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The Rossies and the Dubs fight it out at O'Connor Park ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Dublin v Roscommon All-Ireland under-21 final

Dublin beat Roscommon in Tullamore to claim a second title in three years, here’s how we called the game

Send us your thoughts and comments on this afternoon’s action. E-mail shane.p.stapleton@gmail.com, tweet us @thescore_ie, find us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

The bookies have already picked their winner as hot favourites Dublin look to continue their impressive championship form in the All-Ireland final against Roscommon at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

Jim Gavin’s Dubs are 1/6 while Nigel Dineen’s Rossies can be got at 5/1 – the boys in blue being given a five-point headstart on the handicap.

Gavin led the Dubs to the 2010 All-Ireland and this season has overseen impressive wins over Wexford, Laois, Westmeath, Louth and Cork.

Dineen was a selector when the Rossies won a Connacht title that same year but his county have not been to this stage in 30 years, last winning the title in 1978. For their part, they beat Cavan 2-7 to 2-2 in their semi-final.

So a high-scoring Dublin against a defensively solid Roscommon side – do the bookies have it right?

One caveat, underage games have a habit of sometimes embarrassing anyone brave enough to stick their neck out

Traffic is reportedly “cat” coming into Tullamore, let’s hope this one goes ahead at 2pm as planned

Familiarity can sometimes breed contempt so, in that spirit, let’s stir the pot just a little if we can. Roscommon’s star full-forward Colin Compton has played with Dublin captain Gary Sweeney, wing-back John Kelly and sub-goalkeeper Ryan O’Flaherty for DCU, while wing-forward Donal Keane declared for the Rossies under the GAA’s parentage rule – his auld pair are from Ballinlough – three years ago, but continues to kick ball with Fingallians in Swords. Spicy!

Here are your teams:
DUBLIN (U21s): JB Carty; M Concarr, K O’Brien, S George; L Fletcher, J Kelly, J McCaffrey; E O Conghaile, C Reddin; D Byrne, G Sweeney, M Schutte; C Kilkenny, P Ryan, P Hudson
ROSCOMMON (U21s): T Lowe: C Cafferkey, C Duignan, D Murray; C Daly, P Brogan, R Stack; C Shine, N Daly; S Oates, N Kilroy, D Keane; C Connolly, C Compton, D Smith

Great atmosphere in Tullamore as the teams do the parade around the pitch and prepare for the anthem. Nice tight stadium, ideal to make some noise

Colin Compton lays the ball off for Donie Smith who is bundled over for a free. The latter converts off his left to put the Rossies ahead. Roscommon 0-1 Dublin 0-0 (1 mins)

Good forward movement by the Rossies but corner-forward Cian Connolly puts the ball wide on his left boot

Five minutes in and Roscommon have started well, putting the Dubs under massive pressure. Gary Sweeney sends a shot so far wide it doesn’t pass the ’21, while Ciaran Kilkenny snatches at another effort just after and puts it wide at the near post

Roscommon’s Cathal Shine drives a sideline as wide as she can go. Not to be outdone, Dublin full-forward Philip Ryan misses the posts at the other end. Five shots but just one score between the teams so far

Colin Compton converts a free to put the Rossies further ahead. Roscommon 0-2 Dublin 0-0 (10 mins)

Do these teams want to score at all? Ciaran Kilkenny first drops a shot into the Roscommon goalkeeper’s breast when you’d expect him to split the posts, and Scott Oates does likewise for Roscommon. Paul Hudson ends the Dublin drought with a beaut off his left. Roscommon 0-2 Dublin 0-1 (13 mins)

Well shut me up why don’t you? Cian Connolly gets his first off his left – atoning for earlier – to make it Roscommon 0-3 Dublin 0-1 (14 mins)

Dublin just struggling to put the finishing touches on their moves here. First Gary Sweeney lashes a wayward shot across goal that Daniel Byrne pads towards goalkeeper Tadhg Lowe, before Philly Ryan puts a handy chance wide. Rossies full-forward Donie Smith shows them how it’s done with a biggie off his right to make it Roscommon 0-4 Dublin 0-1 (20 mins)

Two points in a minute for the favourites. Paul Hudson replies with his and Dublin’s second after Kilkenny struggles to get a sniff at the goal; then the same man burst the ball over on his left to pull the sides closer still Roscommon 0-4 Dublin 0-3 (22 mins)

Now he’s motoring. Kilkenny picks up a loose clearance in the Roscommon defence and powers it over off his left from the ’21 Roscommon 0-4 Dublin 0-3 (23 mins)

Dublin have had seven of the last eight attempts at goal. Is their power beginning to tell?

