Dublin 2-12
Offaly 0-13
Kevin Egan reports from Bord na Móna O’Connor Park
DUBLIN MANAGER DESSIE Farrell had positives and negatives to take from his side’s first outing of the season in Tullamore this afternoon, as he watched his team clinch a hard-earned win over Offaly thanks to a late goal from Ballyboden substitute Warren Egan.
However if the aim of the game was to have several unproven players put their hand up for selection for the upcoming Allianz League campaign, he’ll feel a little disappointed as it was strong performances from established players like Seán Bugler, Eoin Murchan and, in particular, Ciarán Kilkenny that pushed his team over the line, rather than any heroics from his inexperienced cohort.
Four points each from Bugler and Kilkenny and goals from Tom Lahiff and Egan were the key ingredients in Dublin’s win, while Offaly were hugely impressive in a lot of aspects of play, particularly in defence where their full back line of Lee Pearson, James Lalor and Ciarán Donnelly dominated their direct opponents.
Anton Sullivan, Jack Bryant and Rúairí McNamee all went well at the other end of the field, but Offaly’s failure to convert their two first-half goal chances, not to mention six second half wides, cost them dearly.
A strong wind assisted Dessie Farrell’s men in the first half and they did kick the first three points of the game through Bugler, Lee Gannon and Shane Carthy, but Offaly’s tenacity in the full-back line helped secure a number of turnovers and gradually they started to gain a foothold up front. Rúairí McNamee fired over four first-half points, Ciarán Donnelly striking the best point of the game off the outside of his right boot to help leave matters finely poised at the interval, with Dublin 0-9 to 0-7 in front.
That looked like a scant lead given the strength of the wind, but a slightly fortunate goal from Tom Lahiff right at the start of the second half gave Dublin a safety net, which they needed as Offaly went on a run of four points in succession, including two from Anton Sullivan.
Seán Bugler came to Dublin’s rescue again with an excellent score on the run and that was typical of how the second half played out, with Offaly just failing to get on terms as Dublin kept finding ways to keep their noses in front, in no small part because of the control exerted by Ciarán Kilkenny.
With Offaly chasing the game late on while two points adrift, two home defenders gambled on turning over the ball and instead Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne was able to hold them off and set an attack in motion. An injection of pace from Lee Gannon opened up the play for Warren Egan, and he rifled the ball low and inside the near post to confirm the win.
Scorers for Dublin: Sean Bugler and Ciaran Kilkenny 0-4 each, Tom Lahiff and Warren Egan 1-0 each, Lee Gannon, Alex Wright, Aaron Byrne (f) and Shane Carthy 0-1 each.
Scorers for Offaly: Ruari McNamee 0-5 (3f), Anton Sullivan 0-3, Morgan Tynan, Ciaran Donnelly, Johnny Moloney, Bill Carroll and Jack Darcy (f) 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. David O’Hanlon (Na Fianna)
2. Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcille), 3. Shane Clayton (Ballyboden St Enda’s), 4. Darragh Conlon (Ballymun Kickhams)
5. Tom Lahiff (St Jude’s), 24. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna), 7. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunketts Eoghan Ruadh)
8. Peadar O’Cofaigh Byrne (Cuala), 9. Kevin Callaghan (St Brigid’s)
10. Killian McGinnis (Skerries Harps), 11. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock), 12. Alex Wright (St Sylvester’s)
13. Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street), 14. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda’s), 15. Aaron Byrne (Na Fianna)
Subs:
Niall Scully for McGinnis (45)
Ross McGarry for O’Dell (45)
Cameron McCormack for Carthy (48)
Warren Egan for Basquel (55)
James Doran for Wright (58)
David Lacey for Byrne (61)
James Holland for Lahiff (64)
Adam Rafter for Bugler (72).
Offaly
1. Paddy (Dunican Shamrocks)
2. Lee Pearson (Edenderry), 3. James Lalor (Raheen), 4. Ciaran Donnelly (Bracknagh)
5. Rory Egan (Edenderry), 6. Johnny Moloney (Tullamore), 7. Cian Donoghue (St Brigid’s)
8. Cathal Mangan (Kilclonfert), 9. Jordan Hayes (Edenderry)
10. Bill Carroll (Cappincur), 11. Diarmuid Egan (Tullamore), 12. Morgan Tynan (Ballinagar)
13. Jack Bryant (Shamrocks), 14 Anton Sullivan (Rhode), 15. Ruari McNamee (Rhode)
Subs:
Ian Duffy for Dunican (HT)
Aaron Leavy for Tynan (HT)
Niall Darby (Rhode) for Diarmuid Egan (46)
Cormac Egan for Bryant (54)
Joseph O’Connor for Carroll (54)
Kieran Dolan for Donoghue (55)
Dan Molloy for Moloney (60)
Jack Darcy for Pearson (60).
Referee: Patrick Coyle (Meath).
