Big Test Awaits For U20 Footballers After Leinster Success

Mon, 22nd July 2019

Dublin's under-20 footballers kept their All-Ireland dreams alive when defeating Laois 4-18 to 0-17 in last Friday night's EirGrid Leinster U20FC final in O'Connor Park, Portlaoise.

The marksmanship of Dublin has been a feature of their campaign to date. They have tallied a massive 9-56 in their three games in Leinster - victories over Longford, Wexford and Laois - with 12 players contributing.

Ciarán Archer leads the way in the scoring charts and continued his rich vein in the provincial decider when kicking 3-8 (0-7f, 1-0pen) to take his overall tally for the competition so far to 6-24 (0-19f, 2-0pen).

The Nh Maur's lad, who is eligible for U20s again next year, has a real eye for a score and possesses a wonderful left foot and lethal finish.

He was on the Leinster MFC winning panel in 2017 as a first year minor after returning from playing soccer for a short spell in England.

Ciarán's tally of 3-8 (17 points) is the most by a Dublin player ever in the U21/U20 grade in a single game eclipsing Ciarán Kilkenny's 2-10 in the 2013 Leinster U21FC against Carlow.

Indeed it is the second highest personal score in a single game by a Dublin footballer behind Johnny Joyce, who in the Leinster SFC of 1960 'officially' scored 5-3 (18 points) against Longford, though it is generally accepted that Johnny actually hit 6-3 but one of his strikes was incorrectly recorded as an own goal!

Archer's running total of 6-24 (42 points) is the most by any Dublin player at the U21/U20 grade ahead of such stellar footballers as Ciarán Kilkenny (2-30 in 2012), Con O'Callaghan (3-24, 2016), Barney Rock (3-21, 1980), and Tomás Quinn (2-22, 2002).

This coming Saturday the Dubs face Galway in the All-Ireland U20FC semi-final in Glennon Bros Pearse Park, Longford (5.0) - it is part of a treble-header with the minor footballers of Dublin and Mayo getting the action underway in their All-Ireland MFC quarter-final (3.0), the final game of the day at the Longford venue is the All-Ireland MFC quarter-final between Galway and Kildare (7.0).

The Dubs know that they face a step up in class against the Tribesmen who are managed by legendary Galway footballer Pádraic Joyce, and whose management team includes fellow two-time All-Ireland SFC winner (1998, 2001) John Divilly.

Divilly has managed UCD's Sigerson Cup team in recent years and will be familiar with several of Dublin's U20s who are students in Belfield.

The sides are no strangers to each other and have met as recently as June 13 in the John Kerins U20 Football Development League when Galway won in very impressive fashion 2-17 to 1-7 in Duggan Park, Ballinasloe.

Galway were by a stretch the strongest side in the John Kerins Cup recording four wins from four games with victories over Kildare (1-18 to 0-10), Cork (1-11 to 0-12), Kerry (1-10 to 1-8) and Dublin (2-17 to 1-7).

Galway have sustained that rich form with victories over Roscommon (0-17 to 1-7) in the Connacht semi-final and Mayo (0-16 to 0-10) in their provincial decider.

They were even more convincing victors over Mayo than the final scoreline suggests - they finished the opening half in style when scoring five points during the last ten minutes with Darragh Silke and the highly influential Liam Costello to the fore.

On the restart they maintained their high tempo and dominance with Rory Cunningham, Padraig Costello (free) and Liam Costello on target to see them open up a nine-point lead which they were never in danger of relinquishing.

Dublin's defence has been solid to date, goalkeeper David O'Hanlon has yet to concede a goal, and their wing-backs Kieran Kennedy and Seán Lambe have driven forward at times to aid their attack, but Saturday will be their their biggest test to date.

DUBLIN U20 FOOTBALLERS: Scoring Chart

Dublin under-20 footballers have scored 9-56 and conceded 0-30 in their three games to date (wins over Longford, Wexford, Laois). Twelve players have contributed to their scoring tally.

Ciarán Archer 6-24 (0-19f, 2-0 pen)

Ross McGarry 0-8 (0-3f)

James Doran 0-7

Brian O'Leary 0-6

Harry Ladd 1-2

David Lacey 1-1

Niall O'Leary 0-3

Kieran Kennedy 1-0

Karl Lynch Bissett 0-2

Mark Lavin 0-1

Conor Kinsella 0-1

Seán Lambe 0-1

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LEINSTER U20FC QUARTER-FINAL

TUESDAY, JULY 2: Glennon Bros Pearse Park, Longford

DUBLIN 4-21 LONGFORD 0-7

SCORERS - Dublin: C Archer 2-8 (1-0 pen, 0-5f), H Ladd 1-2, R McGarry 0-4 (0-1f), D Lacey 1-1, J Doran, B O'Leary 0-2 each, K Lynch Bissett, M Lavin 0-1 each. Longford: O Kenny 0-4 (0-3f), J Hagan 0-2 (0-1f), A McGuire 0-1.

