Dublin 3-22
Offaly 0-11
GROUNDHOG DAY AT Croke Park where Dublin went through the motions yet again, hammering Offaly this time to secure their return to the provincial final.
Chasing a 14th consecutive Leinster success, Dessie Farrell’s side were never in trouble and had victory virtually wrapped up at half-time when they led by nine points.
They went on to win by 20, precisely what the bookmakers had predicted, with goals from leading scorer Colm Basquel, who hit 1-3, Con O’Callaghan and Niall Scully.
Dublin will face Louth in the 12 May final in a repeat of last year’s decider.
They concluded with a dozen different scorers and finished with 1-5 without response in the closing minutes to gloss the scoreline slightly.
The game began to slip away from Offaly when O’Callaghan netted in the 18th minute, putting Dublin 1-5 to 0-2 ahead.
Declan Kelly’s crew will return to action in the Tailteann Cup next month and after a generally positive season so far, they will have genuine title aspirations.
Keith O’Neill was Offaly’s leading attacker and sniped three terrific first-half points but Dublin deserved their 1-10 to 0-4 half-time lead.
Man of the Match Paul Mannion fed O’Callaghan for his goal and Cormac Costello almost grabbed a second approaching the interval.
Scully did register a second three-pointer for Dublin within 90 seconds of the restart, O’Callaghan this time setting him up after a great catch on the edge of the square.
Small added a point soon after and with 13 points now between the teams, an air of inevitability draped across proceedings.
Offaly outscored Dublin by 0-6 to 0-5 between the 41st and 66th minutes with Dylan Hyland hitting three of those points for the Faithful County.
But Dublin typically finished strongly, substitute Lorcan O’Dell firing two scores and defender Sean MacMahon even raiding forward to pinch a point.
Dublin scorers: Colm Basquel 1-3 (0-1f), Con O’Callaghan 1-2, Niall Scully 1-1, Cormac Costello 0-4 (0-2f), Paul Mannion 0-3, John Small 0-2, Lorcan O’Dell 0-2, Ciaran Kilkenny 0-1, Cian Murphy 0-1, Brian Fenton 0-1, Killian McGinnis 0-1, Sean MacMahon 0-1.
Offaly scorers: Dylan Hyland 0-5 (0-2f, 0-1 45), Keith O’Neill 0-3 (0-1m), Lee Pearson 0-1, Cathal Flynn 0-1, Jordan Hayes 0-1.
DUBLIN
1. Stephen Cluxton
3. Michael Fitzsimons 2. Sean MacMahon 7. Cian Murphy
9. Tom Lahiff 6. John Small 4. Eoin Murchan
8. Brian Fenton 20. James McCarthy (Captain)
12. Niall Scully 19. Cormac Costello 11. Ciaran Kilkenny
13. Paul Mannion 14. Con O’Callaghan 15. Colm Basquel
SUBS:
24. Lorcan O’Dell for O’Callaghan (53)
21. Killian McGinnis for Costello (53)
10. Ross McGarry for Mannion (55)
22. Daire Newcombe for Murchan (55)
18. Theo Clancy for McCarthy (63)
OFFALY
1. Ian Duffy
2. Lee Pearson (Captain) 3. David Dempsey 6. Declan Hogan
5. Cormac Egan 7. Peter Cunningham 4. John Furlong
8. Eoin Carroll 9. Jack McEvoy
14. Keith O’Neill 11. Ruairi McNamee 12. Jordan Hayes
13. Nathan Poland 15. Jack Bryant 10. Dylan Hyland
SUBS:
20. Rory Egan for Poland (h/t)
21. Cathal Flynn for McNamee (h/t)
22. Kevin McDermott for Bryant (54)
26. Cathal Donoghue for McEvoy (59)
18. Jack O’Brien for O’Neill (66)
Ref: Paul Faloon (Down)
