Dublin & Offaly in Leinster U21 Hurling final

[Canalman]

Missed game doe to work. Absolutely delighted for the lads and we had a clubman on the team.
Makes up for my treks to the previous finals and hopefully we can make the AIF. Our bogey team Antrim awaits in the long grass.

The moving of O'Dwyer out to centre half forward in the 2nd half and the intro of McCaffrey swung the game back to Dublin imo.

[The Real Laoislad]

Great game really enjoyed it,Some great Hurling and was delighted to see Dublin win

[Gnevin]

Well done to the lads , super win , great game, great crowd and great atmosphere  (I wonder if we'll be begruded this)

[The Real Laoislad]

(I wonder if we'll be begruded this)

[slow corner back]

Aontroim hammer An Dun to set up an All Ireland semi final with the Dubs (I think I saw somewhere).

According to tadays irish news the ulster u-21 is a round robin affair so antrim still have to play derry although I would hope we have too much for them. If that is the case it should be a good semi with ourselves and dublin. Congratulations to dublin on your win, your are obviously hot favourites to make the final now. 

[Tankie]

Well done to the lads , super win , great game, great crowd and great atmosphere  (I wonder if we'll be begruded this)

Na for some reason they want us to do well in the Hurling, apparently it will raise the profile of the game!!! Great night for Dublin Hurling tho.

Sam is number 1!

[tayto]

Ah jaysus lads can you not just leave the snide stuff and just enjoy the night.

Two Leinster hurling titles this summer. I'm feckin floating about the place. Two leinster titles in the one week. Go'Wan Dublin!

hard luck to Offaly, jesus christ but yez didnt give up. Very enjoyable game. I'd be a bit disappointed with some of your players attitude, they didnt seem as fired up as you'd expect from a team that beat Kilkenny to get to a Leinster final. Still think you'll get a few handy hurler for the seniors off that team and the weekend showed how much more we need the underage lads coming through then you do.

Great to see Johnny Mc come on when things were going wrong, I always felt we'd be able to pull ahead again, we'd just been scoring so well. Durkin also made an impact, couldnt have come back from hie trip at a better time. What a goal at the end to finish the game, just when we were finding it hard to clear the ball down the pitch.

Never seen so many kids at half time hurlin on the pitch in parnell park, there's always a few but jesus it was wedged! 

[Gnevin]

http://www.hill16.ie/viewstoryhill16.asp?id=8642&mainheading=Word+on+The+Hill&viewstory=yes

Dubs end under-21 famine

DUBLIN 2-18 OFFALY 3-9

The famine is over and hopefully the pitch wasn't 'compacted' by the jubilant Dublin fans who streamed onto the pitch on a historic night for Dublin hurling!

On Wednesday night for the first time since 1972 Dublin were crowned Leinster U21 hurling champions and for the first time did a minor-U21 provincial hurling double.

A crowd of 8,000 witnessed a thrilling spectacle which contained everything. At one stage of the opening half the Dubs led by nine points, yet ten minutes into the second half where three points in arrears.

From then to the finish though it was Dublin's night as they outscored the Faithful County 1-6 to 0-0 in a determined and composed showing culminating in Peadar Carton's superb goal in stoppage time.

A Ross O'Carroll goal in the fourth minute helped Dublin out of the starting blocks and with Alan McCrabbe accurate from frees and play Sean Lane's side led 1-10 to 0-4 after 25 minutes.

The lightening struck twice inside three minutes as Alan Egan and Joe Bergin (penalty) rattled the Dublin net before Offaly concluded the half with two points to trail by the minimum, 1-10 to 2-6, at the interval.

Four minutes into the second half Offaly hit their third goal when Derek Molloy did not make the cleanest of connections but still enough to edge in front 3-6 to 1-11.

The introduction of John McCaffrey especially and Shane Durkin, however, helped Dublin get up off their knees with McCaffrey's point shortly after being brought on steadying the ship.

But back game Offaly with three points inside two minutes to open up a three-point lead, 3-9 to 1-12, with 20 minutes remaining.

Questions were being asked of the mettle of this Dublin team and they answered loud and clearly with a stirring finish to the game.

A McCrabbe free from the standside under pressure in the 48th minute really lifted the Dublin charge and Durkin superbly angled over a minute later on the terrace flank after a clever delivery into space from Joey Boland.

The Dubs had their dander up and Carton and a the influential McCrabbe (free) added to the Dublin cause with scores.

To finish off on a high note Carton instigated the final nail in the Offaly coffin when he won a ball 45 metres from his won goal before covering three-quarters the length of the park and come in on the end of the move and finish a superb goal to the roof of the Dublin net.

Enter stage left, right and all other directions Dublin fans of all ages to celebrate.

SCORERS - Dublin: A McCrabbe 0-9 (0-4f, 0-1 '65'), P Carton 1-2, R O'Carroll 1-0, T Brady, D Connolly, D O'Dwyer, S Durkin 0-1 each. Offaly: J Bergin 1-1 (1-0 pen), C Slevin 0-3, A Egan, D Molloy 1-0 each, D Horan (0-1f), S Dooley 0-2 each, S Ryan 0-1.
DUBLIN - P Curtin; R Drumgoole, P Callaghan, D Webster; K Dunne, T Brady, M McGarry; J Boland, A McCrabbe; E Moran, D Connolly, S Lehane; P Carton, D O'Dwyer, R O'Carroll. Subs: J McCaffrey for Lehane (34 mins), S Durkin for Moran (35).
OFFALY - M Mulrooney; C Hernon, P Cleary, C Coughlan; D Kenny, B Leonard, B Watkins; S Ryan, C Mahon; C Slevin, D Molloy, D Horan; S Dooley, J Bergin, A Egan. Subs: M Verney for Coughlan (25 mins), K Grogan for Leonard (53), S Molloy (53).
REF - S Whelan (Wexford)

[Gnevin]

Never seen so many kids at half time hurlin on the pitch in parnell park, there's always a few but jesus it was wedged! 

Was one else reminded of the film Zulu

[dubsnsubs]

Great game, great crowd and great result. There can be no doubt but the best team won. Great to see John mc come from the bench and strike two vital points. The future is hopefully blue and hopefully we can keep the heads for the semis. Up the Dubs!

[Bacon]

Congratulations Dubs! Well done. Antrim did indeed hammer Down in Ulster but they have to play Derry before the championship is decided. It's a round robin between the 3 counties.

[Sky Blue]

Great result now let's go on and win an All Ireland. We need to keep aiming for the top; Leinster is no longer the target. I couldn't get to the match due to work. Dubs for the double?? 

[GY Joe]

Well done to Dublin and hard luck to Offaly, although the best team won IMO. I thought it was a cracking match.. The Dub no. 13 looks a real player man.. v good.. In all I can see alot of players coming off that u21 team. Thought they were very big lads too..

Gotta be a good team coming out of BAC over the next 5 yrs

[The Real Laoislad]

Great result now let's go on and win an All Ireland. We need to keep aiming for the top; Leinster is no longer the target. I couldn't get to the match due to work. Dubs for the double?? 

Yeah Minor and U/21 Hurling double for the Dubs this year.Hope they do it

[AZOffaly]

Congratulations to Dublin, although I am very disappointed. They totally deserved their win, and as Lone Shark said, were the better team all over the pitch apart from about 2 spells of 10 minutes each.

The post mortems can wait from an Offaly perspective, but I thought our first touch under pressure was very poor, and I would have expected better. Dublin have a load of good hurlers though, and it is no shame to lose to a better team. We have to go back and keep at it, but I hope Dublin go on and win the All Ireland. Well done lads.