Offaly kept their hopes of promotion alive with a hard earned one point win over table toppers Antrim in O’Connor Pk, Tullamore on Sunday last. Offaly trailed by 1-4 to 0-4 at half time, having conceded a 11th minute penalty which Patrick Cunningham slotted past Alan Mulhall in the Offaly goal.
Right through the second half it looked as though that goal would be the difference as Antrim maintained that lead until seven minutes from time when David Egan kicked over his third point to cut the deficit to two. The three minutes from time Ciaran McManus was fouled in the square and Niall McNamee duly slotted the resulting penalty to the net. Offaly survived a late Antrim onslaught to gain a valuable two points on a 1-9 to 1-8 scoreline.
Scorers: Offaly Niall McNamee 1-2 (1-0penalty, 0-1free), David Egan 0-3, John Reynolds 0-2, Ciaran McManus 0-2(0-1f) Antrim: Patrick Cunningham 1-6 (1-0penalty, 0-3f), Ciaran Close 0-1, Brendan Herron 0-1
Offaly: Alan Mulhall, Stephen Lonergan, Shane Sullivan, Ciaran Kiely, Brian Darby, Karol Slattery, Paul McConway, Richie Dalton, John Coughlan, Anton Sullivan, Paraic Sullivan, Ciaran McManus, David Egan, John Reynolds, Niall McNamee Subs: Alan Lynam for P Sullivan, Brian Connor for Lonergan, Scott Brady for Coughlan
