Sinkey stars as Kildare secure Leinster title after extra-time victory over Dublin 

BACK-TO-BACK: Kildare joint captains Harry O'Neill, left, and James Harris lift the cup after the 2023 EirGrid Leinster U20 Football Championship Final between Dublin and Kildare at Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Kildare 0-16 Dublin 0-13 

Ryan Sinkey provided the inspiration as Kildare braved an extra-time epic in Carlow to secure back to back Leinster U-20 football titles.

Trailing or level for much of regular time, Colm Dalton sent the game to extra-time with a late leveller and Brian Flanagan's side cruised home from there.

It's back-to-back final wins over Dublin and a 13th provincial title at the grade for Kildare who will play the Ulster champions in a May 6 All-Ireland semi-final.

Sinkey scooped the Man of the Match award with four terrific points from play while Dalton weighed in with a crucial 0-3.

Dublin, in their 10th consecutive final and chasing redemption after last year's final defeat to Kildare, will kick themselves because they led by a point before Dalton's equaliser.

And Kildare were by far the stronger team in the additional 20 minutes, outscoring the Dubs by 0-5 to 0-2 with Adam Fanning, Callum Bolton, Shane Farrell, goalkeeper Cormac Barker and Oisin O'Sullivan all on the mark in that period.

Wing-forward Sinkey was at his best in the first-half of normal time with three eye-catching Kildare points, his third tying the scores up at 0-4 apiece after 20 minutes.

It was tight and tense and three Dublin points in the remaining 10 or so minutes left them with a narrow 0-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

STAR QUALITY: Séamus Smith of Dublin in action against Ryan Sinkey of Kildare during the 2023 EirGrid Leinster U20 Football Championship Final between Dublin and Kildare at Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow. Pic Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Joe Quigley, one of four players to come into the Dublin lineup from the semi-final win over Meath, accounted for three of those Sky Blues scores while Ross Keogh and county senior Greg McEneaney split the posts too.

Dublin got the margin out to three points in the third quarter with back to back Keogh points and it was about then that the game suddenly came alive.

Kildare's response was impressive and four points between the 42nd and 48th minutes from Bolton, Sinkey, O'Sullivan and Fanning nudged them ahead for the very first time, 0-10 to 0-9.

It was anyone's game in the closing minutes and Dublin did their best to seal victory with scores from Bill Costello and Quigley but Dalton sent the game to extra-time with a long-range 62nd minute equaliser for Kildare, 0-11 to 0-11.

Kildare dominated the extra period, building on a 0-14 to 0-12 half-time lead to eventually win by three.

Kildare scorers: R Sinkey (0-4); C Dalton (0-3); S Farrell (2 frees), C Bolton, A Fanning, O O'Sullivan (0-2); C Barker (0-1, 1 free).

Dublin scorers: J Quigley (0-5, 3 frees); R Keogh (0-4, 3 frees); L Ward, G McEneaney, S Smith, B Costello (0-1).

Kildare: C Barker; R Burke, H O'Neill, T Von Engelbrechten; J Harris, J McGrath, J McKevitt; F Cooke, S Farrell; R Sinkey, C Bolton, C Dalton; E Cully, O O'Sullivan, A Fanning.

Subs: S Hanafin for Cully (41); D Swords for Cooke (54). E Mountaine for Von Engelbrechten (e/t); N Dolan for Sinkey (65); F O Giollain for Burke (70+1); D Guerin for McGrath (75).

Dublin: A Smyth; F Bruton, T Clancy, E Nugent; A Gavin, G McEneaney, D O'Leary; E Dunne, M McDonald; C Dolan, R Keogh, S Smith; L Ward, J Quigley, D Dempsey.

Subs: B Costello for Dempsey (h/t); J Cotter for Smith (45); T Brennan for McDonald (50); D McGrath for O'Leary (62). C McMorrow for Cotter (e/t); McDonald for Costello (66); C Moriarty for Quigley (70+1); C Burke for Dolan (77).

Ref: A Coyne (Westmeath).