| Sleepy Cork are still too hot for
Offaly  Cork
1-21
Offaly 1-14
National Hurling League Division 1B
A Cork side still wiping the winter slumber from their eyes disposed of
a hard-working but limited Offaly to show just why they will once again
be favourites for All-Ireland glory.
Cork persisted with the experiment of playing Diarmuid O’Sullivan
at full-forward and although he scored a point and created several more
the jury is still out on whether The Rock will be deployed in defence or
attack by the time the serious business of the Championship begins.
The match began sluggishly with scores hard to come by. Offaly relied on
the free taking of Joe Bergin to keep them in touch with a Cork side whose
scores came from all over the field.
To Offaly’s credit they were still in with a chance of winning the
match until a scrappy goal from debutant Eoghan Murphy, younger brother
of team captain Kieran, opened a gap too large to close.
The difference on the day was Cork’s superior strength in depth. Even
for a league game in February they had the luxury of bringing Niall Ronan
on as a substitute. He scored four points while all six of their starting
forwards scored from play.
In sharp contrast Offaly, without a Whelehan on the panel for the first
time in 15 years, relied heavily on the scoring of Joe Bergin and the old-stager
Rory Hannify.
With Leinster hurling in the state it is Offaly could emerge as the main
challengers to Kilkenny in the province this season but they are one or
two players short of being real contenders.
For Cork this match was merely a chance to stretch the legs and take in
some of the spring air. There won’t be many teams who beat them in
2007 and Rebel hurling fans can already start looking forward to more success
in the months ahead.
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