Explosive Hayes does damage in stirring battle

FRANK FARRAGHER

THERE’S no love lost between Galway and Offaly when the going gets tough on the hurling pitch – that whirl of enthusiasm, venom and at times mutual scorn found a compact home in the stand and terraces of O’Moore Park on Saturday evening.

Make no mistake about it, this was stirring stuff, full of passion, pride and intensity – how the longer term picture of the season ahead will be painted is another matter altogether, but as an entity in itself, this clash in Portlaoise was gripping entertainment.

This time around Galway weren’t to be caught dawdling at the starting blocks. The zero tolerance approach early on was typified in the drive and focus of Ollie Canning.

Six days earlier, Joe Dooley had ripped open the Galway defence but on Saturday, Canning was a man on a mission. He established a little kingdom in the left corner of the town goal, laying claim to any sliotar that strayed into his patch.

Galway were no less frenetic at the other end of the pitch. Aonghus Callanan moved to centre forward with Damien Hayes taking up duty at full forward – the Offaly defence struggled to keep tabs on them, and Hayes was explosive.

Only 12 minutes had gone when the vision of midfielder Ger Farragher picked out Hayes in the left corner and the Portumna man took off like a hare before planting the sliotar into the back of James Dempsey’s net.

Seven minutes before half-time, after Ollie Canning won a great ball in defence, Farragher carried on the move and Joe Canning had the sliotar in the net before Dempsey could stretch a muscle. It was as if the strike of the sliotar and the dance of the net were instantaneous . . . when thunder and lightning strike together, danger is nigh.

By then, the bad start of Croke Park the previous weekend had been put away. Instead of trailing 3-7 to 0-11 at the interval, Galway led by 2-9 to 0-7 at the break. Four minutes before that, they led by 10 points. Everything going to plan . . . the ‘old Galway’ were back and we all settled in for a comfortable second half.

Offaly hurlers though seem to be born with resilience genes in their blood. They’ve always punched above their weight, winning matches in the past where lesser mortals would have given up the quest . . . last Saturday evening was no different.

The early second half catalyst arrived in the shape of a Ger Healion goal. Whether it was genuine intent or good fortune, the result of the substitute’s effort was to lob Colm Callanan, with the sliotar nestling gently in the back of the Galway net.

The Offaly crowd went berserk in the stand. This was the start of the comeback and did they want to ‘rub it into’ Galway with Shane Dooley and Brendan Murphy adding quick points.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.