DUBLIN: D O'Hanlon; D Maher, D Newcombe, E O'Dea; K Kennedy, N Matthews, S Lambe; P O Cofaigh, D Ryan; N O'Leary, K Lynch Bissett, J Doran; B O'Leary, C Archer, R McGarry. Subs: H Ladd for McGarry (ht), A Lynch for Maher (42), M Lavin for N O'Leary (42), D Conlon for Matthews (48), D Lacey for Doran (48), S Farrelly for O Cofaigh Byrne (56).

LONGFORD: P Murray; G Hughes, PJ Masterson, D Corcoran; E McCormack, P Duggan, S Farrell; N Farrelly, D O'Brien; G Flynn, J Hagan, K Gilmore; O Kenny, A McGuire, J Shiels. Subs: D Ciglianio for Farrell (25), E Keogh for Gilmore (ht), P Molloy for Shiels (34), S Campbell for Duggan (35), J Martin for Flynn (38), E Smyth for Corcoran (56).

REF: F Smyth (Offaly).

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LEINSTER U20FC SEMI-FINAL

TUESDAY, JULY 9: Parnell Park

DUBLIN 1-17 WEXFORD 0-6

SCORERS - Dublin: C Archer 1-8 (0-7f), N O'Leary, B O'Leary, J Doran, R McGarry (0-1f) 0-2 each, C Kinsella 0-1. Wexford: M Molloy 0-2, J Myler (0-1f), S Nolan, C Kavanagh, D Brooks (0-1f) 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: D O'Hanlon; D Maher, D Newcombe, E O'Dea; K Kennedy, N Matthews, S Lambe; P O Cofaigh Byrne, D Ryan; N O'Leary, K Lynch Bissett, J Doran; B O'Leary, C Archer, R McGarry. Subs: K McKeon for McGarry (40), C Kinsella for Matthews (48), D Lacey for Lynch Bissett (48), A Lynch for O'Dea (53), S Farrelly for O Cofaigh Byrne (58), E Caulfield for N O'Leary (59).

WEXFORD: D Brooks; K Pierce, G Sheehan, L O'Connor; B Byrne, A Hogan, E Minouge; B Maddock, L Coleman; D McVeigh, J Myler, S Nolan; M Molloy, S Forde, C Kavanagh. Subs: C Kirwan for Hogan (ht), J Kelly for McVeigh (ht), P Kelly for Forde (50), M Kinsella for Byrne (56), P Dempsey for Minouge (61), J Kavanagh for Pierce (61).

REF: C Reilly (Meath).

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LEINSTER U20FC FINAL

FRIDAY, JULY 19: O'Connor Park, Tullamore

DUBLIN 4-18 LAOIS 0-17

SCORERS - Dublin: C Archer 3-8 (1-0 pen, 0-7f), J Doran 0-3, K Kennedy 1-0, B O'Leary, R McGarry (0-1f) 0-2 each, K Lynch Bissett, S Lambe, N O'Leary 0-1 each. Laois: D Whelan 0-8 (0-6f), A Kinsella, M Barry (0-1f) 0-2 each, M Doran, R Coffey, J Owens, E Dunne, N Dunne 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: D O’Hanlon; D Maher, D Newcombe, E O’Dea; K Kennedy, N Matthews, S Lambe; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, D Ryan; N O’Leary, K Lynch Bissett, J Doran; B O’Leary, C Archer, R McGarry. Subs: D Lacey for Ryan (43), H Ladd for B O'Leary (55), A Lynch for Maher (55), C Kinsella for O'Dea (58), M Lavin for N O'Leary (60), S Foran for Kennedy (60), K Lynch Bissett (bc, 66).

LAOIS: M Byron; M Dowling, S Lacey, A Mohan; C Slevin, S O’Flynn, D Brophy; R Tyrell, E Dunne; M Barry, M Doran, R Coffey; A Kinsella, D McCormack, D Whelan. Subs: J Owens for Doran (37), N Dunne for McCormack (38), J Maher for Coffey (48), K Byrne for Lacey (55), R Brennan for Brophy (58), J Lacey for Mohan (58).

REF: B Cawley (Kildare).

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2019 EirGrid LEINSTER U20FC: Fixtures/Results

1. Kildare 1-11 Laois 0-17, 25.6.2019; St Conleth's Park, Newbridge

2. Laois 2-20 Westmeath 0-20 (aet), 2.7.2019; TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar

3. Carlow 2-4 Offaly 3-22, 22.6.2019; Netwatch Cullen Park

4. Meath 1-12 Offaly 0-12, 2.7.2019; Páirc Tailteann, Navan

5. Wexford 1-14 Wicklow 2-7, 22.6.2019; Bellefield, Enniscorthy

6. Louth 0-16 Wexford 3-10, 2.7.2019; Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda

7. Longford 0-7 Dublin 4-21, 2.7.2019; Glennon Bros Pearse Park

8. Laois 1-13 Meath 0-7, 9.7.2019; O’Moore Park, Portlaoise

9. Dublin 1-17 Wexford 0-6, 9.7.2019; Parnell Park