Leinster SHC: Dublin 1-25 Offaly 2-19
The first word that fell from Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s mouth after this Leinster SHC near miss? Relieved.
“Just relieved, that’s the honest emotion,” acknowledged the Dublin manager.
Trailing by three points with as many minutes of normal time remaining, the hosts and favourites somehow did enough to be three clear at full-time.
Ó Ceallacháin was particularly grateful to the Hayes brothers, Ronan and Brian, for their interventions late on.
Dublin outscored Offaly by 1-4 to 0-1 in those closing minutes with substitute Ronan accounting for 1-1 of that, while Brian grabbed a point.
Brian finished with 0-3 overall and matched athletic excellence with slick stick work, while midfielders Conor Burke and Conor Donohoe were another important duo, registering 0-5 between them.
This was Offaly’s first game back in the Leinster championship since, ironically, losing to Dublin at the same venue in 2018.
Stints in the Joe McDonagh and Christy Ring Cups sent them on a nationwide tour, though they’re back now at the top grade and, on the evidence of this performance, capable of staying here.
They will kick themselves for not seeing this one out though. Perhaps there was a little karma at play given how they sickened Dublin at Croke Park two months ago with a late Dan Ravenhill winner in the league.
That defeat pretty much cost Dublin promotion, though if they can back up this win with another at home to Wexford next weekend, they’ll be the ones smiling widely.
Apparent fresh injuries to Donal Burke and Danny Sutcliffe, both of whom went off in the course of the game, will be a concern. Ó Ceallacháin wasn’t in a position to shed light on the details of those setbacks so all fingers will be crossed in Dublin.
The 2013 provincial winners gave fans in the 5,394 crowd the impression initially that they might run out comfortable winners.
Dublin led 0-5 to 0-2 approaching the quarter-hour mark and were making hay with their careful passing game up through the lines. Their physicality and conditioning was also noteworthy against a younger Offaly team.
But when Oisín Kelly finished off an Offaly counterattack by sweeping home a 15th-minute goal with a ground stroke off his left side, it rocked Dublin noticeably.
Now Offaly had the momentum and they rode that wave for the rest of the half, taking a 1-10 to 0-11 half-time lead.
Brian Duignan, their leading scorer and free-taker, came alive inside along with Charlie Mitchell and Dublin were struggling at times to contain them.
A decent Dublin start to the second half, three points in a row, was offset by a Killian Sampson goal and, once again, Offaly were back on the front foot.
Duignan, the two Ravenhills, and Dan Bourke all added points for the Faithful, who were three points clear entering the 68th minute, 2-18 to 0-21.
Their fans urged them to finish the job but they couldn’t deliver. Dublin had a strong impact from not just Ronan Hayes but fellow sub John Hetherton.
Between them they pinched 1-2 while Brian Hayes and Donohoe were also on the mark as they went for the jugular in the closing minutes.
Offaly will have an opportunity to redeem themselves next weekend but, at home to Galway, it won’t be easy.
DUBLIN: E Gibbons; A Dunphy, P Smyth, J Bellew; P Dunleavy, C Crummey (0-1), P Doyle; C Burke (0-2), C Donohoe (0-3); C O’Sullivan, B Hayes (0-3), D Burke (0-4, 2f, 1 65); S Currie (0-9, 5f), D O Dulaing (0-1), D Sutcliffe.
Subs: R Hayes (1-1) for Sutcliffe (23 mins); D Power for O Dulaing, F Whitely for D Burke (both h-t); J Hetherton (0-1) for Whitely (51); A Jamieson Murphy for O’Sullivan (63).
OFFALY: M Troy; B Conneely, C Burke, P Cantwell; R Ravenhill (0-1), D Shirley, J Sampson; C King, D King; K Sampson (1-2), D Bourke (0-1), O Kelly (1-1); D Ravenhill (0-5, 3f), B Duignan (0-8, 6f), C Mitchell (0-1).
Subs: E Cahill for Mitchell (51 mins); C Spain for D King (55); C Kiely for R Ravenhill (58).
Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).
