Offaly stand firm to land maiden U20 All-Ireland title

The Faithful revolution continues.

With the memory of Tipperary’s 2022 smash and grab raid in the minor final between these two teams fresh in the memory, the tension around the crowd of 25,825 was palpable when the Premier County got back within three points going into the closing stages of the U-20 decider at Nowlan Park.

After losing consecutive finals, Offaly supporters, who made up at least 75% of the packed house, braced themselves for yet more heartbreak.

Their players, however, were not to be denied. Late points from Colin Spain and Ruairí Kelly will be seen as the clinching scores, but it was in the five minutes before that, that the game was won.

Every contested possession, every loose sliotar, was devoured by an Offaly player, every one of them showing levels of energy and focus that shouldn’t have been possible, given the heat, the tension, the state of play.

Tipperary needed a third goal, Offaly didn’t even give them a look.

That they were in that position in the first place was all about their dominance of the turnover battle, and the brilliance of Adam Screeney and Dan Bourke up front.

Screeney got the crowd going with a trademark point from out on the right-hand sideline, but Tipperary responded brilliantly, with Darragh McCarthy firing in a penalty and Ciarán Foley firing two majestic points to push them 1-3 to 0-3 in front after 15 minutes of hurling into the wind.

Offaly took over from there and completely turned the tide in the second quarter. Their half back line, in particular centre back Brecon Kavanagh, seemed to come up with one possession after another, and with two incredible points from the sideline from Barry Egan, Offaly found themselves 0-12 to 1-05 in front at the break.

The third quarter was patchy and error-ridden, but three goals in two minutes set up a whirlwind finale.

Barry Egan’s touch on Shane Rigney’s long delivery made it 1-16 to 1-8, but the celebrations were cut short when Senan Butler got in behind their full-back line at the other end to reply in kind.

Two minutes later, the Tipp net danced again thanks to a powerful run and finish from Dan Bourke, but point by point, the Munster county ate into the lead, drawing within three points as the contest went into the closing minutes.

Anything was possible, but Offaly’s heroes were about to make sure that this time, unlike 2022, they were going to dictate the terms and claim their place in history.

Offaly: Liam Hoare; Ruairí Kelly (0-01), Ben Miller, James Mahon; Ter Guinan, Brecon Kavanagh, Donal Shirley; Colin Spain (0-01), Cathal King (0-01); Shane Rigney, Dan Bourke (1-03), Conor Doyle; Leigh Kavanagh, Barry Egan (1-02), Adam Screeney (0-12, 0-08 frees, 0-03 65s).

Subs: Alex Kavanagh for Egan (49), Eoin Burke for Doyle (54), Dan Ravenhill for L Kavanagh (60+2), Daniel Hand for Rigney (60+3)

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan; Podge O’Dwyer, Aaron O’Halloran, Chris O’Donnell; Jack Collins, Ben Currivan, Mason Cawley; Sam O’Farrell (0-01), Adam Daly; Cathal English (0-01), Conor Martin (0-01), Ciarán Foley (0-03); Darragh McCarthy (1-05, 1-00 pen, 0-04 frees), Oisín O’Donoghue (0-02), Senan Butler (1-01).

Subs: Jack O’Callaghan for Cawley (49), Joe Egan for Foley (50), Sam Rowan for Daly (60)+

Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin)