Galway joined Cork on six points at the top of NHL Division 1 with an ultimately nervous 1-22 to 1-18 win over relegation-threatened Offaly at Pearse Stadium.
NHL Division 1 - Galway 1-22 Offaly 1-18
Brian Carroll and Daniel Morkam hit early Offaly points, but the Faithful needed Joe Bergin to level the scores at 0-3 apiece after Ger Farragher and Aidan Harte led a Galway revival.
The Tribesmen then made their move. Having just seen his side escape a goal chance for Offaly at the other end, Harte picked up the ball as an Offaly defender slipped and bore down on Brian Mullins’ goal before slamming the sliotar to the back of the net.
Farragher added another before the impressive Morkam punished a short Galway puck-out. Offaly’s main man this year, Shane Dooley, then hit his first score of the day and Conor Mahon also added one but Galway then hit six unanswered points with midfielder David Burke, Eanna Ryan, Farragher (twice), Niall Healy and Kevin Hynes all registering to help the home side to lead by 1-13 to 0-8 at half-time.
Cyril Donnellan, Ryan (nephew of the Galway legend of the same name), Healy and Burke all scored early in the second half for Galway, but they were never quite putting Offaly out of it as Dooley, Bergin and Rory Hanniffy kept Joe Dooley’s men just in touch.
Further points from Ryan and Harte had John McIntyre’s men 1-19 to 0-14 clear but Offaly refused to give in and Colm Callanan was needed to deny an attempt at goal from a Dooley free.
Dooley had served warning however, and he made good on his threat as, after a throw-in on the 20-metre line, he saw the sliotar break in front of him and lashed it past the Galway goalkeeper to bring his side back within five points.
Harte and debutant Richie Cummins swapped points with Dooley and Joe Brady as the result remained in the balance, a Carroll point leaving the gap at four ahead of a nervous final few minutes for the Tribsemen.
Their nerves were at their highest as first Fergal Moore cleared a Bergin effort off of the line and then Callanan was needed to keep out a 20-metre free from Dooley as he went for goal again.
However, Offaly could not drag themselves on a par in the end and a late Healy score allowed McIntyre’s charges to relax.