Cahill keeps nerve to deny Cats and deliver landmark draw for Offaly
CLOSE QUARTERS: Eoin Cody of Kilkenny in action against Patrick Taaffe of Offaly during the Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Round 3 match between Offaly and Kilkenny at Glenisk O'Connor Park in Tullamore, Offaly. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Eoghan Cahill's 15th point of a dramatic Leinster SHC encounter rescued a landmark draw for Offaly, their first time avoiding defeat against Kilkenny in the Championship since the 1998 All-Ireland final.
A famous win for the Faithful looked to be on the cards at various stages throughout a Round 3 encounter that Kilkenny simply never got going in.
But when Cian Kenny - who replaced TJ Reid on the frees after the Cats legend was taken off - put Kilkenny a point ahead in the 73rd minute, it looked like the holders might sneak an away win.
So Offaly were delighted that referee Johnny Murphy gave them the opportunity to level the game, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, from a 65 that was initially waved as a wide.
Murphy chatted with his umpires about the decision before signalling for the 65 which the nerveless Cahill stuck between the posts.
Having already been well beaten by Galway, it's another terrible result from Kilkenny's perspective though Offaly supporters in the 6,066 rejoiced and savoured their second draw of the campaign.
Dan Bourke and Brian Duignan split five points between them also for Offaly while their defence was excellent.
But Kilkenny will, of course, be the story of the afternoon with 16 wides undermining their chances of scoring an important win to keep their seven-in-a-row title charge alive.
Kilkenny were unchanged from the side that put 5-21 on the board against Wexford but if boss Derek Lyng was banking on picking up where they left off in Round 2, he was let down.
It wasn't quite the first half underperformance that Galway exhibited in their clash with Kildare in Newbridge yesterday afternoon, but it was still below par.
The Cats drilled a dozen first-half wides with TJ Reid accounting for three of those, including a 65 and a relatively easy free that seemed to sum up their sluggishness.
Reid wore number 14 and played most of the first half in the full-forward position, with Ben Conneely for company. But he came out deeper towards the end of the half as Kilkenny tried to make something happen.
They pushed for goals whenever a chink of light emerged in a well drilled Offaly backline.
Kenny drilled a shot wide in the 13th minute, Martin Keoghan had an effort blocked by a defender and Reid controlled a loose ball and then pulled on it close to half time, only to be thwarted by goalkeeper Liam Hoare.
After all of Offaly's hard work, they winced at the soft goal they did cough up, a 27th minute Carey shot taking enough of a deflection off Ciarán Burke to deceive Hoare and trickle in beneath him.
With Kenny sniping three points from play, Kilkenny just about led at half time, by 1-9 to 0-11, but it was unconvincing and travelling fans were still waiting for their team to catch fire.
Offaly were more efficient, drawing five fouls that Eoghan Cahill comfortably converted. Brian Duignan swung a beauty over from out on the left wing and Dan Bourke caused the Cats plenty of trouble, registering two first-half points.
Crucially, Offaly would have the wind behind them in the second half so opportunity knocked.
And when they reeled off four points in a row between the 38th and 43rd minutes - one of those coming off a morale boosting Ross Ravenhill interception ahead of Reid - they led 0-15 to 1-10.
Reid was taken off the frees and eventually replaced for one of the few times in his storied career.
It highlighted just how badly things were going for the Cats though they can take credit for refusing to lie down in a game that was level 14 times in all.
Cian Kenny 0-7 (0-2f), Mikey Carey 1-0, Martin Keoghan 0-3, TJ Reid 0-2 (0-1f), Tom Phelan 0-2, Killian Doyle 0-2, Eoin Cody 0-1, Darragh Corcoran 0-1, Stephen Donnelly 0-1, Liam Moore 0-1, Fionán Mackessy 0-1.
Eoghan Cahill 0-15 (12f, 1 65), Dan Bourke 0-3, Brian Duignan 0-2, Charlie Mitchell 0-1, Conor Doyle 0-1, Shane Rigney 0-1, Ter Guinan 0-1.
Eoin Murphy; Ivan Bolger, Mikey Carey, Mikey Butler; David Blanchfield, Darragh Corcoran, Paddy Deegan; Killian Doyle, Jordan Molloy; Cian Kenny, Eoin Cody, Tom Phelan; Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Liam Moore.
Richie Reid for Carey 10-12, Stephen Donnelly for Reid 49, Fionán Mackessy for Moore 53, Timmy Clifford for Phelan 59, Richie Reid for Molloy 68.
Liam Hoare; Patrick Taaffe, Ben Conneely, Ter Guinan; Ross Ravenhill, Killian Sampson, Ciarán Burke; Colin Spain, Luke Watkins; Shane Rigney, Daniel Bourke, Conor Doyle; Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan, Eoghan Cahill.
Cathal King for Watkins 53, Dan Ravenhill for Spain 53, Oisín Kelly for Doyle 66.
Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
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