Outsiders Offaly upset the odds to stop Dublin’s three in a row hopes and clinch Leinster U20 Football title
Dublin 3-03
Offaly 0-15
MW Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise
It wasn’t the celebration expected but a celebration nonetheless. Offaly’s U20 Footballers held Dublin to 6 scores in an enthralling hour of football to claim a Leinster title.
Dublin were 1-03 to 0-03 to the good by the first half water break, thanks to a Lorcan O’Dell goal. But Offaly rose to the occasion, hitting four on the trot as they settled into the game. And they looked like going into the dressing room at half time in the lead but Dublin’s Fionn Murray hit their second goal to give his side a 2-03 to 0-08 lead at teh break.
Offaly sprung back into action immediately after the break with forward Jack Bryant levelling the game, then pushing them in front withan impressive score from the outside of his boot.
Bryant almost had a goal on 38 minutes but the ball skimmed wide of the post. Morgan Tynan increased Offaly’s lead to put them 0-02 ahead. Dublin’s Mark Lavin hit the net for Dublin’s third, but it would be Dublin’s only score of the second half despite putting them back in front.
Level at the second half water break, Bryant kicked his sixth of the night to begin Offaly’s fight for the win. Morgan Tynan and Cormac Egan registered scores, while the Offaly defence put a stop to any effort Dublin attepted to claw the defecit back.
Dublin Scorers:
Fionn Murray 1-01
Lorcan O’Dell 1-01
Mark Lavin 1-00
Adam Fearon 0-01
Offaly Scorers:
Jack Bryant 0-06 (4f)
Morgan Tynan 0-04 (2f, 1 ’45)
Cormac Egan 0-02
Cathal Flynn 0-01
Aaron Kellaghan 0-01
Keith O’Neill 0-01
Dublin:
1. Jake Turley
2. Conor Tyrrell
3. Adam Rafter
4. Ben Millist
5. Rory Dwyer
6. Adam Waddick
7. Mark L’Estrange
8. Senan Forker
9. Adam Fearon
10. Mark Lavin
11. Lorcan O’Dell
12. Luke Murphy-Guinane
13. Fionn Murray
14. Luke Swan
15. Luke Ward
Dublin Substitutes:
22. David O’Dowd for Murphy-Giunan (2)
17. Conor Chawke for Ward (45)
19. Simon Murphy for Forker (53)
23. Sean Guidan for Murray (60)
Offaly:
1. Sean O’Toole
2. Fionn Dempsey
3. Tom Hyland
4. Lee Pearson
5. Rory Egan
6. John Furlong
7. Aaron Brazil
9. Morgan Tynan
8. Ed Cullen
11. Cathal Flynn
19. Oisin Keenan Martin
12. Cathal Donoghue
13. Cormac Egan
14. Jack Bryant
15. Aaron Kellaghan
Offaly Substitutes:
23. Keith O’Neill for Cullen (41)
24. Cormac Delaney for Kellaghan (51)
10. Ciaran Egan for Keenan Martin (70)