Offaly 0-15
Dublin 3-3

Brian Lowry reports from Portlaoise

IT WAS OFFALY’S time in Portlaoise on Thursday evening as they held on to claim a historic victory in the Leinster U20 Football Final against a three-in-a-row chasing Dublin side. Six points from Jack Bryant helped them along their way to claiming their first title at this grade in 26 years.

It was a spirited performance from The Faithful and they were quickest off the blocks registering the first score of the game through a Morgan Tynan ‘45’. Cathal Flynn doubled their lead before Dublin responded almost immediately through an Adam Fearon point, Dublin played most of the football for the remainder of the quarter and they hit 1-2 before the water break to give them a three-point advantage at the break.

Remarkably, Lorcan O’Dell’s point in the 14 th minute was their last point of the game.
It was point for point upon the resumption of the play with Bryant, Tynan Cormac Egan’s points cancelled out by a brilliant Fionn Murphy goal, which gave them a lead by the minimum at the half time break.

Offaly started the brightest again in the second half and two points from Bryant, including a sensational outside of the boot effort from the side-line put them back in the driving seat. Just as The Faithful were beginning to dominate, Mark Lavin burst through on goal and buried past Sean O’Toole in the Offaly goal.

However, Keith O’Neill’s free or the Offaly men left the sides level at the second water break.

The small crowd of 500 were instrumental in The Faithful’s finish as the sound of ‘UibhFhaili’ rang through O’Moore Park. Offaly responded accordingly, registering the last three scores of the game for a three-point victory, booking their place in the last four of the competition.

Scorers for Offaly: Jack Bryant 0-6 (0-4F), Morgan Tynan 0-4 (0-2F, 0-1 ’45′), Cormac Egan 0-2, Cathal Flynn, Aaron Kellaghan, Keith O’Neill (0-1 F), all 0-1 each.

Scorers for Dublin: Fionn Murray, Lorcan O’Dell 1-1 each, Mark Lavin 1-0, Adam Fearon 0-1. 

Offaly

1. Sean O’Toole (Shamrocks)

2. Fionn Dempsey (Bracknagh) 3. Tom Hyland (Bracknagh) 4. Lee Pearson (Edenderry)

5. Rory Egan (Edenderry) 6.John Furlong (Tullamore) 7. Aaron Brazil (Shannonbridge)

8. Ed Cullen (Clara) 9.    Morgan Tynan (Ballinagar)

11 Cathal Flynn (Ferbane) 19. Oisin Keenan Martin (Tullamore) 12. Cathal Donoghue (Kilcormac- Killoughey)

13. Cormac Egan (Tullamore) 14. Jack Bryant (Shamrocks) 15. Aaron Kellaghan (Rhode)

Subs
Keith O’Neill (Clonbullogue) for Cullen (41)
Cormac Delaney (Clara) for Kellaghan (52)
Ciaran Egan (Tullamore) for Keenan-Martin (61) 

Dublin

1. Jake Turley (Ballyboden St. Enda’s)

2. Conor Tyrell (St Oliver Plunketts/ Eoghan Ruadh) 3.Adam Rafter (Na Fianna) 4. Ben Millist (Ballinteer St. John’s)

5. Rory Dwyer (St Margaret’s) 6. Adam Waddick (Thomas Davis) 7. Mark L’Estrange (St Vincent’s)

8. Senan Forker (Castleknock) 9. Adam Fearon (Skerries Harps)

10. Mark Lavin (Lucan Sarsfields) 11. Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street) 12. Luke Murphy-Guinane (Naomh Olaf)

13. Fionn Murray (Thomas Davis) 14. Luke Swan (Castleknock) 15. Luke Ward (KilmacudCrokes)

Subs

David O’Dowd (Cuala) for Murphy-Guinane (3)
Conor Chawke (Castleknock) for Ward (46)
Simon Murphy (St Jude’s) for Forker (53)
SéanGuiden (St Sylvester’s) for Murray (61)

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