Dubs overcome Offaly to set up Leinster decider against Kildare

David Lucey of Dublin in action against Luke Kelly of Offaly during the Electric Ireland Leinster GAA Minor Football Championship Semi-Final match between Dublin and Offaly at Parnell Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

DUBLIN 2-13 OFFALY 2-4 

Dublin proved too strong for Offaly in their Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship semi-final at Parnell Park tonight, winning with nine points to spare by the final whistle.

Cillian Lowry and Joe Quigley traded placed balls in the early exchanges before Dublin landed the first body blow in the 7th minute as Quigley’s free dropped untouched into the back of Sean Kavanagh’s goal.

With both defences comfortable for large parts, the first score from play arrived as late as the 29th minute through Dublin’s Paul Reynolds Hand and a well-taken score from Tim Deering left the hosts with a healthy 1-5 to 0-2 interval lead.

Dublin kicked on in the second-half as they kicked successive scores through Dylan Clark, Nathan Fitzgerald and Quigley before Offaly responded with a well-taken goal from Luke Kelly in the 43rd minute.

However, it failed to prompt a comeback as the hosts regrouped well through scores by Clark, Luke O’Boyle and Donovan before David Mulqueen and Niall Furlong traded inconsequential goals in added time.

Scorers for Dublin: J Quigley 1-4 (1-3f), D Mulqueen 1-0, D Clark, C Donovan (1f), L O’Boyle 0-2 each, T Deering, P Reynolds Hand, N Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

Scorers for Offaly: N Furlong 1-3 (1-1f), L Kelly 1-0, C Fox 0-1 (sideline).

DUBLIN: D Leonard; E Brady, D McCarthy, R Mitchell; J Brady, D Lucey, T Deering; D Clark, N Fitzgerald; P Reynolds Hand, C Ó Riain, L O’Boyle; J Quigley, C Donovan, D Mulqueen. 

Subs: P Donohue for Ó Riain (40), C McMorrow for Fitzgerald (40), J Smith for J Brady (50), S Mullarkey for Quigley (54), L Murphy for Clark (59), 

OFFALY: S Kavanagh; D O’Neill, C Guinan, C McKeon; S Brennan, C Egan, P McLoughlin; S Rigney, C Bourke; D Thomas, N Furlong, C Lowry; L Kelly, D Shirley, C Fox. 

Subs: D McKeon for Brennan (33), B Kennedy for Lowry (45), S Doran for Thomas (45), R Carney for Rigney (51), R Kellaghan for Fox (59).