Senior hurlers face familiar foes in Offaly: Lookback at recent meetings

Dublin hurlers and Offaly have been familiar foes over the past 12 months and they meet again this Sunday in O'Connor Park, Tullamore (2.0) in the NHL1B second round.

The counties met in Walsh Cup action last month while they had also collided twice earlier in 2018 in both league and championship action.

Here will look back briefly on those three encounters.

2018/19 WALSH CUP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16: Parnell Park

DUBLIN 0-27 OFFALY 0-18

Dublin had too much firepower for Offaly in this Walsh Cup Round 2 clash at Parnell Park.

Victory meant Dublin topped their group table with two wins from two starts with a clash against Laois up next in the new year.

Inside forward Eamonn Dillon and Donal Burke impressed once Dublin adopted to the tricky underfoot conditions and let the ball in early.

Indeed Dublin could have led by more than 0-10 to 0-5 at the break but for players losing their footing in potentially threatening positions.

Midfielder Cian Boland showed plenty of skill and panache as well as hitting four points from play including one from just on the halfway line after cutting out an Offaly crossfield pass

Unfortunately David Treacy was forced off in the first half with injury while Donal Burke also had to be replaced 11 minutes into the second-half.

John Hetherton won some good aerial ball when drifting out to the half-forward line while the Dublin defence tightened up after a bit of a sluggish start.

Dublin never looked in any trouble in the second-half and could start to empty their bench well before the finish.

Dillon almost added a goal to his tally ten minutes into the second half but his angled groundstroke when across the face of the Offaly goal and narrowly wide.

"A good honest effort from all the lads. In general they were trying to do the right thing with the ball most of the times and set up some nice scoring opportunities.They're the sort of things we're going to be working on going into the New Year," said Dublin manager Mattie Kenny.

SCORERS – Dublin: D Burke, D Treacy (0-4f), E Dillon, J Hetherton (0-2f), C Boland 0-4 each, C Burke, F Whitely 0-2 each, F McGibb, D Keogh, R Hayes 0-1 each. Offaly: A Treacy 0-6 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65'), J Gorman 0-4, S Dolan, S Kinsella, K Connolly (0-1f) 0-2 each, C Taylor, C Egan 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Brennan; L Gannon, C O’Callaghan, B O’Carroll; T Connolly, C Crummey, S Barrett; C Boland, S Treacy; D Treacy, C Conway, F McGibb; J Hetherton, D Burke, E Dillon. Subs: F Whitely for D Treacy (inj, 32), D Gray for Barrett (ht), C Burke for Conway (ht), L Walsh for Gannon (43), O O’Rorke for D Burke (46), Gannon for O’Carroll (47), D Keogh for O’Callaghan (55), R Hayes for Dillon (60), R Smith for Hetherton (65), G Whelan for Boland (65), J Hetherton for Crummey (72).

OFFALY: C Glancy; D Healy, P Rigney, T Spain; C O’Brien, E Grogan, N Houlihan; C Taylor, K Dunne; P Guinan, S Dolan, S Kinsella; K Connolly, A Treacy, J Gorman. Subs: M Egan for Healy (18), C Egan for Grogan (ht), D Murray for Gorman (60), E Parlon for Guinan (60), E Callaghan for Treacy (70).

REF: D Hughes (Carlow).

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2018 LEINSTER SHC ROUND-ROBIN

SUNDAY, JUNE 3: Parnell Park

DUBLIN 2-24 OFFALY 0-13

A dominant scoring spell either side of half-time saw Dublin cruise to a 17-point victory in this crucial Leinster SHC round-robin clash at Parnell Park in front of a crowd of about 6,000.

This victory ensured Dublin of Leinster SHC status for the summer of 2019 ahead of the following Saturday’s clash with Galway in Salthill.

The Tribemen had already booked their berth in the provincial decider whereas even a victory for Dublin wouldn't secure them a place in the knockout stages, owing to their head-to-head record in this year’s campaign to date.

Dublin were eight-point interval lead, following a late Paul Ryan goal, following good work by Chris Crummey and Liam Rushe, and within three minutes of the restart Fergal Whitely had grabbed Dublin’s second goal to make it 2-10 to 0-6 and Pat Gilroy’s men were well on top.

Points from Liam Rushe and Jake Malone, following great work by Paddy Smyth and Conal Keaney, moved Dublin further in front and when Fionntán Mac Gib and Shane Barrett fired over it was 2-14 to 0-6 after 43 minutes.

Dublin never looked back with Rushe and Keaney getting in on scoring act in the 46th minute and then three minutes later Dublin keeper Alan Nolan denied Offaly even a glimmer of hope when denying Joe Bergin from the penalty spot.

The Dubs could start running in subs with one of them Cian Boland making some positive contributions including two late points from play.

Dublin held a 1-10 to 0-5 lead at the break with the goal coming in the second minute of added time when Paul Ryan found the net.

