U20 Hurlers Suffer Leinster Championship Defeat To Galway

DUBLIN 0-10 

GALWAY 4-14 

The concession of two goals in each half proved too much for a battling Dublin as they succumbed to Galway by sixteen points in their ONeills.com Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship Group 1 Round 3 encounter at Glenisk O’Connor Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Dubs impressed a fortnight previously when falling narrowly to Offaly in their opening encounter but found Galway a tougher nut to crack as they trailed by 2-10 to 0-4 by half-time.

Granted, the Dubs had the strong wind at their back for the second-half but the goals required to ignite a comeback failed to materialise as they fell further in arrears the longer the contest evolved.

Galway made the most of the elements in the first-half as they opened up an early two-point lead before Dublin opened their own account through a Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing free in the 4^th minute.

The Dubs were offered a degree of hope as an Ó Dúlaing (free) and a superb David Purcell point saw them to within a point by the 7^th minute but that optimism was punctured in an instant as Aaron Niland netted from a minute later.

Galway added points through Michael Burke, Diarmuid Davoren and Niland before Jamie Conroy replied for Dublin with an excellent score in the 23^rd minute.

However, that proved Dublin’s final score of the half as Galway landed a trio of points prior to Niland repeating his earlier trick by netting another free on the stroke of half-time to push his side twelve points clear by the interval.

Ó Dúlaing converted two frees in the opening five minutes of the second-half and while Niland replied at the opposite end, the Commercials played added another score from a placed ball to trim Dublin’s deficit to ten points by the 38^th minute.

A scoreless period of nine minutes followed before Niland added another free and the contest was effectively finished by the 49^th minute as Michael Power raced through for Galway’s third goal.

Substitutes Neil Hogan and Dylan Bannan made positive impacts on the scoreboard when introduced but those efforts proved of mere consolation value as Conor Dolphin netted late on to complete a comfortable win for Galway.

Scorers – Dublin: D Ó Dúlaing 0-6 (6f), D Purcell, J Conroy, N Hogan, D Bannan 0-1 apiece. Galway: A Niland 2-8 (2-6f), M Power, C Dolphin 1-0 each, D Davoren, M Burke, M Tarpey 0-2 apiece.

Dublin: K Hogan, C Magruairc, E Keys, C Kennedy; C Dolan, C Ó Riain, L Garrigan; J Conroy, J Kinnane; C Newton, C Rock, C Stacey; D Lucey, D Purcell, D Ó Dúlaing. Subs: F Murphy for Kinnane (28), J Behan for Stacey (half-time), N Hogan for Rock (46), C Walsh for Keys (53), D Bannan for Conroy (57).

Galway: D Walsh; C Lawless, D Dunne, S Murphy; J Ryan, R Burke, C Whelan; T Leen, M Tarpey; O Lohan, D Shaughnessy, M Power; D Davoren, M Burke, A Niland. 

Referee: Adam Kinahan (Offaly).