Captain Kelly leads storming finish to banish Faithful

A scintillating final quarter put a gloss on Clare’s defeat of Offaly in the National Hurling League Division 1A Round 3, writes Eoin Brennan

Clare 4-20 Offaly 0-16

CLARE maintained their Indian sign over Offaly but only after a scintillating finish to cement their first National League points in Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, Tullamore this afternoon.

One would have to go back to 2000 to find Offaly’s last league or championship victory over the Banner but the weight of expectation was only lifted in the final quarter as the visitors outgunned the Division 1 newcomers by 3-7 to 0-1.

Central to that late storm was a commanding performance from the returning Tony Kelly who led out his side as captain and led the scoreboard too with a remarkable personal tally of 2-12.

His final quarter brace of goals in the space of five minutes ultimately clinched victory as up to that point, only a puck of the ball separated the sides in either direction.

Indeed, with Offaly also seeking a first victory, the hosts threw everything at the wind-assisted Banner in the opening period to ensure a 0-9 to 0-9 half-time stalemate. Kelly kept his side in touch with seven points, the first four of which stemmed from play as Clare matched their point total with as many wides.

Ryan Taylor was also somehow denied an early goal by goalkeeper Conor Clancy while subsequently finding the sidenetting too before the break.

Level on seven occasions by the 40th minute, Offaly’s chief marksman Eoghan Cahill managed to edge his side 0-12 to 0-10 in front, only to be rocked by a Shane Meehan goal in the 44th minute that would prove a decisive call to arms for Clare.

It was created by impactful half-time substitute Aron Shanagher while Peter Duggan was also introduced, following a near three-year absence from inter-county action, to the biggest cheer of the afternoon as a buoyant Clare moved swiftly through the gears.

At 1-13 to 0-15, Meehan would turn provider for Kelly to grab a second goal in the 59th minute before Shanagher earned a penalty that the current All-Star cooly dispatched to the bottom left corner.

With Offaly looking increasingly war-weary, a further 1-7 would be added before the finish including a wondergoal for Meehan as Clare eased their relegation worries ahead of an acid test against neighbours Limerick back in Cusack Park next Sunday.

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle); Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones), Conor Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown), Paul Flanagan (Ballyea); Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe), John Conlon (Clonlara), Jack Browne (Ballyea); Paddy Donnellan (Broadford), Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge); Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge), Patrick Crotty (Scariff), Darren O’Brien (Éire Óg); Shane Meehan (Banner), Tony Kelly (Ballyea), Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin). Subs: Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones) for O’Brien (HT), Robin Mounsey (Ruan) for Donnellan (40), Mike Gough (Smith O’Brien’s) for Cleary (54), Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin) for Golden (63). Scorers: Tony Kelly (2-12, 1-0 Pen, 7f); Shane Meehan (2-1); Ryan Taylor, Aron Shanagher (0-2 each); Shane Golden, Patrick Crotty, Diarmuid Ryan (0-1 each)

Offaly: Conor Clancy (St Rynagh’s); Joey Keenaghan (Clodiagh Gaels), Ben Conneely (St Rynagh’s), Paddy Delaney (Kinnitty); David King (Coolderry), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), Killian Sampson (Shinrone); Eimhin Kelly (Lusmagh), Eoghan Parlon (Coolderry); Brian Duignan (Durrow), Liam Langton (Clodiagh Gaels), Adrian Cleary (Shinrone); Eoghan Cahill (Birr), John Murphy (Ballinamere), Jason Sampson (Shinrone). Subs: Luke O’Connor (St Rynagh’s) for Duignan (49), Paddy Clancy (Belmont) for Parlon (60), Luke Nolan (Birr) for Cahill (65), Padraig Cantwell (Shamrocks) for Burke (68), Dara Maher (Shinrone) for J. Sampson (70). Scorers: Eoghan Cahill (0-11, 10f), John Murphy (0-2); Eimhin Kelly, Liam Langton, Luke O’Connor (f) (0-1 each)

Referee: Kevin Jordan (Tipperary)