Offaly show great resilience to retain crown in tension filled shootout

DIGGING deep and fighting for everything as if their lives depended on it, Offaly showed they had the character to grind out results in games where everything doesn't go according to plan as they retained their Leinster U-20 hurling crown in Portlaoise on Wednesday evening.

Leinster U20 Hurling Championship final

Offaly 1-18

Dublin 1-15

In as tension filled, nerve wracking final as you could get, Offaly were terrifically brave and resilient. It wasn't a vintage performance or a vintage game of hurling. There was plenty of mistakes and the nervousness of the evening was evident in both teams. These games are all about winning and Offaly passed a real test of character to return to the All-Ireland final.

They produced flashes of really good hurling, though this was very much in fits and starts but they deserved to win and there were times when they looked like they would pull away. They never truly put their opponents away though they looked like winning from a long way out. A 62^nd minute goal from Dublin sub Conn Rock brought the gap down to a score and Offaly showed heart in abundance as they kept Dublin at bay in the remaining two minutes of injury time – it should have been only one minute left or three in all but a couple of premature pitch invasions by ecstatic young Offaly supporters resulted in that extra minute being played.

Dublin's tale of woe included a missed penalty in the 39^th minute with Liam Hoare saving brilliantly from Diarmuid O'Dulaing as Offaly lived dangerously again.

While the culprits were young and wildly excited, those pitch invasions were unhelpful to the Offaly team and they conceded the goal after the first one. It would have been a disaster if Offaly had conceded a second goal and extra time emerged as they were very much in control going into the additional minutes and it was impossible to envisage them losing it.

Fortunately, they held on and over the hour plus, Offaly were the better team. It was a mixed bag of a performance by Offaly but it was a massive, great win for them as they prepare for an All-Ireland final against the Munster champions, Cork or Tipperary.

Playing against the wind in the first half, it took Offaly a good while to settle into the game and Dublin were the better side in the opening quarter. They were full value for their 0-4 to 0-1 lead after ten minutes and there was ample grounds for concern for Offaly. Their hurling was not quite as clinical as normal, their error count higher than they are used to. There were a few little things going wrong here and there and Dublin led by 0-7 to 0-3 after 18 minutes.

The wind was significant enough and while the alarm bells were not ringing fully, Offaly were on icy ground. Another couple of Dublin points or a goal would have put the favourites under severe pressure but Offaly really knuckled down after this.

All seven of Dublin's points had come from play at that stage while two of Offaly's three were from Adam Screeney frees. Dublin sweeper Brendan Kenny was mopping up a lot of ball as well as scoring two points.

The game changed with a great Offaly goal in the 20^th minute when Shane Rigney brilliantly caught a Colin Spain sideline and drove a powerful shot to the net. Offaly were thrilled to be level at that stage and suddenly they found their mojo. Screeney gave them the lead for the first time from a free and they never relinquished that. The goal ignited them into life as Screeney drew gasps of astonishment once again with a fantastic point from out on the right. Colin Spain got forward for a fine point, Screeney converted a free and it took a Neil Hogan point to leave Dublin only two behind, 1-7 to 0-8 at the break.

It may have been only two points but that was a huge lead for Offaly considering the way they had played for twenty minutes and the fact that they had the wind to come.

Two points from the outstanding Dan Bourke put Offaly four clear, 1-9 to 0-8 after 36 minutes and they looked like they would have enough from here on. However, they never fully put Dublin away and they had a few rocky moments.

Especially when Dublin got that penalty, awarded for a foul on David Purcell by Ruari Kelly. O'Dulaing pointed the '65' after Hoare's great save to make it 0-10 to 1-10 and remarkably that was Dublin's first score from a placed ball. O'Dulaing added a quick '65' but Offaly found another gear. Screeney got a '65' and then showed his quality with a sensational point from out on the left after Brecon Kavanagh sprayed a great ball into his corner in the 44^th minute.

On a day when he was tightly marked and living on scraps, Screeney's two points from play commanded the highest of respect. Another free from Screeney made it 1-13 to 0-11 with thirteen minutes left and it was Offaly's to lose.

They were 1-14 to 0-12, 1-15 to 0-13,1-16 to 0-13, 1-17 to 0-14 and 1-18 to 0-15 ahead at different stages inside the last ten minutes plus. Crucially they were able to answer every Dublin score with one of their own – Dublin only got two points in a row once in the second half and that was O'Dulaing's two '65s' in the 39^th and 42^nd minutes.

