Offaly punish wasteful Kerry to make league final

Kerry’s paid the price for their profligacy as Offaly produced a a strong finish to prevail 0-23 to 0-19 in their Allianz Hurling League Division 2A semi-final to set up a final showdown with Kildare next weekend.

With a strong wind at their backs in the first half, Kerry needed to build a good lead and they hurled more than well enough to do so.

There was control and precision in their play as they worked the ball between the lines and created space up front, with Daniel Collins and Jordan Conway in outstanding form at midfield.

When they shot from distance, it was within range, and with the time and space to pick out the target. If not, they worked the ball in to the danger area with clever, low deliveries, giving the forward every chance to either set up his own score, or create an opportunity for a colleague.

The problem for Stephen Molumphy’s men was their inability to convert those chances.

Alongside 13 first-half points, they racked up 12 wides, all from opportunities where the striker of the sliotar was well within his rights to take on the shot. Add in six more wides and three shots dropped short after half-time, and this will make for painful viewing when the video analysis sessions take place early next week.

Meanwhile at the other end, some aimless clearances from the Offaly backs were mopped up by Kerry’s half-back line, with Mikey Boyle dropping deep from the forward line to act very effectively as a sweeper in that sector.

Eight of Offaly’s ten first-half points came from placed balls, but right from the restart, they were a transformed side and looked much more potent up front.

By now the wind had died as a strong shower of rain just before half-time eased and made way for much more benign weather, but the