OFFALY endured a very tough, hard to swallow defeat to Dublin on their long awaited return to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in Parnell Park on Saturday evening. Three points ahead and with the clock drifting towards injury time late on, Offaly were on the cusp of a great win but a Ronan Hayes goal changed it for Dublin and they got four of the last five points for a 1-25 to 2-19 victory that was very rough justice on the losers. It was one of those games, however, where there was no case for a big public examination of how Offaly lost. The management will obviously be analysing the various things that could have resulted in a different outcome but for the supporters, it was a performance to be proud of. One where every single player emptied the tank, the majority performed at or close to potential and there was not a whole lot that was done wrong. CLICK ON THE ARROWS ABOVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE RATINGS

placeholder image — OFFALY endured a very tough, hard to swallow defeat to Dublin on their long awaited return to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in Parnell Park on Saturday evening. Three points ahead and with the clock drifting towards injury time late on, Offaly were on the cusp of a great win but a Ronan Hayes goal changed it for Dublin and they got four of the last five points for a 1-25 to 2-19 victory that was very rough justice on the losers. It was one of those games, however, where there was no case for a big public examination of how Offaly lost. The management will obviously be analysing the various things that could have resulted in a different outcome but for the supporters, it was a performance to be proud of. One where every single player emptied the tank, the majority performed at or close to potential and there was not a whole lot that was done wrong. CLICK ON THE ARROWS ABOVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE RATINGS

PLAYER RATINGS: How the Offaly senior hurlers fared in their tough loss to Dublin

By Kevin Corrigan

Midland and Tullamore Tribune Sports Editor

Published 21st Apr 2025, 13:33 GMT

5 – Ross Ravenhill - Ross Ravenhill was replaced immediately after scoring a great point and he by no means had abad game. At that stage, Dublin were running at Offaly and the half forwards were breaking the line but Ravenhill was working his socks off, tracking players and putting in heavy hits. Rating – 6.

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5 – Ross Ravenhill - Ross Ravenhill was replaced immediately after scoring a great point and he by no means had abad game. At that stage, Dublin were running at Offaly and the half forwards were breaking the line but Ravenhill was working his socks off, tracking players and putting in heavy hits. Rating – 6.

6 – Donal Shirley - Donal Shirley was in the top few contenders for man of the match after an excellent defensive display. He got in crucial hooks and blocks and his use of possession was very efficient. This game showed how well the Tubber man is adapting to top tier hurling.- Rating – 9.

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6 – Donal Shirley - Donal Shirley was in the top few contenders for man of the match after an excellent defensive display. He got in crucial hooks and blocks and his use of possession was very efficient. This game showed how well the Tubber man is adapting to top tier hurling.- Rating – 9.

7 – Jason Sampson - Jason Sampson played his heart out, cutting out a lot of ball and getting forward when he could. Dublin did come at the Offaly half back line in waves at times but the Shinrone man remained focused and worked so hard. Rating – 7.

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7 – Jason Sampson - Jason Sampson played his heart out, cutting out a lot of ball and getting forward when he could. Dublin did come at the Offaly half back line in waves at times but the Shinrone man remained focused and worked so hard. Rating – 7.

8 – Cathal King - A very solid workmanlike display by Cathal King. The Carrig-Riverstown man does a lot of unseen work in midfield and he covered a huge amount of ground.. - Rating – 7

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8 – Cathal King - A very solid workmanlike display by Cathal King. The Carrig-Riverstown man does a lot of unseen work in midfield and he covered a huge amount of ground.. - Rating – 7

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