Screeney and Bourke lead Offaly to famous All-Ireland U20 title

Tipperary will rue their missed chances in the championship decider.

Sat, 01 Jun, 2024 - 21:14

John Fogarty

OFFALY 2-20 TIPPERARY 2-14

Offaly were hailing Adam Screeney and captain Dan Bourke heroes as they guided the county to their first U20 All-Ireland hurling title in UPMC Nowlan Park this evening.

Screeney scored 12 points and Bourke 1-3 in front of a 25,825 crowd largely populated by their fellow county people.

Tipperary were left to rue 10 second-half wides but there was no doubt Leo O’Connor’s side were the better team in a game that only caught fire in the final quarter.

Offaly appeared to be cruising in the 46th minute when Shane Rigney’s ball eluded the Tipperary cover and Barry Egan and the green flag sent them eight points clear.

But Tipperary’s response was instant and matching as Senan Butler cancelled the goal out. Darragh McCarthy followed up with a free and the margin was sliced in half.

Seconds later, Bourke was wheeling away in celebration having struck low and true to send Offaly seven up. Tipperary weren’t done, though, and produced five of the next six scores to bring themselves within a point.

However, Screeney’s 12th point sent Offaly four clear and scores from Colin Spain and Ruairí Kelly put the icing on the cake.

The opening quarter was a cagey affair where plenty of nerves were debilitating both teams. Screeney pointed from a placed ball and then from play to the thrill of his large fanbase only for Tipperary to go ahead in the eighth minute.

A clever flick by Oisín O’Donoghue into Butler’s path provided the impetus for Tipperary’s penalty goal. Butler passed the sliotar to McCarthy and he was illegally impeded by Donal Shirley. The Toomevara man executed the penalty with precision.

HOT PURSUIT: Sam O’Farrell of Tipperary tries to get away from Dan Bourke of Offaly at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Following a Bourke retaliating point, Tipperary sent over the next three and led up to the 21st minute when Barry Egan opened his account with a gem of a point. It was the third in five unanswered points by the Leinster champions as they grabbed a stranglehold on Tipperary’s puck-outs and they were drawing frees far too easily.

The last of this five points came from a Screeney 65 after Eoin Horgan reacted well to put out the Offaly starlet’s goalbound shot in the 25th minute. Of his eight first-half points, Screeney scored two of them from inside his own half with the wind at his back.

Proud of these lads… along with Leo O’Connor and Michael Duignan. They all deserve this.

I am often homesick when on the road but today I really am
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) June 1, 2024

Cian Foley fired over his third point but it was a brief cessation in Offaly’s dominance. Two Screeney frees followed by Egan and Bourke’s second offerings pull Offaly five clear until Butler managed a sixth Tipperary score in additional time.

Scorers for Offaly: A. Screeney (0-12, 8 frees, 3 65s); D. Bourke (1-3); S. Rigney (1-0); B. Egan (0-2); C. King, C. Spain, R. Kelly (0-1 each).

Scorers for Tipperary: D. McCarthy (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-4 frees); S. Butler (1-1); C. Foley (0-3); O. O’Donoghue (0-2); C. English, S. O’Farrell, C. Martin (0-1 each).

OFFALY: L. Hoare; R. Kelly, B. Miller, J. Mahon; T. Guinan, B. Kavanagh, D. Shirley C. Spain, C. King; S. Rigney, D. Bourke (c), C. Doyle; L. Kavanagh, B. Egan, A. Screeney.

Subs for Offaly: A. Kavanagh for B. Egan (50); E. Burke for C. Doyle (54); D. Ravenhill for L. Kavanagh (60+2); D. Hand for S. Rigney (60+3).

TIPPERARY: E. Horgan; P. O’Dwyer, A. O’Halloran, C. O’Donnell; J. Collins, B. Currivan (c), M. Cawley; S. O’Farrell, A. Daly; C. English, C. Martin, C. Foley; D. McCarthy, O. O’Donoghue, S. Butler.

Subs for Tipperary: J. O’Callaghan for M. Cawley (49); J. Egan for C. Foley (inj 50); S. Rowan for A. Daly (60).

Referee: S. Stack (Dublin).

Cusack Park in Ennis will host the Connacht v Munster All Ireland MFC quarter final double header.