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Local rivals Tipperary and Offaly will meet in next Saturday’s oneills.com U20 GAA All-Ireland hurling championship final.
It’s a repeat of the 2022 minor decider, with many of the same players involved, when Tipperary’s Paddy McCormack broke Offaly hearts with the last puck of the game.
Nowlan Park is again the venue as the neighbouring counties face off with the aim of becoming All-Ireland champions.
Tipperary qualified for the final thanks to the heroics of their star forward Darragh McCarthy, with the Toomevara ace denying Cork with a late winner that was as sensational as it was dramatic. Offaly became Leinster champions after a hard-fought win over Dublin in a packed out O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.
McCarthy’s heroics seal famous victory for Tipperary
Tipperary hurling needed a pick-me-up after their seniors’ elimination from the championship and their under-20 hurlers duly delivered, with a 1-19 to 0-21 win over Cork in the Gaelic Grounds on Friday night.
Only the bare minimum separated the sides at half-time, with three points from Ciaran Foley helping Tipperary to a 0-10 to 0-9 lead at the break. Brendan Cummins’ team exploded out of the blocks in the second half with a well-worked Oisin O’Donoghue goal helping them to a five point lead. McCarthy and the lively Senan Butler were involved in the creation of the goal, which O’Donoghue finished off clinically.
But Ben O’Connor’s Cork side kept battling. They took over the game in its last twenty minutes but, in the end, were left to rue a string of late wides as well as a ghost goal that wasn’t given. The game looked to be heading to extra-time only for the brilliant McCarthy to step up with a simply sensational score from the left-hand-side-line.
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Screeney and Bourke help Offaly to Leinster two-in-a-row
Star forwards Adam Screeney and Dan Bourke were brilliant as Offaly overcame Dublin in the Leinster final on a final scoreline of 1-18 to 1-15.
Screeney was the man-of-the-match in the game as Offaly sealed their second Leinster title in a row. The Kilcormac Killoughey sharpshooter was unerring on the frees and scored a brilliant brace of points from open play.
Offaly captain Dan Bourke was very impressive on the night as was Brendan Kenny, who had a sensational game for Dublin scoring 0-3 from play from his role as a sweeper. There were dramatic scenes as some of the Offaly crowd invaded the pitch prior to the end of the game.
When Conn Rock scored a goal for Dublin minutes after the crowd was cleared off the field, it looked like the celebrations may have been premature. But Offaly held on and the celebrations began once more.
With the provincial finals over, the oneills.com U20 GAA All-Ireland hurling championship takes place this Saturday in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny.
oneills.com All-Ireland U20HC final (Saturday)
Offaly v Tipperary, UPMC Nowlan Park, 7.15 – TG4
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