Late Burke point earns Dublin draw in pulsating clash with four-goal Offaly

Offaly's young guns served notice of their ability as they hit Dublin for four goals and pushed the visitors all the way in Tullamore

Dónal Burke scored a last-gasp equalising point for Dublin in their opening Leinster SHC match against Offaly. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Leinster SHC: Offaly 4-22 Dublin 2-28 

If you weren’t watching on TV, or you weren’t one of the roughly 6,000 supporters in Glenisk O’Connor Park this evening, the result would tell you that Dublin lost ground in their bid to get back to a Leinster final.

If you were watching, you knew that Dublin didn’t underperform, but instead they ran into a young Offaly side that moved up a couple of steps on their upward journey, and who were full value for a share of the spoils.

Lining out with nine starters from the 2024 All-Ireland U-20 champions and two who won Leinster medals at that grade the previous year, Offaly were clearly not quite at the same level as Dublin in terms of power or conditioning over the course of 70 minutes, and when Donal Burke fired over an equaliser with just ten seconds of the announced three added minutes to play and James Owens opted to allow one more sequence, it was home supporters who felt that their tired team was more vulnerable.

Dublin did win the puckout and send the ball forward, but Ciarán Burke was able to win the last contest and give the game the result that was most appropriate.

Offaly were the story of the night, but Dublin did a lot right too. Niall Ó Ceallacháin will want to address the issues that saw them concede four goals to a side that raised just one green flag in seven league starts, with Seán Brennan also making two incredible saves, including a match-saving effort in stoppage time to deny Shane Rigney.

Their use of the short puckout and their ability to work the ball through the lines and easily break Offaly tackles was exemplary, and scoring 1-18 in the first half while missing just five shots was a reflection of the quality of chances that they created.

Offaly arguably made more mistakes, but they had more moments of magic too, in a game that was filled with them – or at least, from the tenth minute onwards, it was.

At that early stage of the game it was 0-4 to 0-2 in favour of Dublin with five of the six points coming from frees, but after Conor Doyle sent over a fine point on the run, two goals in a minute completely changed the atmosphere and raised the contest to a tempo that it never really lost.

John Hetherton used his towering frame to field a high ball and turn towards goal and with a penalty advantage coming, Brian Hayes let fly on a loose ball to flash the sliotar past Liam Hoare.

Adam Screeney scored 1-9 for Offaly against Dublin. Pic: Mark Kavanagh/Sportsfile

On the next attack, Adam Screeney beat his man and put the ball on a plate for Brian Duignan, and the rollercoaster was up and running.

Ter Guinan, Charlie Mitchell and Daniel Bourke struck some outstanding scores for Offaly but Dublin’s hurling was this bit more clinical and precise throughout, with superb thought and method in their play. Seán Brennan varied his puckouts and put his side on the front foot time and again, Fergal Whitely, Conor Burke and Conor Donohoe were outstanding in the trenches and even after conceding another goal, this time after a scything run and finish from Shane Rigney, Hayes and Burke pointed to nudge Dublin into the lead by half-time.

This time last year, Dublin found a way against an Offaly side that was game, but didn’t have the same edge up front. Here, the Faithful were keen to go for broke and die trying, typified by Adam Screeney turning down an easy point and instead beating Brennan from a tight angle to level the game early in the second half.

Mirroring what Offaly did in the first half, Dublin replied with a goal of their own on the next possession. Darragh Power held possession after losing his footing and brilliantly flicked the ball away to Conor Donohoe, who hit the top corner. Conor Burke added the next point to make it four, but Offaly didn’t go away, and they were back on level terms ten minutes into the second half through a stunning first time shot from Charlie Mitchell.

The scoring wasn’t quite as brisk for the closing 25 minutes with the two sides adding seven points each, but there were countless moments to keep the crowd enthralled all the same. Mitchell made some crucial plays to get a point of his own and set up another for Daniel Bourke, Donal and Conor Burke struck clutch points for Dublin, and a sublime save from Brennan denied Rigney what surely would have been a match-winning goal at the start of stoppage time.

Instead, play came back for Screeney to score a free, and Offaly were one up. Chris Crummey struck for the posts, Patrick Taaffe dived full-length to make a block, and Donal Burke, off balance, gave this contest one last flash of brilliance to ensure a deadlocked scoreboard at the final whistle.

Scorers for Offaly: A Screeney (1-9, 8f), C Mitchell (1-3), B Duignan (1-2), S Rigney (1-0), D Bourke (0-3), C Doyle (0-1), T Guinan (0-1), D Ravenhill (0-1), L Hoare (0-1f), C Spain (0-1).

Scorers for Dublin: D Burke (0-11, 9f), C Donohoe (1-2), B Hayes (1-1), C Burke (0-4), C O’Sullivan (0-2), D Power (0-2), C Crummey (0-1), P Doyle (0-1), F Whitely (0-2), R Hayes (0-1), D Purcell (0-1).

OFFALY: L Hoare; P Taaffe, B Conneely, B Kavanagh; R Ravenhill, K Sampson, T Guinan; D Ravenhill, C King; S Rigney, C Doyle, D Bourke; C Mitchell, B Duignan, A Screeney.

Subs: C Spain for King (half-time), C Burke for Kavanagh (half-time), O Kelly for Mitchell (52-54, temp), J Clancy for Guinan (65), O Kelly for D Ravenhill (69).

DUBLIN: S Brennan; E O’Donnell, P Smyth, C McHugh; J Bellew, C Crummey, C Burke; P Doyle, C Donohoe; F Whitely, B Hayes, D Power; D Burke, J Hetherton, C O’Sullivan.

Subs: R Hayes for Doyle (47), A Dunphy for McHugh (55), D Purcell for Donohoe (65).

REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford).