Clare 2-15 Offaly 1-9

[Lone Shark]

At some stage in August the HDC will come up with a set of proposals with regard to revamping the hurling championship and put these proposals to the counties. This process has been underway for some time, but even if it wasn’t, games like Saturday night’s in Ennis would certainly bring it about. Going into the match Offaly needed to beat Clare by more than Limerick beat Dublin in order to advance – a seven point win was required, as it happened. Not only did that never look like happening, from the minute these hurlers took the field it was clear that deep down they never even believed it was within their power to make it so. That Offaly weren’t subjected to a much more substantial defeat was down entirely to a lack of conviction on the part of Clare, a malaise that manifested itself most obviously in their somewhat obscene tally of 29 wides over the course of the game – many of those wides coming from clear goal chances.

Initially, it would have been very easy to draw a parallel with last week’s game in Tullamore. One team took the field very clearly mentally beaten before they started, only for their opponents to fail to turn the screw, leaving the door ajar for a renewed push for an unlikely victory. However unlike Limerick who found a new level of resolve and belief when an unlikely opportunity presented itself, on Saturday Offaly looked their gift horse square in the mouth and decided it’s oral condition merited a refusal.

Anyone looking at the two teams warming up would have seen a fair indication as to how the match was to go. Clare were going through the motions, no shouting or excitement, none of the tension you’d associate with the Banner Boys in advance of a big Munster or All Ireland series match. Offaly were lethargic and dishevelled, their touch in even the most basic drills nothing short of appalling. The signs were ominous, however initially Clare did everything possible to let Offaly into the game. Joe Bergin was competing very well with Frank Lohan on top of the right, with Dylan Hayden behind him looked lively and competitive. These players contributed Offaly’s first four points while the defence was leading a charmed life, leaving us in front. Within the first minute Clare had a goal chance, a mix up between Cleary and Brady letting Tony Griffin in who shot against the crossbar. The rebound came out to Derek Quinn whose ground shot was well saved by Shane O’Connor at close range. When Seanie McMahon missed the 65, Offaly had got off scot free. Clare’s horrendous shooting continued, and with a quarter of the game gone, the visitors were 0-5 to 0-3 in front, Clare having shot eleven wides. Despite being vastly superior, Clare had left Offaly in a good position, one where there was some hope that the team might begin to believe in themselves again and go on to really compete in this game.

But if it took fifteen minutes for Clare to open the door for Offaly, it took them all of three minutes to close it. Jonathan Clancy took advantage of a mistake to get in behind the Offaly defence down the right and hit a fine crossfield ball over to Tony Griffin, whose height advantage was a constant threat all day. He fielded over O’Meara, rounded Oakley and finished low past Mullins, who was on as a blood sub at the time. Colin Lynch compounded the damage with a point from out on the left within minutes, and from the subsequent puckout Clare got their second goal and all but wrapped up the game. An attempted short puckout from Mullins went badly wrong, resulting in Niall Gilligan taking the ball on around the Offaly 45, running in and drawing the defender. His handpass found Derek Quinn, who cut inside sharply and finished from around eight yards out.

It is a sad indictment of this current generation of Offaly hurlers that at five points adrift with fifty minutes still to play it felt like a lost cause, but in truth Offaly were very fortunate to be so close at that point and if anything the danger was that Clare would start finding their range. It didn’t happen, but in between all the wides they hit further scores from Griffin, Quinn and Gilligan to leave themselves eight points in front at the break.

There was a brief flicker of life at the start of the second half – a good opening score from Brian Carroll was countered by another Quinn free before Offaly finally did what so many teams have failed to do in recent times – put the ball past Davie Fitxgerald in the Clare goal. The custodian himself won’t be too happy with the nature of the goal however, as by no stretch of the imagination could it be deemed a classic. Joe Bergin took a free from out around the 65, dropping it in on top of Joe Brady. Brady and Lohan tussled furiously under the dropping ball, as they had been doing all game, only for both of them to miss contact, the ball taking a low bounce under Fitzgerald’s hurl. It was hard to tell if even the smallest flicker of hope flashed in the minds of Offaly players, but if it did, it didn’t last. Clare never looked like scoring freely at any stage in this game, but they continued to dominate half back and midfield, as such ensuring that Offaly never got the sustained supply of ball needed to mount any kind of a challenge. In what was either a testament to an unbelievable talent or a poor reflection on those supposed to be succeeding the great man, it was the substitute Brian Whelahan who contributed most to Offaly’s attacking towards the end, as his waning legs did not prevent him from displaying all the skills that have been deservedly celebrated down the years.

Though never an exciting game, the action managed to peter out even more for the last twenty minutes, Anthony Daly using the opportunity to give his bench some game time. One wonders if it will really have been of much use, as this was a match played with all the intensity of a challenge fixture and won’t equip his team for the challenges ahead. From an Offaly perspective it was a limp conclusion to a year that for a time looked promising, but ultimately will not be remembered with fondness around these parts.


Clare: David Fitzgerald; Gerry O’Grady, Brian Lohan, Frank Lohan; Brian O’Connell, Seanie McMahon (0-1, ’65), Gerry Quinn; Johnathan Clancy, Colin Lynch (0-1); Diarmuid McMahon, Tony Carmody (1-2), Niall Gilligan (0-2); Derek Quinn (1-7, 0-3 frees 0-1 ’65), Alan Markham, Tony Griffin (0-2).
Subs: Declan O’Rourke for Diarmuid McMahon, Barry Nugent for Clancy, Conor Plunkett for Gerry Quinn, Conor Harrison for Frank Lohan.

Offaly: Shane O’Connor; Kevin Brady, Paul Cleary (0-1, free), Brendan O’Meara; Declan Tanner, Rory Hanniffy, Ger Oakley; Daniel Hoctor, Michael Cordial; Dylan Hayden (0-1), Gary Hanniffy, Mick O’Hara; Joe Bergin (1-4, 0-2 frees), Joe Brady, Brendan Murphy.
Subs: Brian Mullins for O’Connor - Blood, Brian Carroll (0-3) for O’Hara – Blood, Paul Molloy for Oakley, Barry Teehan for O’Meara, Brian Whelahan for Murphy, Alan Egan for Cordial, Eddie Bevans for Bergin.
Referee: Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)

[Bogman]

Excellent Report, Lone Shark!! It really was unbelievably bad!! Morale was less than zero. It seemed as if Offaly would not have believed in themselves even if the Clare squad had committed collective hara-kiri. No matter what Clare handed them they were determined to find a way to lose.

Anyway all I can do is acknowledge some Offaly players who had bright moments - for me they were Brian Whelehan (as Lone Shark says he was our best player showing flashes of sublime skill and presence of mind), Joe Bergin, Danny Hoctor, the Hanniffys, Dylan Hayden, Paul Cleary (at times) and Kevin Brady (as the game went on). Full marks also to the likes of Joe Brady and Declan Tanner for effort.

I hope morale improves before Division 1 next year . It looks like a lot of players mentally threw in the towel after the Wexford match.

[Lone Shark]

Kevin Brady (as the game went on).

If by that you mean he started horrendously and improved to just very bad, then yes.

I'm not trying to have a dig here, the man has deserved his starting slot this year, but he's certainly not a corner back, and for O'Meara to be withdrawn before him was all wrong. Brady was having an absolute nightmare - he struggled on Griffin and was utterly unable for Quinn when moved across - O'Meara should have been moved back and Brady either put to half back or taken off. Leaving him on to get eaten alive like he was is the kind of thing that will do a player like him no good at all.

[Bord na Mona man]

While Kevin Brady started poorly, ending up as the corner back closest to the goal, he did improve when switched as he was then further out the field where he did mop up more dropping ball.

Wing back is his position in my view. We need to pick specific players for the corner back positions. I think John Paul O'Meara not playing for the county is a loss.

[Bogman]

Corner Back is a difficult position in hurling at the moment.

Donal O'Grady, on the Sunday Game last night, said categorically with no equivocation or qualification, that the Kilkenny corner backs are not quick enough at the highest level.

Small quick corner backs, on the other hand, are vulnerable to the likes of Griffin, Carmody, Shefflin who can physically dominate.

So what we need is players with the speed & skill of Ollie Canning and the strength & defensive arts of Donnacha Cody or Noel Hickey - no problem, they're ten a penny in Offaly Club Hurling!

[Bord na Mona man]

I don't think moving wing backs into the corner back positions is the answer.
I've never been happy with moving players like Niall Claffey, Barry Teehan or Kevin Brady to corner back. All of them are decent hurlers.
Half backs and outfield players are nearly always ball watchers. They don't play the angles like an experienced corner back would and are rarely agressive enough.
Personally, I'd rather have seen a tenacious player like Mick O'Hara thrown in to corner back.

Anyway, its probably academic who plays where. Morale or attitude in Offaly hurling seems to be at an all time low. Too many players went through the motions on Saturday night. Whatever the reasons are, we have several players who do themselves little credit with how they perform when up against it.

[Lone Shark]

I'd certainly go along with the notion that a corner back should be a stopper first and foremost. That's why I'd have given O'Meara the full year without interruption to play himself in there.

I'm not as convinced about JP, but we do have to examine all options there. In that vein, perhaps a second full back might have been the answer to the Griffin problem? He was always a mismatch to someone like O'Meara or Teehan, but maybe bringing Healion off the bench might have at least cut out the high ball to him as an easy option?