It was a fanastic win from a Clare perspective, a defeat of absolute nightmare proportions when looked at through Offaly eyes as Clare collected two more Allianz Football League points in the most dramatic of circumstances in O'Connor Park on Sunday afternoon.
There was high drama at the end when Offaly were awarded a penalty with the five minutes of injury time up after a foul on sub Jordan Quinn but a very relieved Clare were let out of jail as Peter Cunningham's powerful shot flew high, a couple of feet over the bar.
It was a dreadful way for Offaly to lose and it was a win they desperately needed after opening losses to Westmeath and Antrim.
Apart from the penalty, Offaly gifted Clare the points as they were in complete control when they led by 1-10 to 0-04 with 20 minutes left and the Munster side were so mediocre up to this that you couldn't see how they would win.
Clare had started brightly with the first two points and they were 0-03 to 0-02 up after 12 minutes with Shane Griffin pointing with the goal at his mercy. Kevin McDermott drew a fine save from the very influential Clare goalkeeper Stephen Ryan moments later but Offaly were clearly the better team from here to the interval.
They controlled the game and fully deserved their 0-07 to 0-03 half time lead. They got the first three points of the second half before Emmet McMahon converted a 49th minute free for Clare. A punched goal by Anton Sullivan gave Offaly that 1-10 to 0-4 lead and it looked all over.
Clare showed terrific character to battle back from here as Offaly fell to pieces. A 58th minute penalty goal from Ciaran Downes gave them a lifeline but they were still five behind. Three more points brought them right back into it before Ruari McNamee lifted the siege with a fisted 69th minute point.
Moments later, very impressive sub Diarmuid O'Donnell levelled it up with a close range goal and points from Cormac Murray and Daniel Walsh put them two ahead.
Offaly had that late chance to snatch a win that they would have deserved over the balance of the 70 minutes plus but a relieved Clare were let off the hook.
Offaly: Ian Duffy; Lee Pearson, David Dempsey, Aidan Bracken; Cormac Egan (0-01), John Furlong, Jack O'Brien; Eoin Carroll, Peter Cunningham (0-01, pen); Kevin McDermott, Ruari McNamee (0-02), Jordan Hayes (0-01); Dylan Hyland (0-03, 2f), Cian Farrell, Nigel Dunne (0-04, 2f, 1 '45').
Subs: Anton Sullivan (1-00) for Farrell (29m), Cathal Flynn for McDermott (52m), Keith O'Neill for Hyland (56m), Rory Egan for O'Bren (60m), Jordan Quinn for Carroll (67m),
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan, Michael Garry; Ikem Ugweru, Alan Sweeney, Daniel Walsh (0-01); Gavin Murray, Brian McNamara; Dermot Coughlan, Emmet McMahon (0-03, 3f), Ciaran Downes (1-00, pen); Mark McInerney (0-01), Aaron Griffin (0-01), Shane Griffin (0-01).
Subs: Cormac Murray (0-01) for Shane Griffin (33m), Einne O'Connor for Garry (HT), Diarmuid O'Donnell (1-02) for McInerney (44m), Tom McDonald for Gavin Murray (54m), James Curran for Coughlan (56m)
Referee: James Molloy (Galway)