Dublin full-forward Philly Ryan picks up the break off a bomb into the Rossies penalty area to lash over with his left peg, but he takes a knock in the process and is nursing his left lámh Dublin 0-5 Roscommon 0-4 (28 mins)

Paul Hudson has a chance to extend the lead to two points from a free after Kilkenny is fouled by Cafferkey but the ball clips the post on its way wide. Half-time can’t come quick enough for the Rossies

Please insert foot into mouth here, Mr Stapleton! Donie Smith lays the ball off to Donal Keane who punishes Dublin with a crushing long ranger. But the foot comes back out as Hudson smashes to the net at the other end off his left… until Smith throws over a beauty to being it back to within two. See-saw, it surely is. Dublin 1-5 Roscommon 0-6 (31 mins)

Half-time Dublin 1-6 Roscommon 0-5. A pulsating end to the first half as the Rossies show they have plenty of gas left yet

So Dublin have had 15 chances in the first half and taken six; Roscommon have put away six of 10

One change for Dublin: Paul Maguire for Mark Schutte as we get underway again for the second half

Sub Maguire is blocked down with his first attempt. Down at the other end, corner-forward Donie Smith collects a crossfield ball by Shine and sends her thar an trasnán Dublin 1-5 Roscommon 0-7 (33 mins)

Gerry Seaver on for Dublin’s other wing-forward Byrne (35 mins) and then Donie Smith put a free over off the ground from 40 metres before Connolly blasts one over off his left to put the Rossies ahead! Roscommon 0-9 Dublin 1-5 (36 mins)

Niall Kilroy keeps a flowing Roscommon move going by shifting it to star man Compton who is 35 metres out. Put her up! Roscommon 0-10 Dublin 1-5 (38 mins)

Dublin guilty of overplaying the ball in the Rossies half and Jack McCaffrey coughs it up with a loose handpass. Harry Dawson replaces Dubs full-forward Philly Ryan (42 mins)

Ciaran Reddin has to come off with an injury and he is replaced by Patrick O’Higgins. Compton then turns his man and tried to fist over the ball but it clips the underside of the Dublin bar and finds the net, and is of course disallowed. Kilroy then puts one wide on his left for the Rossies before, at the other end, Sweeney sets up Hudson to get yet another score – he now has 1-4 Roscommon 0-10 Dublin 1-6 (45 mins)

Donie Smith feeds Roscommon wing-forward Donal Keane who puts it over with more than something to spare Roscommon 0-11 Dublin 1-6 (47 mins)

A tough game to call with less than ten minutes to go. Gerry Seaver sends a long-range free well wide of the posts for Dublin. John McManus comes on for Roscommon’s Fingallians club player Keane. Kilkenny pulls a score back after an assist by Hudson – one in it Roscommon 0-11 Dublin 1-7 (50 mins)

This time Kilkenny turns provider for centre-back John Kelly who smacks the ball over from distance to level it up Roscommon 0-11 Dublin 1-8 (51 mins)

Terrible wide from Harry Dawson as he is given the run of O’Connor Park after a nice foot pass from Jack McCaffrey. Dawson has a chance to more than make up for it as he busts through and one-twos with Sweeney, but Lowe saves at the substitute’s feet. From the ’45, Maguire hits it badly wide. O Conghaile is starting to control midfield and his fetch ends up with Seaver putting the Dubs ahead with a bomb from the right Dublin 1-9 Roscommon 0-11 (55 mins)

Dawson has played quite well since coming on, despite the missed chances, but he splits the posts after good approach work from Kilkenny and O Conghaile Dublin 1-10 Roscommon 0-11 (57 mins)

Speaking of the devils: Dawson crossed a ball to Kilkenny who turns on a six pence and cashes it in for a point. The jig may well be up for the Rossies but, as Dublin minors found out a year ago, it’s never over til the final whistle Dublin 1-11 Roscommon 0-11 (58 mins)

It might as well be now as Rossies captain Paddy Brogan gives away a free which Kilkenny converts. The Rossies quickly work the ball into the Dublin penalty area but can’t quite make something out of it. The Dubs clear and you feel that is pretty much that. Into injury time now Dublin 1-12 Roscommon 1-11 (60 mins)

Full-time. Roscommon have been well in this game but they haven’t had a score since the 46th minute and that was actually their most recent shot too. Dublin play out the clock but keep moving forward: Dawson draws out the full-back and shifts to Paul Mannion who lashes the ball to the net from the ground at the second attempt. The referee calls time Dublin 2-12 Roscommon 0-11

Fantastic win for Dublin who claim their second under-21 title in three years. Roscommon played their part but just came up short in the end.

Thanks for joining us, hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Cork and Kilkenny meet again with league title on the line

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