s ▁post - match ▁comments ▁to ▁the ▁press , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁dispar aged ▁his ▁side ' s ▁commit ment , ▁inc ensed ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁panel . ▁Johnny ▁Pil k ington ▁became ▁their ▁sp okes man ▁by ▁giving ▁a ▁press ▁interview ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁the ▁following ▁day . ▁It ▁became ▁clear ▁that ▁Ke ating ▁lack ed ▁sufficient ▁support , ▁either ▁among ▁the ▁players ▁or ▁at ▁the ▁County ▁Board , ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁the ▁s addle . ▁He ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Michael ▁Bond ▁of ▁Gal way , ▁who ▁had ▁co ached ▁the ▁Gal way ▁U - 2 1 ▁h url ers ▁to ▁an ▁All ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁Off aly ' s ▁first ▁" back ▁door " ▁match ▁was ▁the ▁All ▁Ireland ▁Senior ▁Hur ling ▁Qu arter - final ▁against ▁An trim . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁sect arian ▁violence ▁that ▁ra ck ed ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁that ▁July , ▁very ▁few ▁An trim ▁supp or ters ▁came ▁to ▁Cro ke ▁Park ▁for ▁this ▁game . ▁Off aly ▁won ▁by ▁ 2 - 1 8 ▁to ▁ 2 - 9 , ▁and ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁All ▁Ireland ▁Sem i - final ▁with ▁everything ▁to ▁prove . ▁The ▁def ending ▁champions , ▁Cla re , ▁were ▁also ▁on ▁a ▁mission , ▁as ▁the ▁discipl inary ▁action ▁taken ▁against ▁Col in ▁Lyn ch ▁( after ▁the ▁Mun ster ▁Final ▁against ▁Water ford ) ▁left ▁them ▁feeling ▁hard ▁done ▁by . ▁The ▁result ▁was ▁a ▁contest ▁of ▁gl adi atorial ▁intensity , ▁that