got the late scores to clinch it. Not since 1979 had Offaly failed to reach the Leinster Senior Hurling Final, so their supporters reacted to the final whistle with stunned disbelief. Padraig Horan the coach took the view that: "We won our first League and we have the Leinster U-21 Title. Our Senior side is still quite young and the future is bright." However, Offaly's defence of their League Title got off to a rocky start on 19 October 1991, when Down had five points to spare (2-17 to 2-12) to make a memorable debut in League Division 1. Offaly subsequently beat Laois at Rathdowney by 0-11 to 1-3; but lost to both Tipperary (2-17 to 1-7) and Kilkenny (0-12 to 0-10). Kevin Kinahan was full back for the Tipperary game, when Joe, Billy and Johnny Dooley brought the Seir Kieran contingent to four. Survival in Division 1 remained in jeopardy until the team drew with Limerick (Offaly 2-13, Limerick 1-16) at Birr on 22 March 1992. In a fiercely contested tie full of Offaly's old fire, Johnny Dooley's goal and eleven points inspired the team's escape from relegation. Padraig Horan was happy with the character shown in the Limerick game; but the injury-list meant that the 1992 Leinster Senior Hurling Semi-final would be all-uphill. At Croke Park on 21 June, Kilkenny eliminated Offaly by 2-15 to 1-12. Offaly kept an edge for much of the way, with points from Johnny and Joe Dooley, Brendan Kelly (Lusmagh) and Daithi Regan building on a great goal by Danny Owens. However, sending Michael Duignan on was a mistake, as he was not recovered from ligament trouble and soon had to limp off again. Kilkenny's substitutions worked better, Christy Heffernan's guile eventually giving them the upper hand. Billy Dooley was sent on for Offaly late on, and was unlucky with two goal chances. Padraig Horan's tenure as manager ended with this defeat, and he would be replaced by Limerick's Éamonn Cregan. One year later, on 30 May 1993, Offaly again came off second-best in the first round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (Kilkenny 2-10 Offaly 0-14). Notwithstanding the red card shown for Roy Mannion's challenge on Adrian Ronan, Offaly's never-say-die performance deserved to overturn the reigning All Ireland champions. Michael Walsh (son of goalkeeping legend Ollie Walsh, Kilkenny's coach that year) pulled off great saves from Adrian Cahill and Johnny Dooley. At