Allianz Hurling League Division 1B – Limerick 1-25 Offaly 3-15

Limerick defeated Offaly by 1-25 to 3-15 in Round 3 of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B on Saturday March 4th at the Gaelic Grounds Limerick.

MATCH REPORT: 14-man @LimerickCLG dig deep to defeat @Offaly_GAA https://t.co/fFWwWHaB16

— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 4, 2017

Allianz HL D1B: 14-man Limerick defeat Offaly

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

LIMERICK 1-25 OFFALY 3-15

Report By Jackie Cahill for GAA.ie

DESPITE a 2-11 haul from Shane Dooley, Offaly remain pointless in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League, having lost for the third successive game this season.

Dooley had 1-9 posted by half-time and Limerick’s task was made even more difficult when John Fitzgibbon was red-carded approaching half-time.

Offaly, as they have done in recent seasons, made life difficult for Limerick again but the hosts still managed to keep their slim promotion hopes alive with a second win on the spin at the Gaelic Grounds.

Offaly bagged two goals in a minute during the second half – Dooley and Oisín Kelly on target – but Limerick hit seven of the remaining nine points on offer. Offaly had the numerical advantage from the 33rd minute but they couldn’t make it count.

Fitzgibbon’s dismissal – for a wild overhead pull on Conor Doughan – had Limerick on the back foot approaching the break. Having played against the breeze in the opening half, Limerick trailed by 0-14 to 1-13 at the break, despite hitting the first six points of the game.

Offaly responded with four Dooley frees to settle and they were level at 1-9 to 0-12 when the Tullamore hitman netted in the 27th minute.

Dooley saw his initial 20m free blocked but after Limerick failed to clear and the ball was recycled across the face of goal, the prolific forward found the net from close range.

Doughan’s point handed Offaly the lead for the first time, before Dooley and Cillian Kiely added further points.

Another Dooley free stretched Offaly’s lead to four but Limerick remained in touch with points from their leading scorer Ronan Lynch (free) and Gearoid Hegarty in first half stoppage time.

Andrew La Touche Cosgrave netted early in the second half to provide Limerick with a tonic but they had to recover from the concession of goals to Dooley and Kelly in the 50th and 51st minutes before sealing a merited win.

Scorers for Limerick: Ronan Lynch 0-11 (10f), Andrew La Touche Cosgrave 1-1, Gearoid Hegarty 0-3, Pat Ryan & James Ryan 0-2 each, Diarmaid Byrnes, John Fitzgibbon, David Dempsey, Sean Tobin, Darragh O’Donovan & Graeme Mulcahy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Offaly: Shane Dooley 2-11 (0-8f, 0-1 sl), Oisín Kelly 1-0, Conor Doughan 0-2, Cillian Kiely & Emmett Nolan 0-1 each.

Limerick: David McCarthy; Sean Finn, Richie McCarthy, Mike Casey; Seamus Hickey, Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon; Pat Ryan, John Fitzgibbon; Gearoid Hegarty, David Dempsey, James Ryan; Andrew La Touche Cosgrave, Sean Tobin, Ronan Lynch
Subs: Darragh O’Donovan for P Ryan (55), Graeme Mulcahy for Tobin (57), Stephen Cahill for Finn (61), Alan Dempsey for La Touche Cosgrave (64).

Offaly: James Dempsey; Michael Cleary, Paddy Delaney, Paddy Rigney; Sean Ryan, Dermot Short, Ben Conneely; Padraig Guinan, Conor Doughan; Sean Cleary, Shane Dooley, Oisín Kelly; Emmett Nolan, Cillian Kiely, Peter Geraghty
Subs: Derek Morkan for Guinan (h.t.), Adrian Cleary for Geraghty (49), James Mulrooney for Kiely (49), Liam Langton for Nolan (61), Stephen Quirke for S Cleary (67).

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)

2-11 for Shane Dooley can't stop Offaly losing out to 14-man Limerickhttps://t.co/Eya47fpCvQ pic.twitter.com/sFyDXuWj9T

— The42.ie GAA (@The42GAA) March 4, 2017

GAA.ie previews the weekend's #AllianzLeagues Hurling Division 1B action including @OfficialWexGAA v @Kerry_Officialhttps://t.co/PrORErEEqs

— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 3, 2017

Team News

Limk v Offaly DMcCarthy SFinn RMcCarthy MCasey SHickey DByrnes DHannon PRyan WODonoghue GHegarty DDempsey JRyan ALT Cosgrave RLynch STobin pic.twitter.com/IV8ThHXLtp

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) March 2, 2017

LIMERICK: David McCarthy (Glenroe); Sean Finn (Bruff), Richie McCarthy (Blackrock), Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh); Seamus Hickey (Murroe-Boher), Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), Declan Hannon (Adare); Pat Ryan (Doon), William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh); Gearoid Hegarty (St Patricks), David Dempsey (Na Piarsaigh), James Ryan (Garryspillane); Andrew La Touche Cosgrave (Monaleen), Ronan Lynch (Na Piarsaigh), Seanie Tobin (Murroe-Boher). Subs: Barry Hennessy (Kilmallock), Stephen Cahill (Tournafulla), Colin Ryan (Pallasgreen), John Fitzgibbon (Adare), Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Darragh O’Donovan (Doon), Kevin O’Brien (Patrickswell), Dan Morrissey (Ahane), Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock), Alan Dempsey (Na Piarsaigh), Sean O’Brien (Patrickswell).

OFFALY: James Dempsey (Kinnitty); Ben Conneely (St Rynaghs), Conor Doughan (Shinrone), Michael Cleary (Shinrone); Paddy Rigney (Kinnitty), Dermot Short (St Rynaghs), Paddy Delaney (Kinnitty); Sean Ryan (Birr), Cillian Kiely (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Padraig Guinan (Drumcullen), Oisín Kelly (Belmont), Peter Geraghty (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Emmett Nolan (Birr), Shane Dooley (Tullamore), Sean Cleary (Shinrone). Subs: Eoghan Cahill (Birr), Derek Morkan (Shinrone), Enda Grogan (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Pat Camon (St Rynaghs), Conor Molloy (Coolderry), Danny Maloney (St Rynaghs), Liam Langton )Clodiagh Gaels), Tom Carroll (Seir Kieran), James Mulrooney (Seir Kieran), Adrian Cleary (Shinrone), Stephen Quirke (St Rynaghs).