"For 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."
"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."
Waterford beat Offaly 1-19 to 0-16 in an NHL Division 1A match at Walsh Park. The fixture carried relegation significance with both teams trying to avoid demotion. Offaly remained within two points for 50 minutes and created goal opportunities that were either mishit or saved by Billy Nolan. Waterford produced a decisive burst late in the second half, with Reuben Halloran scoring 1-12, all from placed balls, including a low 54th-minute finish set up by Jamie Barron and Calum Lyons. The result gave Waterford consecutive league wins and left Offaly on a three-match losing run.
Read at Irish Independent
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