Crucially the Dubs finished the opening half on the up with points from the excellent Chris Crummey (29th minute) and then scores from Fergal Whitely and the influential Shane Barrett as the game moved into injury-time.

Prior to that there was little between the counties with Dublin always in front though following Crummey’s ninth minute point to edge his side 0-3 to 0-2 ahead.

A Paul Ryan free and point from play from Barrett made it 0-5 to 0-2 by the 14th minute.

SCORERS – Dublin: P Ryan 1-5 (0-4f), S Barrett, C Crummey 0-4 each, F Whitley 1-1, L Rushe, J Malone, C Keaney, C Boland 0-2 each, F Mac Gibb, R McBride 0-1 each. Offaly: J Bergin 0-4 (0-4f), D Currams, P Murphy, S Dooley (0-2f) 0-2 each, J Gorman, E Cahill, K Dunne 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: A Nolan; P Smyth, C O'Callaghan, E O'Donnell; C Crummey, S Moran, S Barrett; R McBride, J Malone; F Mac Gib, CKeaney, D Sutcliffe; F Whitley, L Rushe, P Ryan. Subs: C Boland for Whitley (50), T Connolly for McBride (55), D Treacy for Keaney (56), J McCaffrey for Mac Gib (61f), P Winters for Rushe (63).

OFFALY: E Cahill; D O'Toole Greene, B Conneely, T Spain; D Shortt, P Camon, D King; D Currams, D Egan; S Kinsella, C Egan, T Geraghty; S Ryan, C Mahon, J Bergin. Subs: S Dooley for Ryan (42), K Dunne for Kinsella (48), R Hughes for D Egan (48), P Murphy for C Egan (48), J Gorman for Bergin (55).

REF: C Lyons (Cork).

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2018 NHL DIVISION 1B

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27: Croke Park

OFFALY 2-25 DUBLIN 1-15

Dublin started last year's NHL Division 1B campaign on the back foot after a poor showing saw them comfortably beaten by Offaly in Croke Park.

Fielding a very inexperienced side Dublin were second best in terms of physicality and speed and accuracy of striking while the Faithful County enjoyed some moments of excellent hurling as well as scoring several glorious long-range points.

“It was very disappointing," said Dublin manager Pat Gilroy afterwards.

"We were outfought and outworked by Offaly, and they fully deserved their victory. We have to learn from that.

"We certainly didn’t have the intensity that we had intended to bring to that game. It’s just something that we have to improve.

“We never gave up, but things didn’t go our way. There was very little that we had intended to do today, that we did. We have to learn why that was the case, we have to look at ourselves and come up with the answers," added Pat.

“We just didn’t get into any intensity there. Our intensity was probably half of what we needed to bring to that game. Our movement on the ball was poor, and pretty much eveything we had set out to do, we didn’t do.

“We intended to go out and win this game, and the performance there wasn’t at the standard we would have expected.”

Offaly were 0-10 to 0-6 up in the 24th minute before Paul Winters gave Dublin hope with a clinically taken goal following very determined build up play by Shane Barrett and a free from Donal Burke brought the sides level.

However, Dublin's new hope was short-lived as Kevin Martin's men quickly regained control of the game to lead 0-16 to 1-8 at the break.

It could have been worse from a Dublin perspective as keeper Alan Nolan made to fine saves early in the half to stop Offaly goals.

Dublin restarted well with Eamonn Dillon firing over a fine point but Shane Dooley – on as a second half sub – replied with a free and then converted a penalty to see Offaly move seven points clear.

With just over 20 minute remaining Conal Keaney returned to the county colours when replacing Alan Moore but there was little he could do at that stage as Offaly ran out very comfortable winners.

SCORERS – Offaly: S Dooley 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-5f), J Bergin 0-6 (0-4f, 0-1 '65'), L Langton 1-0, O Kelly (0-1 sideline), S Kinsella, C Egan 0-3 each, D Egan, D Currams 0-2 each, D Shortt 0-1. Dublin: D Burke 0-6 (0-5f), P Winters 1-1, A Moore 0-2, C Crummey, F Whitely, R Smith, N McMorrow, E Dillon, J Hetherton 0-1 each.

OFFALY: C Slevin; T Spain, S Gardiner, B Conneely; P Delaney, P Camon, D Shortt; D King, S Kinsella; J Bergin, C Egan, D Egan; O Kelly, C Mahon, D Currams. Subs: S Dooley for Bergin (ht), T Geraghty for Egan (53), L Langton for Mahon (63), D O’Toole for Connelly (71), D Doughan for Delaney (73)

DUBLIN: A Nolan; P Smyth, B O’Carroll, C Hendricken; S Barrett, C McBride, C Crummey; J McCaffrey, T Connolly; R Smith, F Whitely, D Burke; A Moore, P Winters, F Ó Riain Broin. Subs: E Dillon for Ó Riain Broin (26), N McMorrow for McCaffrey (43), C Keaney for Moore (47), J Hetherton for Winters (54), J Madden for Hendricken (66).

REF: P O’Dwyer (Carlow).