Dublin power past understrength Offaly

Offaly 2-06 Dublin 4-21

Dublin’s hurlers bounced back from a lacklustre draw with Antrim last Sunday, to power four goals past an understrength Offaly at Portlaoise.

Their 4-21 to 2-06 win was slightly overshadowed by a hand injury to star centre-half back Conal Keaney.

Keaney finished with 1-05, but injured his hand just before the hour mark, just as Offaly rallied with two late goals.

Offaly minus Ger Oakley, Brian Whelahan and top scoring forward Rory Hanniffy through injury were 0-04 to 0-02 to the good after nine minutes but lost crucial ground as they conceded two first half goals – a 21-metre Keaney shot on 19 minutes, and a second from Michael Carton with six minutes remaining in the half.

Dublin had racked up a 2-08 to 0-05 half-time lead, with Damien Murray’s paced balls just about keeping the Faithfuls in touch.

Keaney cracked over two quick frees after the restart, from 21 and 35 metres inside the first three minutes. Carton struck his third point from play on 41 minutes for a 2-11 to 0-5 lead.

A long ball from Michael Cordial on 46 minutes was deflected to the Dublin net by Murray, and with 15 minutes played in the second half, Offaly had reduced the arrears to 2-15 to 1-06.

Keaney hit another point before his departure, and midfielder Carl Meehan added another as Dublin stepped it up again, scoring two goals and seven points between the 47th and 68th minutes.

Replacement forward David Donnelly was on target both times, and with the result beyond doubt, Conor Gapp stole in for a second Offaly goal in injury time.