National League: Limerick v Kilkenny and the rest of the action from around the country
NHL DIVISION 1AWATERFORD 1-19OFFALY 0-16Frank RocheFor 50 minutes of this attritional national hurling league clash, Offaly could dare to dream of a badly needed shock. They were just two points adrift, a couple of goal chances had either fizzed over or been repelled by Billy Nolan.But then, in a matter of minutes, Waterford upped their game and killed the contest. A hat-trick of points – two deadball efforts from Reuben Halloran sandwiching a Patrick Curran score from play – was quickly followed by a 54th minute goal.Jamie Barron and Calum Lyons combined to release Halloran in space, and he drilled a superb low finish past ‘keeper Mark Troy.Suddenly, the gap was out to eight and Offaly were condemned to a third consecutive defeat whereas Waterford have now bounced back from their opening day travails on Leeside to win two on the bounce.Not for the first time this spring, Halloran was the prolific mainstay of this understrength Waterford team. The De La Salle clubman, who has assumed placed ball duties during these early league weeks, finished with 1-12 – all dozen points coming from frees or ‘65s’. After all the downpours, this was more like the ‘sunny south-east’ we know and love. Pre-match at least, Azzurri Walsh Park was bathed in some tentative winter sunshine for the NHL Division 1A clash of Waterford and Offaly.Not to rain on either’s parade, but this was your stereotypical relegation four-pointer – even after the welcome surprise, for Deise diehards, of rebounding from their day-one demolition in Cork by beating Limerick. With two teams out of seven facing demotion to Division 1B, this was must-win fixture for both. Offaly were promising in defeat to Kilkenny, but there were no such redeeming elements to last Sunday’s crushing experience at the hands of All-Ireland champions Tipperary.Visiting boss Johnny Kelly has named Adam Screeney in his starting attack. The Kilcormac-Killoughey magician came off the bench against Tipp and then starred for UL in midweek, shooting 0-5 from play against University of Galway to secure their passage through to next Friday’s all-Limerick Fitzgibbon Cup final against Mary Immaculate College in Croke Park.And Screeney was the most livewire forward on view during a tit-for-tat first half that finished with the hosts narrowly ahead, 0-10 to 0-9.Screeney’s 0-6 haul before the break included two from play, although he surely had ambitions for goal after leaving Daniel Lalor in his wake for the second of those.Soon after, a tap-over free from Screeney drew the sides level, 0-8 apiece, on the half-hour. But then Screeney wasted a presentable chance to push the visitors ahead, before Reuben Halloran restored Waterford’s lead for a ‘65’ that stemmed from a Brecon Kavanagh block to deny Tom O’Connell a close-range sighter on goal.Brian Duigan restored parity – flashing another half-chance of a goal over the bar after a fine goalmouth catch – but Michael Kiely edged the Deise back in front.On the restart, the home team had edged two clear but were still missing chances (they finished with 13 wides) before Duignan was denied what would have been a lead goal in the 45th minute, Nolan spreading himself to save.Even though the Offaly backs battled manfully to the final whistle, they struggled to make any further inroads as Waterford eased to a deserved six-pint victory.SCORERS – Waterford: R Halloran 1-12 (9f, 3 ‘65s’), B Nolan, J Barron, C Lyons, M Kiely, Stephen Bennett, P Curran, S Walsh 0-1 each. Offaly: A Screeney 0-10 (8f), L Watkins, O Kelly, B Duignan, D Bourke, D Nally, D Ravenhill (f) 0-1 each.WATERFORD – B Nolan; A O’Neill, D Lalor, C Keane; B Lynch, I Daly, Shane Bennett; C Daly, D Lyons; T O’Connell, J Barron, C Lyons; R Halloran, M Kiely, P Curran.Subs: M Fitzgerald for D Lyons (ht), Stephen Bennett for O’Connell (ht), C Treen for Curran (57), S Mackey for Lalor (60), S Walsh for Kiely (63), M Power for Keane (inj 69).OFFALY – M Troy; B Miller, B Conneely, S Bourke; D Ravenhill, B Kavanagh, R Ravenhill; L Watkins, C King; T Guinan, D Bourke, O Kelly; E Cahill, B Duignan, A Screeney.Subs: J Clancy for R Ravenhill (temp 35+4), P Taaffe for S Bourke (55), C Spain for Guinan (inj 55), C Cleary for Watkins (57), D Nally for Cahill (61), L Nolan for Screeney (74).REF – C Mooney (Dublin)
