Brave Tipperary effort was not enough to deny great Offaly in U20 decider

O’Neills.com All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship Final

Tipperary 2-14

Offaly 2-20

Final heartache hit the Tipperary U20s in UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday evening as they succumbed to a classy Offaly side in a thrilling O’Neills.com All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship Final on a blistering hot day in Kilkenny.

Second-half goals from Dan Bourke and Shane Rigney at the right moments sunk a gallant and relentless Tipperary team, who couldn’t muster up the energy and spirit of their win over Cork despite their best efforts.

Despite starting the game well and being in the lead during the first quarter thanks in large part to a Darragh McCarthy penalty, Tipperary played second fiddle for the rest of the game in reality, as the hurt and pain of the All-Ireland Final loss at the same venue to Tipperary in 2022 seemed to drive them on and end a long, long wait for an All-Ireland title.

Great credit has to go to the young Tipperary players who - despite suffering several scoring blows throughout the game - never threw in the towel and on two separate occasions brought back nine and seven-point leads to a one-score game but just couldn’t find that extra gear to reel in an Offaly team who had a sense of destiny on the day.

A nervous opening exchange greeted the huge support in Kilkenny. Both sides had the chance to get the opener and dropped a few efforts shot apiece with Offaly eventually breaking the stalemate in the fourth minute through a close-range Adam Screeney free.

Screeney was picked up from the start by Tipperary defender Podge O’Dwyer who has been in great for himself at cornerback. But Screeney gave him an early indication of his confidence just a minute after that opening score with a beauty from the sideline to make it 0-2 to nil early on.

Tipperary were starting decently all the same. From a puckout from an Offaly wide in the second minute, Oisin O’Donoghue found space in behind the Faithful defence with a strong run, and with Darragh McCarthy free inside, he fed him the ball but the Toomevara man was denied a shot from close range by a drag back by Donal Shirley - penalty to Tipp.

McCarthy stepped up to the plate and like he did in the opening Munster Championship match in Rathkeale last month, he buried his penalty past a helpless Liam Hoare. Tipp were up and running and into the lead on seven minutes.

That got the Premier blood up in a big way and it propelled them to hit another three just after Dan Bourke had settled Offaly in the ninth minute. McCarthy won and converted his own free a minute later while Ciaran Foley announced his arrival in the game with two beautiful taken points from play in the 14th and 15th minute respectively with south men Aaron O’Halloran and Cathal English playing their part in either score as Tipp raced into a 1-3 to 0-3 advantage after the quarter hour mark.

Discipline would be costly for Tipp in the final quarter of the half though as they were giving away some pretty needless frees in the following five or so minutes with three Adam Screeney frees along with a classy effort from Barry Egan putting Offaly back in front; Offaly running the ball from deep and drawing the frees.

It could have been a four-point game in the 25th minute too, with Screeney getting away from O’Dwyer for the first time in front of goal, and with confidence brimming, the Kilcormac Killoughey man went for a goal but was denied by a smart save from Eoin Horgan.

Primary possession was deserting Tipp late in the half with Darragh McCarthy cutting a lone figure up top at times and it was breathing life into Offaly who were running from deep with good effectiveness, it was after Adam Screeney pointed a 65 just before a well-taken third fro Ciaran Foley in the 26th minute that Offaly hit four in a row through Screeney (two frees), Dan Bourke, and savage Barry Egan second to give them a healthy looking 0-12 to 1-4 lead.

Despite playing second-best late in the half, Tipp fired over the last score of the first period in added time with Cathal English again turning provider, Senan Butler the recipient of the ball from the Father Sheehysma to fire over off his left on the run. Tipp trailed 0-12 to 1-5 at the break as the Offaly roar sent the teams down the tunnel.

More energy and more assuredness in Tipperary’s play was needed for the second half and in fairness, they started well by notching the first two points from Cathal English and Darragh McCarthy (free). 

