Dublin Under 20s fall short in Leinster Championship decider
By Daire Walsh
IT WAS was ultimately disappointment for the Dublin Under 20 hurlers in Portlaoise on Tuesday night as they fell to a 2-15 to 0-15 defeat at the hands of Galway in the 2021 Leinster Championship final.
Just five weeks after the Sky Blues had overcome the Tribesmen in the much-delayed 2020 provincial decider, Seán Power’s charges were hopeful of holding onto their crown.
And despite the concession of goals to Galway attackers Oisin Flannery and John Cooney, they remained in the mix heading into the final-quarter of the action.
However, their western counterparts pushed on in the closing stages and consequently booked their place in the forthcoming All-Ireland showpiece on Saturday week (July 7).
Power called upon a heavy local contingent for this game, with Ballinteer St John’s duo Iain Ó hEithir and Seamus Fenton being joined in the starting line-up by Patrick Dunleavy (Ballyboden St Enda’s) and Kevin Lahiff (St Jude’s). Pearce Christie (Ballyboden) and James O’Brien (Faughs) were listed amongst the substitutes, but remained unused in the game.
Although Ó hEithir also featured in that recent Leinster title success, he was surrounded by a relatively new batch of team-mates on this occasion. Galway had more survivors within their ranks, including dead-ball specialist Donal O’Shea – son of Tipperary senior hurling selector Eamon.
When Lahiff struck over a point for the holders in the seventh-minute, it propelled them into a 0-4 to 0-2 cushion. Galway fired back with a goal from Flannery after a mishap by opposition goalkeeper Ben Hynes, and held a slender advantage at the first half water break.
Still, with Lahiff and wing-back Dunleavy finding the target, the sides were on level terms at the interval (0-10 to 1-7). Donal Leavy briefly edged Dublin clear on the resumption before a wonder goal by Cooney (younger brother of Galway senior star Joseph) saw them falling behind again.
Ciarán Foley’s free-taking kept Dublin in the hunt, though, and Dunleavy’s second point on 48 minutes left the bare minimum between the teams (2-9 to 0-14). Yet it was at this juncture that Galway pushed into overdrive and it took a brace of Hynes saves to keep the Blues within reach of the silverware on offer.
The prospect of a dramatic fightback remained a possibility, until Sean McDonagh (two) and O’Shea struck unanswered points to finally seal Dublin’s fate.