Dublin need two late goals to see off brave Offaly effort

Dublin players, from left, Pádhraic Linehan, Donal Leavy and Kevin Burke celebrate following their side's victory in the Bord Gais Energy Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship Quarter-Final match between Offaly and Dublin at St Brendan's Park in Birr, Offaly. 

Leinster U20 HC quarter-final: Dublin 2-16 Offaly 0-16 

Two goals in the closing nine minutes did the trick for Dublin as they booked their spot in the Leinster U20 hurling semi-final at St Brendan's Park in Birr.

The Dubs turned the tables on Offaly who beat them in last year's championship after extra-time.

Two goals in the final nine minutes finally put Offaly to bed after a physical and high-tempo affair that remained in the melting pot up until the late Dublin surge.

Dublin led 0-5 to 0-0 lead after 15 minutes with Tommy Kinnane landing two of those from inside his own half and they managed to keep a cushion of a few points all the way to a 0-9 to 0-7 half-time lead.

It took Offaly 15 minutes to find their scoring range and in the end, they will look back on that period and regret not coming out of the traps quicker.

Offaly never went away though and a Brian Duignan point for the home side brought the sides level on 0-14 each with nine minutes to go.

With the next attack, Dublin wing forward Darach McBride fired low to the net past Eamon Cleary and that proved to be a real kick in the teeth for the Offaly men.

Kevin Desmond fired home their second goal with five minutes to go as they outscored Offaly 2-2 to 0-2 in those last nine minutes.

Cathal Kiely led the charge for the Offaly men but he saw red in second-half injury-time to further compound the misery for Offaly.

Scorers for Dublin: L Murphy 0-5 frees, D McBride 1-1 (0-1 sideline), E Gibbons 0-3f, K Desmond 1-0, T Kinnane & M Murphy 0-2 each, B Ryan, D Power & P Linehan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Offaly: C Kiely 0-10 (0-7f, 0-2 65s), K Sampson, K McDermott, R Carty, C Donoghue, C O’Meara, B Duignan 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: E Gibbons; T Kinnane, A Dunphy, B Sheehy; I Ó Heither, K Burke, E O’Donnell; D Power, M Sweeney; D McBride, M Murphy; L McDwyer; D Purcell, B Ryan, L Murphy.

Subs: K Desmond for Purcell (36), P Linehan for Ryan (47), D Leavy for Power (54), M Conroy for O’Donnell (58), L Dunne for McDwyer (59).

OFFALY: E Cleary; R Carty, C Butler, D Maher; R Ravenhill, P Cantwell, J Screeney; L Nolan, K McDermott; K Sampson, C Donoghue, B Duignan; C O’Meara, C Kiely, C Flynn.

Subs: L Kavanagh for Donoghue (47), N Lyons for Flynn (55), M Watkins for O’Meara (55), C Brady for Duignan (58) 

Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)