NHL Division Two Final/Offaly 6-21 Carlow 4-7: Offaly hurlers gained revenge for last month's shock five-point league defeat by Carlow when they outclassed the Barrowsiders to claim the Allianz National Hurling League Division Two title at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise on Saturday.
The Carlow challenge was over soon after it started. Offaly raced into a 2-11 to nil lead by the 22nd minute, with nine players having made the scoresheet by that stage. It took Carlow 22 minutes to score - a pointed free from Pat Coady.
Leading the Offaly charge was big full forward Joe Brady - with the Coolderry club man helping himself to 2-5 from play.
A brace of Carlow goals from Paul Kehoe and a Ruairi Dunbar penalty provided some hope of a comeback for the Carlow support in the attendance of 2,000.
But Offaly's reply was to shoot two goals in one minute from Damian Murray and Joe Brady, as they went into an unassailable 4-13 to 2-3 interval lead.
The second half was a more even affair as Offaly clearly scaled down their effort.
At that stage, for Carlow, it was merely a case of damage limitation and pride.
OFFALY: B Mullins; K Brady, B Teehan, D Franks; D Hoctor, N Claffey (0-1), C Cassidy (0-2, one free); B Carroll (0-3), M Cordial (0-2); G Henniffy, R Hanniffy (0-2), B Murphy (1-1); C Parlon (1-2), J Brady (2-5), D Murray (1-3, 0-3 from frees). Subs: D Hayden (1-0) for Murray, P Mulhare for Cassidy, G Oakley for Claffey, A Hanrahan for R Hanniffy, M Corcoran for Murphy, P Healion for Franks.
CARLOW: P Fenlon; A Gaul, J Nevin, D Shaw; M Keating, S Kavanagh (0-1), S Watchorn; K English, D Roberts (0-1); P Coady (0-5, two frees, two sideline cuts), M Brennan, P Kehoe (1-0); R Dunbar (1-0, pen), D Murphy, R Foley (1-9). Subs: L Kenny for Watchorn, B Lawler (1-0) for Dunbar, J Kavanagh for Kehoe, B Cox for Keating (yellow card), J Myley for Brennan.
Referee: E Morris (Dublin).
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