Dublin Minors win again in extra time

DUBLIN 5-17 OFFALY 1-15

(After extra-time)
It was in the second period of extra-time that the boys from the capital drove on the victory when scoring 3-2 without reply to book a final berth on July 12 (12.15pm) against Kildare (who defeated Meath on Saturday afternoon).

In normal time Dublin made a superb start to the game and led 0-7 to 0-0 inside 20 minutes with Paul Hudson and Darragh Stapleton striking some excellent scores. During this period they were first to every ball and the attack combined well while the foot passing and reading of the play by Gerry Seaver put the Dubs on the front foot.

However, some complacency seemed to set in and as Offaly rallied through the efforts in particular of Graham Guilfoyle and Anton Sullivan Dublin were a pale shadow of the team that had started the game.

By the interval Dublin led 0-8 to 0-3 but the midlanders should have been closer but failed to make the most of several scoring opportunities.

Three minutes into the second half Swords were dismissed on a second yellow when giving away a penalty which full-forward Sullivan dispatched to the net.

By the three-quarter mark the sides were level 0-10 to 1-7. Then Dublin centre-forward Gary Sweeney blazed through the Offaly defence from 55 metres out and fired to the net to give the Dubs a three-point lead.

In the final minutes of normal time Offaly got back on level terms with points from Mark Young, Bernard Allen (free) and Darren Scanlon.

Inside the opening minute of extra-time Stapleton glided through on goal and powered to the net to give his side the ideal restart and by the interval the visitors led 2-15 to 1-15.

The second period of extra-time it was all one-way traffic with Hudson cracking home two goals as the Offaly defence fell asunder and the hard-working Ciarán Reddin also getting in on the goalscoring act.

SCORERS - Dublin: P Hudson 2-7 (0-2f), D Stapleton 1-6, C Reddin, G Sweeney 1-0 each, P Ryan 0-2, M Concarr, F Duffy 0-1 each. Offaly: D Scanlon (0-3f), B Allen (0-2f) 0-4 each, A Sullivan 1-1 (1-0 pen), M Young 0-3, N Graham, C Boland, J Crombie 0-1 each.
DUBLIN - D Downey; S Swords, F Carney, A Carr; K OBrien, J Kelly, G Seaver; E Keogh, C Reddin; F Breathnach, G Sweeney, C Carr; P Ryan, D Stapleton, P Hudson. Subs: D O Murchu for A Carr (38), M Concarr for C Carr (49), H Dawson on as 15th man for extra-time, S McGrath for Concarr (70), F Duffy for Ryan (70).
OFFALY - S Nally; P Kelly, J Ledwith, D Coughlan; R Dunne, D Kelly, B Hogan; N Graham, G Guilfoyle; C Boland, D Scanlon, M Brazil; B Allen, A Sullivan, M Young. Subs: E Rigney for Dunne (48), J Crombie for Boland (51).
REF - E Kinsella (Laois).