Clare just seconds away from shock exit

For the second time this summer, Clare were taken to the edge of the unthinkable and for the second time this summer, Offaly survived being measured up for a shroud. So it's not as if we should have been too surprised at the outcome of yesterday's Guinness All-Ireland hurling semi-final.

But surprise it certainly was as the Leinster finalists, who had well earned their ranking as distant outsiders going into the match, rediscovered the spirit and sense of purpose that had been so lacking in this summer's campaign.

Clare ended a controversial week with one of their flatter performances which, like the drawn Munster final, saw them yield the physical initiative to very committed opponents. Flattered by the four-point lead they had established with eight minutes left, the champions found themselves a point behind with time running out after Offaly had dramatically responded to what had looked like a match-winning 1-1 from substitute Fergie Tuohy.

Even on their bad days, however, Clare are hard to put away and a last-minute free awarded against Kevin Kinahan gave Jamesie O'Connor the chance to level the match. Just as decisively as he had scored to win the All-Ireland last year, O'Connor kept the title in Clare for at least a little while longer and secured the draw.

The replay will be on Saturday week in Croke Park. At first glance, Offaly appear the losers after a match in which they exceeded all current form while Clare were subdued, but there's more to this match than the conventional theme of gutsy underdogs coming close.

By re-injecting some passion into their play, Offaly were also giving themselves the chance to display for the first time in two years that they are capable of some of the best hurling in the country. Whereas the evidence since the 1996 Leinster final was that this was a team in decline, yesterday showed that there may be something left in the tank after all that mileage.

As might have been expected, the challengers' defence was its most effective sector. Stephen Byrne was dependable in goal and young Simon Whelahan had a glorious game, full of the terrier-like aggression that was so prominent in Birr's run to All-Ireland success. He marked, won ball and cleared it and played the big stage with the assurance of a veteran.

The remainder of the defence are veterans at this stage - in terms of experience if not years - and they seized the opportunity to make a stand four years after the team's only All-Ireland victory.

It wasn't a faultless display. Kevin Kinahan's tendency to give away frees proved costly, Fergie Tuohy got in for his goal because of a lack of concentration. The Clareman's total of 1-2 points a finger at the half-backs. But in general, Offaly's defence was tight and conceded only 1-5 from play over the 70 minutes.

Brian Whelahan delivered an inspiring display, showing characteristic dependability in defence and shooting 0-4 from long-range placed balls, and the confidence this generated coursed through the team as a whole.

The current taste for intrigue in team selection remained very much in vogue with three personnel changes and no less than 15 positional switches having to be made to the programme before the throw-in. Whereas Offaly did their bit by reshuffling seven of their front eight, the personnel changes were all Clare's - the replacement of the suspended Colin Lynch by Fergal Hegarty and two unenforced alterations.

Richard Woods, rather than the advertised John Reddan, was drafted in as replacement for the suspended Brian Lohan at full back and Ger "Sparrow" O'Loughlin replaced the listed Fergie Tuohy, who had to wait until being introduced as a substitute to make his match-saving contribution.

Woods, twice a Fitzgibbon medallist with UCC, had experience of standing in for Lohan during off-season competition but he found the going difficult at times yesterday and Lohan's return for the replay will be welcomed.

Tuohy's replacement by O'Loughlin was no surprise but neither was it much of a shock when the named centre forward came on as a sub after 40 minutes. Apart from Jamesie O'Connor - and to a lesser extent, Niall Gilligan - Clare's 10 forwards are interchangeable.

Substitution policy resembles nothing as much as a someone going through a bunch of keys hoping that one will work. Yesterday it was Tuohy, and he certainly did the trick, but there's no discernible pattern. Over the summer in the four matches to date, Clare have made 10 substitutions, every one of them in attack.

Both defences have good reputations and yesterday lived up to them. Clare managed without Lohan and with Liam Doyle looking far from injury-free on the right wing.

The crucial difference between expectation and reality was the vigour of Offaly's forwards. They chased and harried and stood up to the physical demands of disrupting Clare's defence. John Ryan typified the spirit but at times was lucky to escape cautioning by referee Jimmy Cooney who had a good game, whistling punctiliously and booking five in recognition of the fact that hurling at present needed an orderly rather than free-flowing match.

Ryan put in a good half-hour on Sean McMahon, but eventually the Clare centre back settled into his more recognisable form. On the wing, Offaly's Michael Duignan also made his presence felt and Clare weren't able to establish the customary winning platform in the halfback line.

Goalkeeper David Fitzgerald was central to three important moments in the match. He took a penalty - awarded against Kinahan for bringing down Gilligan - two minutes before half-time only for Brian Whelahan to save it, Kevin Martin to clear and Offaly to preserve a two-point lead, 0-7 to 0-5, at the interval.

Eight minutes into the second half, Fitzgerald brought off a splendid save from Johnny Dooley who had been placed inside the defence by a sublime ball played in by Brian Whelahan. But he was at fault for Offaly's critical 63rd-minute goal.

Throughout the tight, low-scoring match, Offaly kept their noses in front. They led for 44 minutes compared to 11 minutes for Clare but the champions made what appeared a decisive move with Fergie Tuohy's 1-1 between the 58th and 62nd minutes. Firstly he ghosted in unmarked behind the Offaly defence and finished to the net. A further point then established what looked like a solid platform for victory.

With Offaly's chances hanging by a thread, a minute later, Johnny Pilkington popped up to turn the ball into the net after Johnny Dooley's free had been batted out by Fitzgerald in the Clare goal. The score re-opened the contest and inspired Pilkington to a frenzied finale which nearly won the match.

A scorching 68th-minute solo run briefly looked as if might yield a goal but Pilkington momentarily lost control of the ball. He recovered with aplomb, whipping the ball over the bar as it bounced off the ground.

For two minutes the unthinkable was on the cards but Jamesie O'Connor's late free and referee Cooney's slight indulgence in whistling up fractionally early meant that we'll all have to think again on Saturday week.