Leinster SHC, Round Three: Offaly 0-24 Kilkenny 1-21
With 43 minutes on the clock in Tullamore, Ross Ravenhill intercepted a pass meant for TJ Reid and began a counterattack that ended with an Offaly point, nudging them ahead.
It wasn’t long after Reid had drilled his fourth wide of the afternoon and the Offaly supporters went wild. A few minutes later, Reid got the curly finger and was called ashore.
Derek Lyng could have taken off a few more, in truth, but if anything summed up Kilkenny’s difficulties on a tough day in Tullamore, it was the sight of their talisman trudging off early.
In the end, a draw was the least that Offaly deserved and Eoghan Cahill secured their second one of the campaign with a 76th-minute point from a 65.
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If Offaly had won, it wouldn’t have been robbery. Mind you, when a wide was initially signalled, instead of a 65, it looked like all of Offaly’s efforts in front of 6,066 would count for nothing.
At that stage, Cian Kenny’s seventh point of the day for Kilkenny, scored in the 73rd minute from a free after taking over on the placed balls from Reid, had the visitors ahead.
Then referee Johnny Murphy ran in to chat to his umpires and, following a discussion, signalled for the 65, which Cahill converted to take his tally to 0-15 for the afternoon.
It was a brilliant performance from the Birr man, who was recalled in the absence of the hamstrung Adam Screeney who, according to manager Johnny Kelly, could be available to face Wexford back in Tullamore next Saturday evening.
That’s a huge game now and, should Offaly beat the faltering Slaneysiders, they will believe that advancing to the All-Ireland series is a genuine possibility.
“Top three was always on our radar,” said Kelly of Offaly’s ambitions in Leinster. “When we set out, one of our goals was to get out of Leinster and to get into the preliminary quarter-final. Obviously it’s not as easy as just saying it, we have to take into consideration injuries, the youthful panel and the lack of experience at this level. But we’re happy with where we’re at.”
Kilkenny manager Lyng put on a brave face.
“We’ve met a very good team,” said Lyng, whose team fired 16 wides. “It wasn’t like we were automatically going to come up here and get a result, it doesn’t work like that.”
Kilkenny have Kildare next, followed by Dublin. Adrian Mullen could be back after injury next weekend but Jordan Molloy left Tullamore in a recovery boot.
Mikey Carey’s rare Championship goal nudged Kilkenny 1-9 to 0-11 up at half-time but the sides were level eight times throughout a tense second half.
OFFALY: L Hoare; P Taaffe, B Conneely, T Guinan (0-1); R Ravenhill, K Sampson, C Burke; C Spain, L Watkins; S Rigney (0-1), D Bourke (0-3), C Doyle (0-1); C Mitchell (0-1), B Duignan (0-2), E Cahill (0-15, 12f, 1 65).
Subs: C King for Watkins, D Ravenhill for Spain (both 53 mins); O Kelly for Doyle (66).
KILKENNY: E Murphy; I Bolger, M Carey (1-0), M Butler; D Blanchfield, D Corcoran (0-1), P Deegan; K Doyle (0-2), J Molloy; C Kenny (0-7, 2f), E Cody (0-1), T Phelan (0-2); M Keoghan (0-3), TJ Reid (0-2, 1f), L Moore (0-1).
Subs: R Reid for Carey (10-12 mins, blood); S Donnelly (0-1) for TJ Reid (49); F Mackessy (0-1) for Moore (53); T Clifford for Phelan (59); R Reid for Molloy (68).
Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).
