hyland who opened the scoring in spectacular fashion with an eighth-minute two-pointer which was accentuated by a Jordan Hayes point in the next passage of play.

Aaron Griffin eventually got the hosts off the mark in the tenth minute but subsequent glorious goal chances at either end yielded nothing as home goalkeeper Tristan O’Callaghan saved from the raiding Lee Pearson at his near post while down the other end Cormac Murray flashed his shot wide of the far post.

Successive fisted points from Clare duo Fionn Kelleher and Brian McNamara lowered the deficit to the minimum by the 26th minute at 0-5 to 0-4. However, needing to make their most of their wind advantage, it was inevitably Hyland that inspired a final flourish for Offaly as his two-pointer was bolstered by points for Marcas Dalton and Nathan Poland to carve out a five point interval cushion.

Cillian Brennan began the repairs on the resumption but Offaly created two great goal sightings but Kyle Higgins and Diarmuid Egan both drove their efforts wide of the posts.

Those misses would be magnified when Ikem Ugwueru offloaded to the overlapping Cormac Murray to thunder through Offaly’s last line and find the net to slash the arrears to just one at 0-9 to 1-5.

Aaron Griffin quickly equalised before the buoyant Murray arrowed over a two-pointer to inch the Banner 1-8 to 1-6 in front. Offaly didn’t panic though and would be rewarded only two minutes later when Poland and Jordan Hayes combined to pass across the square for Shane Tierney to finish to the net at 1-9 to 1-8.

Brian McNamara kicked the next two points to inch Clare back in front; Dylan Hyland converted a two-point free to snatch back the whip and the same player would respond twice more to Clare’s rebuttals to keep the Faithful in the ascendency by the 58th minute at 1-13 to 1-12.

Indeed, the home side were fortunate to limit the damage to a point as Nathan Poland’s shot was saved by goalkeeper O’Callaghan, only for Hyland to cooly take a point from the rebound.

The inexorable march towards the hooters didn’t aid Clare’s desperation for inspiration whereas Offaly tacked on three further points through Marcas Dalton, substitute Harry Plunkett and the excellent Hyland to soar 1-16 to 1-12 clear by the 65th minute.

A cynical foul by Dalton saw him black carded a minute later while captain Mark McInerney did finally open his account with a 68th-minute two-pointer to half the arrears.

However, replacement Plunkett restored a three point cushion and as the final hooter sounded Jack McEvoy was set to extend that lead for a relieved Offaly to get a much needed opening lift.

Scorers for Offaly: D Hyland 0-9 (1tpf, 2tp); S Tierney 1-0; Keith O’Neill, Marcas Dalton, Harry Plunkett 0-2 each; Jordan Hayes, Nathan Poland 0-1 each

Scorers for Clare: C Murray 1-2 (1tp); Aaron Griffin, Brian McNamara 0-3 each; Mark McInerney 0-2 (1tp); Fionn Kelleher, Cillian Brennan, Alan Sweeney, Joe Rafferty 0-1 each

Offaly: C Melia; S O’Toole Greene, L Pearson, D Dempsey; C Egan, D Egan, J Hayes; J McEvoy, K Higgins; M Dalton, N Poland, A Leavy; K O’Neill, D Hyland, S Tierney Subs: H Plunkett for Tierney (47), R Egan for D. Egan (64), D Flynn for Poland (68) Clare: T O’Callaghan; I Ugwueru, R Lanigan, M Doherty; B Rouine, C Brennan, A Sweeney; B McNamara, J Vaughan; C Meaney, G Murray, F Kelleher; M McInerney, C Murray, A Griffin Subs: M Garry for Doherty (7-8, BS), J Rafferty for Kelleher (51), D Walsh for G. Murray (57), S Griffin for Vaughan (61), J Stack for Sweeney (64)

Referee: B Griffin (Kerry)