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.