Donal Shirley got a truly inspirational point in the 58^th minute after terrific work by Dan Bourke while hard working sub Eoin Burke also got one – he dropped a good chance short just after Rock's goal but it didn't matter as a relieved Offaly held on for dear life.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Dan Bourke (Offaly): Dan Bourke was immense for Offaly throughout. He was the one man to hit the ground running in the first quarter, scored four points, three from play while he got a late free from an acute angle after Screeney had to go off briefly under the new rule about a player having to go to the sideline if he receives an injury. He turned over ball, worked like a demon, was brilliant in possession and never put a foot wrong the whole day.

Brecon Kavanagh was once again superb in an excellent defence where every player did his role and Ruari Kelly, James Mahon and Donal Shirley really caught the eye.

Cathal King and Colin Spain once again fought like tigers at midfield while in an attack that didn't fully click to life, Adam Screeney and Shane Rigney gave the best assistance to Bourke in a scoring and creative sense while every other player worked his socks off, even when the ball wasn't running for them.

Brendan Kenny was Dublin's best player and they had plenty of others who caused Offaly loads of problems – the decision to replace Neil Hogan in the 46^th minute was strange as he had scored three points from play and while he may have went out of the game a bit, he had shown he was capable of scoring.

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Adam Screeney 0-9 (6f and 1 '65'), Shane Rigney 1-1, Dan Bourke 0-4, Colin Spain, Donal Shirley, Conor Doyle, Eoin Burke 0-1 each.

Dublin: Diarmuid O'Dulaing 0-6 (2f and 2 '65s), Brendan Kenny and Neil Hogan 0-3 each, Conn Rock 1-0, David Purcell, Conal O'Riain and Jamie Conroy 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Liam Hoare (Carrig-Riverstown); Ruari Kelly (Lusmagh), Ben Miller (Birr), James Mahon (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Donal Shirley (Tubber), Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Ter Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Colin Spain (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Cathal King (Carrig-Riverstown); Shane Rigney (St Rynagh's), Dan Bourke (Durrow), Conor Doyle (Clara); Alex Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Barry Egan (Clara), Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey). Subs – Leigh Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Egan (35m), Eoin Burke (Coolderry) for Alex Kavanagh (42m),

DUBLIN: Kevin Hogan; Conor MacRuairc, David Lucey, Cathal Kennedy; Brendan Kenny, Conor Dolan, Eoin Keys; Conal O'Riain, Jack Behan; Ollie Gaffney, Diarmuid O'Dulaing, David Purcell; Fionn Murphy, Neil Hogan, Jamie Conroy. Subs – Conor Newton for Murphy (30 +1m), Conn Rock for Hogan (46m), Dylan Bannan forKeys (49m),

Referee – Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).

REFEREE WATCH

Caymon Flynn drew cat whistles from the Offaly support when he didn't punish Conal O'Riain for an incident that left Conor Doyle on the ground but he did consult with his linesman before deciding to let a Dublin free stand. Overall, he had a very steady game, was consistent and there were no big flash points.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Two huge moments determined this game. Shane Rigney's first half goal and Liam Hoare's second half penalty save.

VENUE WATCH

It was a huge occasion with 15,215 making the journey to O'Moore Park. The vast majority were from Offaly and they created a terrific atmosphere. Laois GAA handled the fixture very professionally. There was loads of warning from the GAA community and Gardai throughout the day about the wisdom of travelling early. Most people adhered to this with many setting 5.30pm as their departure time. It meant the roads were busy early but it also helped get the crowd in on time.

It was extraordinary to see such interest in an U-20 fixture. The prime sections in the stand were full an hour before throw in and it was all full with nearly 40 minutes to go, with spectators being directed to the terraces.

The only negative was those late pitch invasions and it seemed that there was not enough stewards to prevent this from happening. It was unsatisfactory but young Offaly fans are experiencing success for the first time over the last three years and just got carried in the heat of the moment

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly go into the All-Ireland final against Tipperary or Cork

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 10 (2 in first half); Dublin - 10 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Offaly -2 (Leigh Kavanagh, Ter Guinan); Dublin – 4 (Cathal Kennedy, Conor Dolan, David Purcell, David Lucey).

Red cards: 0