Offaly retain Leinster U20 Hurling title with three-point win over Dublin in Portlaoise thriller
Leinster U20 Hurling final: Offaly 1-18 Dublin 1-15
Offaly goalkeeper Liam Hoare lifts the cup after the Leinster Hurling U20 Championship final win over Dublin at O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Adam Screeney of Offaly in action against Cathal Kennedy of Dublin during the oneills.com Leinster GAA Hurling U20 Championship final match between Dublin and Offaly at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
An evening of tension, drama and chaos, illuminated by the mercurial brilliance of Adam Screeney and a star showing from centre forward and senior panellist Dan Bourke, powered Offaly to Leinster Under-20 hurling final glory in Portlaoise.
The Faithful are now through to an All-Ireland U20 final against Cork or Tipperary, though they almost let it slip during chaotic scenes at the end of a memorable decider in Portlaoise.
When Dan Bourke pointed a free to make it 1-18 to 0-15 in the first minute of stoppage time, the younger members of an Offaly-dominated crowd of over 15,000 supporters couldn’t contain themselves and flooded onto O’Moore Park, causing a two minute delay.
Then Conn Rock slammed in a Dublin goal, and Offaly had one more Dublin attack to defend before their second consecutive Leinster U20 title was secured.
Over the course of the hour, Offaly just about deserved their win, but Dublin made a fair effort of quietening the crowd and upsetting the odds in the early exchanges, when they moved out to an 0-5 to 0-2 lead.
Neil Hogan and Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing were excellent along the spine of the Dublin attack but the real star of the show was sweeper Brendan Kenny, who read the game superbly, picked off two first-half points of his own and was the launch pad for a host of Dublin attacks.
Gradually Offaly’s tenacity began to turn the tide, particularly at midfield where Colin Spain and Cathal King were dominant in the trenches, and once Shane Rigney fielded a line ball from Spain and slammed it to the net. They powered on to lead by 1-7 to 0-8 at half-time, with wind advantage still to come.
Adam Screeney of Offaly in action against Cathal Kennedy of Dublin during the oneills.com Leinster GAA Hurling U20 Championship final match between Dublin and Offaly at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
The Faithful had enough chances to put Dublin away early in the second half but wides – from both sides - were a feature of a game where the swirling breeze really tested shooters at both ends of the ground.
In Screeney and Bourke, Offaly had the two players who seemed most untroubled by the wind and once Liam Hoare came up with his second penalty save in a week, this time parrying a Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing effort out for a ‘65, Offaly looked like they might cruise on and win well.
It was more of stumble rather than a surge across the finish line instead, but once the final whistle sounded, a jubilant, rapturous crowd didn’t care.
Scorers – Offaly: A Screeney 0-9 (6f, 1 65); S Rigney 1-1; D Bourke 0-4 (1f); C Spain, C Doyle, E Burke, D Shirley 0-1 each. Dublin: D Ó Dúlaing 0-6 (2 65s, 2f), N Hogan, B Kenny 0-3 each; C Rock 1-0; D Purcell, C Ó Riain, J Conroy 0-1 each.
Offaly: L Hoare; R Kelly, B Miller, J Mahon; T Guinan, B Kavanagh, D Shirley; C Spain, C King; S Rigney, D Bourke, C Doyle; A Kavanagh, B Egan, A Screeney. Subs: L Kavanagh for Egan (36), E Burke for A Kavanagh (43).
Dublin: K Hogan; C Groarke, D Lucey, C Kennedy; E Keys, C Dolan, B Kenny; C Ó Riain, F Murphy; J Conroy, D Ó Dúlaing, J Behan; D Purcell, N Hogan, O Gaffney. Subs: C Newton for Murphy (30+1), C Rock for Hogan (47), D Bannan for Keys (50).
Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).
