ALLIANZ NHL DIVISION ONE Tipperary 1-18 Offaly 2-14:A GOAL from a free by Séamus Callanan with the last puck of the game gave Tipperary a dramatic one-point victory at O'Connor Park, Tullamore, yesterday.
Offaly had fought back well in the second half to take a grip of the game with two Shane Dooley goals midway through the half, but they were unable to add to their tally after that. It looked like they might hang on for victory, but three minutes into injury-time Callanan drove a 22-metre free through a crowd of players to the net for the winning score.
With nothing at stake for either side, the first half lacked the urgency and intensity normally associated with a final-round game in the league. There were some good scores, but there was something missing and the crowd got little to enthuse them.
Tipperary led by four points at the interval and stretched that lead to five early in the second half, but then Offaly began a fightback and the home crowd got behind their side. They scored 2-3 without reply to lead by five points with 16 minutes left, but, despite some excellent defending, they were undone by that late Tipperary free.
Both sides will have injury concerns after the game. Eoin Kelly went off with what appeared like a hamstring injury early in the second half while David Young and Darragh Egan also limped off, while Offaly’s Daniel Currams picked up a thumb injury and Stephen Egan a nose injury in the first half. With both teams facing championship action in six weeks’ time there could be some anxious moments for both managers.
Tipperary had a slight edge through most of the first half. The sides were level on a couple of occasions, but four points with just one in reply from Offaly left them 0-11 to 0-7 in front at half-time.
The sides added four points in the first 12 minutes of the second half before Offaly began to take control. Three points in a row cut the lead to the minimum before Shane Dooley found the net for the first time after 17 minutes and added a second goal two minutes later. Tipperary fought hard to get back into the game, but two frees and a point from substitute Pat Kerwick left them trailing by two points in injury-time when Séamus Callanan drilled a low free to the net to snatch a one-point win.
TIPPERARY: D Gleeson; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; D Young, C O'Mahony, Padraic Maher (0-1); H Maloney, S McGrath (0-2); S Hennessy (0-2), S Callanan (1-2, frees), M Heffernan (0-1); E Kelly (0-7, three frees, one penalty, one 65), J Brennan (0-1), D Egan (0-1). Subs: Patrick Maher for Kelly (42 mins); S Maher for O'Mahony (44); B Maher for Young (51); J O'Brien for Heffernan (56); P Kerwick (0-1) for Egan (63).
OFFALY: J Dempsey; S Egan, P. Cleary, M Verney; D Hayden, D Kenny, D Morkan; R Hanniffy (0-1), S Kelly (0-1); D Molloy, J Brady, D Currams (0-2); C Parlon (0-1), J Bergin (0-2), S Dooley (2-6, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65). Subs. J Rigney for Egan (11 mins); C Mahon for Currams (22); B Carroll (0-1)for Parlon (43); G Oakley for Molloy (68).
Referee: J Owens(Wexford).
