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U20 Hurlers Progress To Leinster Final with win over Galway

U20 Hurlers Progress To Leinster Final with win over Galway

Wed, 15th May 2024

DUBLIN 4-17 

GALWAY 0-20 

Dublin advanced to the final of the O’Neills.com Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship when accounting for Galway by nine points at Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Wednesday evening.

The sides met in the group stages with Galway recording a comfortable nineteen-point victory but this was a far tighter and thrilling affair with Dublin deservedly coming through after a display of huge maturity and intensity.

That intensity that Dublin brought to the first-half was rewarded with early goals from Diarmuid Ó Dúlaing and David Purcell as they pushed six points clear by half-time.

They could well have pushed further clear upon the restart but with a tight conclusion on the cards, the Dubs pushed for home through late goals by Conor Newton and Purcell.

Dublin could not have wished for a better start as Conor Dolan’s pass from midfield was deflected by Neil Hogan into the path of Dúlaing and the Commercials clubman made no mistake with a low finish past Darragh Walsh with just sixteen seconds on the clock.

The Dubs could well have added a second goal in the 5th minute but Walsh got down well to scramble a Nogan shot to safety but they gained some reward as Ó Dúlaing converted the resultant ‘65’.

An unsettled Galway finally opened their own account through John Cosgrove soon after but they had little answer to a marauding David Purcell in the 8th minute as he jinked his way down the right before crashing home under Walsh’s crossbar.

The Tribesmen replied through two points in quick succession from Oisin Lohan and Cillian Whelan but Jamie Conroy kept the margin at five points with an excellent score in the 11th minute.

While Whelan added his second of the half two minutes later, some of Dublin’s interplay was leaving their opponents chasing shadows and Conal Ó Riain clipped over a superb team point that reflected his side’s general wellbeing.

Ó Dúlaing added a couple of frees as the half progressed and he almost pounced for a third Dublin goal in the 22nd minute but Walsh dived well to his right to divert away with relative ease.

Galway kept chipping away at their deficit thanks to points by Matthew Tarpey, Cullen Killeen and Conor Dolphin but a trio of unanswered scores by Hogan, Ó Riain and Fionn Murphy pushed Dublin into a deserved 2-10 to 0-10 interval lead.

The Dubs were slightly errant in their approach play and shooting in the early stages of the second-half and should have added more to their tally than a Murphy point in the 33rd minute.

Galway replied through Paddy Mac Cárthaigh and Tarpey but Dublin were still well capable of causing trouble at the opposite end with Conroy and Cathal Kennedy firing over cracking scores.

The likes of Jack Behan and Conor Groarke were excelling in their defensive duties while one block from Eoin Keys highlighted their tenacity as the contest evolved.

Ó Dúlaing and Conor Dolan added vital scores as the half progressed but Dublin’s battling performance was undermined by a series of wides that help keep their opponents in the hunt.

However, when inspiration was required, it came through Newton, who gathered possession beautifully and with only one thing on his mind, he fired past Walsh with unerring accuracy.

The gloss was added by Purcell, who availed of some understandably loose marking in the 60th minute to leave Walsh helpless one again, putting the seal on a famous victory for the Dubs.

Scorers – Dublin: D Ó Dúlaing 1-6 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65); D Purcell 2-1 (0-1 sideline); C Newton 1-1; C Ó Riain, F Murphy, J Conroy 0-2 each; C Dolan, C Kennedy, N Hogan 0-1 apiece. Galway: C Dolphin 0-4 (3f, 1 ’65); C Whelan, M Tarpey 0-3 each; C Killeen, J Cosgrove 0-2 each; R Burke (f), P Mac Cárthaigh, M Burke, V Morgan, O Lohan, J Rabbitte 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: K Hogan; C Groarke, D Lucey, C Kennedy; E Keys, C Dolan, J Behan; C Ó Riain, F Murphy; B Kenny, D Ó Dúlaing, D Purcell; O Gaffney, N Hogan, J Conroy. Subs: C Newton for N Hogan (40), C Stacey for Gaffney (50), D Bannan for Keys (57), C Donovan for Murphy (59), C Rock for Purcell (61).

Galway: D Walsh; C Lawless, S Murphy, J Ryan; T Leen, R Burke, C Whelan; O Lohan, M Tarpey; D Neary, C Killeen, D Davoren; C Dolphin, P Mac Cárthaigh, J Cosgrove. Subs: J Rabbitte for Neary (half-time), J O’Connor for Leen (half-time), V Morgan for Cosgrove (42), M Burke for Davoren (44), C Travers for Dolphin (54).

Referee: Eamonn Furlong (Wexford). 

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