Fearless Offaly overcome Wexford in Leinster U20 Hurling Championship final

The Faithful county will now face Cork in the All Ireland Hurling final.

CHAMPIONS: The Offaly team celebrate with the trophy. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

O'Neills.com Leinster U-20 Hurling Championship Final

Offaly 1-21 Wexford 0-22

A beaten All-Ireland minor finalist last July, Adam Screeney ensured that he will have an opportunity for redemption of sorts by powering Offaly through to this year’s All-Ireland U20 decider.

The forward’s 1-12 haul, which included the 42nd minute goal that ultimately separated the sides and a couple of crucial late points which nudged the Faithful to victory, helped secure a sixth Leinster title.

In the process, Offaly guaranteed themselves a shot at winning a maiden All-Ireland U20 title and they will take on Munster champions Cork on May 27 in the decider.

Screeney’s heroics were all the more impressive as he missed the semi-final win over Galway, along with defender Brecon Kavanagh, due to concussion protocols.

And the rest of his team-mates can applaud themselves for a job well done on the evening too because they lost captain Charlie Mitchell to a red card for his second booking after 37 minutes. In a tight encounter which was level on nine occasions, it looked like being a pivotal moment but Offaly, somehow, held on for a famous win in front of a capacity crowd.

Faithful supporters flooded onto the pitch after the two-point success, finally breathing out having watched the teams draw level on five occasions in a frantic second-half. They remained deadlocked entering stoppage time but late Offaly scores from Dan Ravenhill and Screeney tipped the balance their way.

WINNERS: Offaly’s Cillian Byrne and Luke Murphy celebrate at the final whistle. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

It was a crushing defeat for Wexford who bounced back from early defeats in the Championship to Dublin and Galway by reaching the decider with a landmark semi-final defeat of Kilkenny.

Screeney, one of six players in the Offaly team that started last year’s All-Ireland minor final loss to Tipperary, lit up an already entertaining opening half with several thrilling moments.

One of six Kilcormac-Killoughey players on the team, free-taker Screeney struck seven points in the half though it was his two from play in the fourth and 30th minutes that drew gasps in the crowd.

For the first of those, Screeney somehow got a shot away despite the attentions of a couple of Wexford defenders on the right wing which split the posts.

The second was even more audacious as Screeney took on another two Offaly defenders close to the right sideline, tossed the ball ahead of him and sped forward to collect it again before sniping a point from the most acute of angles.

Offaly had initially opened up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after a terrific start full of dynamism and craft. Mitchell and Cathal King were also among the scorers during that early blitz

But Wexford were back on level terms at 0-5 apiece by the 13th minute as their top scorer Cian Byrne, excellent on the frees and in open play throughout, came storming into the game.

Wexford had a spare defender in Simon Roche due to Offaly’s decision to allow Dan Bourke, wearing number, to drop out as an extra man in the engine room.

Keith Rossiter’s side took the lead for the first time in the 15th minute when Byrne struck his fourth score of the evening, 0-6 to 0-5.

They would be level on three more occasions but it was Offaly that finished the half strongest with three points in a row from Bourke and Screeney, two.

That 0-11 to 0-9 half-time advantage to Offaly, and the positive vibes generated by that memorable stoppage time Screeney score, were wiped out almost immediately after the restart when Wexford registered points from Sean Rowley and Byrne.

Offaly regained the lead thanks to a couple of Screeney scores but the 37th minute Mitchell dismissal — the Kilcormac Killoughey man picked up his second booking for an incident that left full-back Eoin Whelan grounded — threatened to rock the Faithful.

They refused to relent though and a brilliant closing 20 minutes or so played out with both sides swapping scores in tit-for-tat fashion.

Subs Dylan Purcell, JJ Twamley and Oisin Pepper all had an impact for Wexford but Offaly had saved a kick for the last lap of a fascinating contest and crossed the winning line with those late scores from Screeney and Ravenhill.

Offaly scorers: A Screeney (1-12, 8 frees, 1 65); D Ravenhill (0-3, 1 free); D Bourke, C Doyle (0-2); C Mitchell, C King (0-1).

Wexford scorers: Cian Byrne (0-14, 10 frees); Cillian Byrne (0-2); C Byrne Dunbar, D Carley, S Rowley, L Murphy, JJ Twamley, D Purcell (0-1).

OFFALY: M Troy; P Taaffe, J Mahon, B Kavanagh; L Watkins, S Bourke, T Guinan; C Spain, C King; C Egan, D Ravenhill, C Doyle; A Screeney, C Mitchell, D Bourke.

Subs: B Egan for King (56);

WEXFORD: D Mahon; S Roche, E Whelan, D Kehoe; C Foley, D Carley, M Dundon; S Rowley, C Murphy; S O’Hagan, C Byrne Dunbar, J Redmond; Cian Byrne, L Murphy, Cillian Byrne.

Subs: D Purcell for Murphy (22); JJ Twamley for Redmond (h/t); D Farrell for Dundon (49); O Pepper for Murphy (57).

Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin).