O’Loughlin aids Dublin recovery

DUBLIN recovered from a sloppy opening to prevail by 13 points over a limited Offaly in their one-sided Leinster Under-21 hurling championship semi-final at a sun-kissed Parnell Park last night.

The hosts will now face Wexford in the provincial final on Wednesday week but will need to improve on what was a far from vintage performance from the defending champions.

Despite Dublin recording the first two scores through a Kevin O’Loughlin free and Eamonn Dillon’s fifth-minute point, it was Offaly who made the brighter start and were deservedly on level terms by the eighth minute thanks to scores from play by Shane Kinsella and Gary Conneely.

The visitors maintained their momentum with Adrian Hynes and Conneely adding points with Liam Rushe’s redeployment from centre-forward to centre-back failing to stem the tide towards the Dublin goal.

Further points followed for Offaly from Kinsella and Hynes before Dublin ended a scoreless period of 12 minutes when O’Loughlin shot over the bar on 17 minutes from close range following a trademark run from Daire Plunkett.

The Dubs settled from that point on with Dean Curran putting the shackles on the previously lively Kinsella, while Danny Sutcliffe began exerting a strong influence following his switch back to centre field.

Ciaran Brennan brought Dublin to within two points in the 22nd minute and they went into the break 0-7 to 0-6 ahead following scores by Robbie Mahon, O’Loughlin and the impressive Dillon.

Dublin continued to dominate upon the restart and stretched their lead through an O’Loughlin free in the 32nd minute before Sutcliffe gained tangible reward for his display with his first of the evening.

A Mahon point followed from the resultant puck-out and Dublin pushed on with O’Loughlin adding four points, three from placed balls, in addition to a fine score by substitute Sean McGrath.

The procession towards the Donnycarney End was interrupted briefly when Hynes converted a 42nd-minute free but normal service resumed as Sutcliffe clipped a sublime point 10 minutes from time and substitute Niall McMorrow scored the point of the night soon after his introduction.

All that remained was for O’Loughlin to bring his personal tally to 0-11 for the night with Thomas Carroll’s 62nd-minute point arriving too late to alter the landscape of this disappointing encounter.

Scorers for Dublin: K O’Loughlin 0-11 (7f, 1 65); E Dillon 0-3; R Mahon, D Sutcliffe 0-2 each; C Brennan, S McGrath, N McMorrow 0-1 each.

Scorers for Offaly: A Hynes 0-3 (3f), S Kinsella, G Conneely 0-2 each; T Carroll 0-1.

DUBLIN: G McManus; B O’Carroll, D Kelly, J Doughan; D Curran, L Rushe, M Quilty; C Gough, D Plunkett; D Sutcliffe, M Schutte, R Mahon; C Brennan, E Dillon, K O’Loughlin.

Subs: S McGrath for Brennan (34), N McMorrow for Mahon (50), F Clabby for Rushe (52), T Connolly for Plunkett (55), C Murphy for O’Carroll (56).

OFFALY: S Corcoran; D Magner, S Coughlan, C McDonald; D Shortt, E Murphy, B Mulrooney; M Ryan, T Spain; S Cleary, G Conneely, S Kinsella; S Gardiner, A Hynes, T Carroll.

Subs: D King for Ryan (24) J Sampson for Kinsella (27), G Spollen for Shortt (41), A Kelly for Conneely (45), J Geraghty for Spain (52).

Referee: David Hughes (Carlow).