Dublin scrape triumph over Offaly

IN A NAIL-BITING encounter, Dublin eked out a narrow victory against Offaly with a final-quarter surge, clinching the Dioralyte O’Byrne Cup quarter-final by the slimmest of margins, 0-11 to 0- 10, at Gracefield, Portarlington on Saturday afternoon, reports Rory Merriman.

The first half saw Dublin trailing 0-6 to 0-2, and by the end of the third quarter, Offaly maintained a four-point lead at 0- 8 to 0-4.

However, Dublin rallied in the closing stages, with Brian O’Leary and Killian McGinnis landing crucial scores to secure a hard-fought win.

The hosts dominated possession in the opening half, quickly responding to Dublin’s early lead through Cian Dunne.

Offaly took control, securing a lead with points from Nigel Dunne and efforts by Dylan Hyland and Ruairí McNamee.

Brian O’Leary managed to briefly interrupt Offaly’s momentum, but the hosts continued to extend their advantage with points from Hyland and Kevin McDermott.

Dublin faced further challenges as Peter Duffy received a black card, and Offaly entered halftime with a well-deserved four-point lead.

The second half began with Offaly increasing their lead to five points through a Cian Farrell fisted effort.

The introduction of Evan Comerford at halftime brought stability to Dublin’s defense, and substitute Ben Millist trimmed the deficit.

The teams exchanged frees between Farrell and Dunne before Dublin’s resurgence in the final quarter.

Brian O’Leary and Killian McGinnis spearheaded the comeback, leveling the scores by the 63rd minute.

The influential O’Leary and McGinnis continued to shine, putting Dublin in the lead during injury time.

Despite some late pressure from Offaly, Dublin’s youthful team held on to advance to the semi-finals, setting up a clash against Wexford.

Noteworthy performances from Kevin Lahiff of St. Judes and Alex Gavin of Ballyboden highlighted the resilience of Dublin’s squad.

Looking ahead, Dublin faces Wexford in the quarter-finals at Parnell Park on Saturday, January 16.

The upcoming match promises to be another intense battle, building on the momentum gained from the hard-fought victory against Offaly.

With players like Brian O’Leary and Killian McGinnis in fine form, Dublin aims to secure a spot in the competition’s last four, and fans can anticipate an exciting clash as they strive to progress in the Dioralyte O’Byrne Cup.