Offaly SHC Final/Birr 0-11 Coolderry 1-8: A point from Gary Hanniffy two minutes into injury time gave Birr a dramatic draw with Coolderry in the Offaly senior hurling final at St Brendan's Park, Birr, yesterday.
Birr were in charge for much of this game but were guilty of wasting too many opportunities.
Seven minutes elapsed before the first score but when it came it was a spectacular effort from Joe Brady who fired to the Birr net with a blistering shot from a very narrow angle.
The sides exchanged a brace of points each before Birr scored four points in a row to go in front for the first time after 24 minutes. Coolderry equalised again but a Stephen Brown point gave Birr a 0-7 to 1-3 interval lead.
Just 10 seconds into the second half Brown struck the butt of the post. Birr just managed two points from frees in the first 18 minutes as their wides tally began to mount.
Coolderry had only scored one point in a 36-minute spell before Damien Murray got their first point of the second half, but a Seán Ryan point put Birr three points up again with nine minutes left.Coolderry were enjoying the better of the exchanges at this stage and two points each from Damien Murray and James Masterson put them a point up with three minutes left before Hanniffy struck his dramatic equaliser.
BIRR: M Mulrooney, JP O'Meara, P Cleary, M Verney, Brian Whelahan (0-1), R Hanniffy, N Claffey, Barry Whelahan, P Molloy (0-1), P O'Meara, G Hanniffy (0-1), S Brown (0-2), S Ryan (0-2), S Whelahan (0-3), M Dwane (0-1). Sub: D Hayden for P O'Meara.
COOLDERRY: S O'Connor, T Corcoran, B O'Meara, A Corcoran, J McLoughney, D Dooley, B Teehan, K Brady, P Ryan, P Teehan (0-1), F Parlon, D Murray (0-5), B Carroll, J Brady (1-0), M Corcoran. Subs: J Masterson (0-2) for Dooley; C Parlon for Ryan; B Larkin for F Parlon.
Referee: C Buckley (Clara).
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