Blue heaven as Dublin U-21’s deliver

ANYONE of the opinion that Leinster hurling is on its knees should have been in Parnell Park last evening where Dublin captured their first U-21 provincial title in 35 years in game that couldn’t fail to lift the hardest of hearts.

Kilkenny may still be the only show in town when it comes to the senior grade, but the winds of change have been sweeping through the underage grades for some time now and Dublin have been at the vanguard.

Beaten finalists this past two years at U-21, they made it third time lucky with a performance that wowed the packed ground of growing converts to the small ball’s cause in the capital. The chorus of “Come On Ye Boys In Blue” had to be heard to be believed.

Captain John McCaffrey described it as merely “a stepping stone” to success at senior level and, with the minors also annexing the Leinster crown this year, few would bet against them.

Underdogs going into this game, Dublin outshone their opponents for the first and final quarters and only a collapse either side of half-time — where they conceded 3-5 — prevented them from sashaying to the title with consummate ease.

Pádraig Horan got the ball rolling for Offaly with a free inside the first minute but Dublin dominated the game for the next 20 minutes by producing a standard of hurling that equalled anything seen in the senior game so far this year.

Some of the stickwork produced made the mouth water and the jaw dropped that bit lower with every successive point they put on the scoreboard. At least one must have been struck from all of over 100 yards.

Dublin franked their impressive start with a goal from Ross O’Carroll after just four minutes, the Kilmacud man profiting from a mix-up between Conor Hernon and Paul Cleary.

With just over five minutes to go to the interval, they led by 1-10 to 0-4 and Offaly would have been even worse off had Diarmuid Connolly’s 16th minute shot found the net and not cannoned wide off Cleary.

Connolly was also guilty of hitting three of the seven wides that stymied Dublin’s efforts to close the game out before the interval and they were made to rue such waywardness after Offaly produced a turnaround of epic proportions.

It started innocuously enough, Shane Dooley launching a tepid point attempt at the goal but the needle hit red for Dublin when goalkeeper Patrick Curtin batted the sliotar down for Alan Egan who swept the scraps to the net,

A minute later and the dose was doubled with Joe Bergin finding the net with a penalty after Derek Molloy had been hauled to the turf inside the area.

So assured for so long, Dublin found the simplest tasks beyond them all of a sudden and glancing longingly for the succour of the dressing room but Offaly weren’t done.

Ciarán Slevin and Dooley tacked on two points to leave the midland county just a point behind at the change of ends and the rot got worse soon after the restart with Derek Molloy scrambling a third into the rigging.

Offaly turned the screw with three quick-fire points to race a goal ahead and, at that stage, Dublin’s goose looked at least half cooked.

Their response was to bring on McCaffrey, who had been sidelined with a groin strain, as well as Shane Durkin and both men played key roles in calming their side with contributions to the scoreboard.

Just as importantly, their defence finally found the lock to the door and the Offaly goals — and points — dried up with the midlanders remaining scoreless for the last 20-plus minutes of the game. Dublin, on the other hand, went to town, scoring 2-6 without replay, the final clinching goal from Peader Carton a contender for goal of the season in either code that saw Dublin break a late siege on their goal and score the three-pointer at the other. Sensational stuff. Kilkenny weren’t missed.

Scorers: Dublin: A McCrabbe 0-9 (6f), P Carton 1-2, R Carroll 1-0, J McCaffrey 0-2, T Brady 0-1, D Connolly 0-1, S Lehane 0-1, D O’Dwyer 0-1, S Durkin 0-1. Offaly: J Bergin 1-1, A Egan 1-0, D Molloy 1-0, C Slevin 0-3, S Dooley 0-2, D Horan 0-2 (1f), 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, S Durkin for Moran 35,

OFFALY: M Mulrooney; C Hernon, P Cleary, ,C Coughlan; D Kenny, B Leonard, B Watkins; S Ryan, C Mahon; D Horan, D Molloy, C Slevin; S Dooley, J Bergin, A Egan.

Subs: M Verney for Coughlan 25, K Grogan for Leonard 53, S Molloy for Horan 53,

Referee: S Whelan (Wexford).