Offaly 2-20; Tipperary 2-14
In the halcyon days of their senior hurlers during the 1980s and ‘90s, Offaly could never win this age-limit competition, albeit it was U-21 at the time, but the wait was worthwhile as in an era of less senior exposure, this team took a maiden Under 20 title at this level before a packed 26,000 crowd at Nowlan Park on Saturday evening.
And there was a sense of revenge in the air, too, for the heartbreak most of this team suffered as minors three years ago when they lost to a late goal in added time to the same opposition, Tipperary.
No wonder then there was probably 20,000-plus Offaly fans in Kilkenny city cheering on their side this time around and there is no doubt the huge support had a bearing in this outcome as it made the lads in the tricolor jerseys fight as if their very lives depended on each puck of the sliotar.
Afterwards winning manager Leo O’Connor was full of praise for this coming-togetherness into one family under the chairmanship of former Offaly great Michael Duignan as to why victory was possible on this occasion.
"I can’t speak highly enough of the man. The man gave me free rein to go and do what I could with Offaly hurling. You can’t beat that raw honesty, that integrity, to know that you’re trusted,” O’Connor said. “That’s the most important thing. We have really created a family. There are more hurling clubs in half of Tipperary than there are in the whole of Offaly.
"It’s a credit to the clubs, a credit to the players, how they’ve developed over the last three years. We made one rule at half-time. We said we weren’t going home without it," said the Limerick native.
Offaly had heroes all over the pitch on Saturday evening, none more so that the brilliant Adam Screeney and Dan Bourke in attack.
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.
Although Screeney got the first score of the night from an acute angle near the sideline, it was Tipperary who took early control as Darragh McCarthy converted a penalty and then Ciarán Foley hit two points to leave them 1-3 to 0-3 in front after quarter of an hour.
Wind supported, Offaly then kicked on with centre-back Brecon Kavanagh in majestic from as they got to half-time leading by four points, 0-12 to 1-5.
Neither side could inject their plan on the game on the changeover but a two-minute flurry of action in which three goals were scored, brought the crowd to their feet.
Barry Egan got the slightest of touches to divert Shane Rigney’s long delivery made it 1-16 to 1-8. However Tipp weren’t just there to make up the numbers and in the next play Senan Butler sneaked in behind the Offaly defense to fire home.
Dan Burke then led from the front as he hammered home a great goal to give Offaly six points of a lead but Tipp were still refusing to bow the knee and hit three points in a row to make it a nervy ending for the huge Faithful following.
However unlike the minor game, it was Offaly who kept themselves on the front foot and by the final whistle three late points had pushed the margin out to six again, leaving the huge following to begin their celebrations even before the long whistle.
Offaly: L Hoare; R Kelly (0-1), B Miller, J Mahon; T Guinan, B Kavanagh, D Shirley; C Spain (0-1), C King (0-1); S Rigney, D Bourke (1-3), C Doyle; L Kavanagh, B Egan (1-2), A Screeney (0-12, 0-8f, 0-3 65s) Subs: A Kavanagh for Egan (49), E Burke for Doyle (54), D Ravenhill for L Kavanagh (60+2), DHand for Rigney (60+3).
Tipperary: E Horgan; P O'Dwyer, A O'Halloran, C O'Donnell; J Collins, B Currivan, M Cawley; S O'Farrell (0-1), A Daly; C English (0-1), C Martin (0-1), C Foley (0-3); D McCarthy (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-4f), O O'Donoghue (0-2), S Butler (1-1) Subs: J O’Callaghan for Cawley (49), J Egan for Foley (50), S Rowan for Daly (60)+
Ref: S Stack (Dublin).