Despite that, the game was still being played on Offaly’s terms in the following minutes after that flurry from Tipp; Offaly bagging the next four with cheap 65s and frees again on the menu for Adam Screeney to gobble up while Cathal King and Dan Bourle added to the scoring as they hit the front by six. Tipp in real trouble now.

Oisin O’Donoghue provided a taste of what Tipperary needed as he finished a well-executed move from a puck out, going through the hands with the Cashel King Cormacs man applying a lovely finish.

However, the game was not destined to peter out as two goals came in the space of 60 seconds in the 45th and 46th minute, first from Offaly when a speculative Shane Rigney point floated straight into the net and no doubt, Eoin Horgan will feel he could have managed it better. The response to that was instantaneous from Tipp from the puckout with Senan Butler breaking onto the long ball and finishing expertly to the net! Game back on!

The structured game was now frantic, and a Darragh McCarthy free cut the gap to four by the 47th minute. Still, Offaly always had a response and the work of their captain Dan Bourke again bore fruit in the 48th minute as he found himself in acres of space in the Tipp defence to gallop down the middle and score Offaly’s second. It was a big blow to Tipp at this stage.

A lot of admiration must be set aside for the Tipperary players after that blow as they continued to give everything and in the next ten minutes battled their way back to make it a three-point game with two minutes left on the clock with Sam O’Farrell leading the charge with a point and setting up Darragh McCarthy to score too, while Conor Martin landed a classy effort on the run in between. Tipp behind but motoring at 2-17 to 2-17.

However, there was to be no last-gasp smash-and-grab from Tipperary this time with Offaly showing the experience of a team who had played in this game the previous year against Cork; Offaly hitting the final three points through Screeney (free), Colin Spain, and a collectors item for Ruairi Kelly in the final minutes as the Faithful claimed their very first All-Ireland U20 title.

Despite this loss, there is still a huge amount of positivity around this group with 20 of the final day panel of 24 underages for the grade in 2025. Although the loss will colour the year in a negative light in the coming days and weeks, it has to be considered a success with a Munster title in the bag despite many around the county not expectant of this group after early season soundings.

Scorers: Tipperary: Darragh McCarthy (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-4f); Senan Butler 1-1, Ciaran Foley 0-3, Oisin O’Donoghue 0-2, Conor Martin, Cathal English, Sam O’Farrell all 0-1 each.

Offaly: Adam Screeney (0-12, 0-8f, 0-3 65s), Dan Bourke 1-3, Shane Rigney 1-0, Barry Egan 0-2, Colin Spain, Cathal King, Ruairi Kelly all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan (Knockavila Donaskeigh Kickhams); Chris O’Donnell (Ballylooby Castlegrace), Aaron O’Halloran (Carrick Swans), Podge O’Dwyer (Killenaule); James Collins (Ballina), Ben Currivan (Golden Kilfeacle), Mason Cawley (Nenagh Éire Óg); Adam Daly (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams), Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg); Cathal English (Father Sheehys), Conor Martin (Cappawhite), Ciaran Foley (Borrisokane); Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara), Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), Senan Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash).

Subs used: Jack O’Callaghan (Portroe) for Cawley (49); Joe Egan (Moycarkey Borris) for Foley (50); Sam Rowan (Mullinahone) for Daly (60).

Offaly: Liam Hoare (Carrig Riverstown); Ruairi Kelly (Lusmagh), Ben Miller (Birr), James Mahon (Kilcormac Killoughey); Donal Shirley (Tubber), Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac Killoughey), Ter Guinan (Kilcormac Killoughey); Colin Spain (Kilcormac Killoughey), Cathal King (Carrig Riverstown); Shane Rigney (St. Rynaghs), Dan Bourke (Durrow), Conor Doyle (Clara); Leigh Kavanagh (Kilcormac Killoughey), Barry Egan (Clara), Adam Screeney (Kilcormac Killoughey).

Subs used: Alex Kavanagh (Kilcormac Killoughey) for Egan (50); Eoin Burke (Coolderry) for Doyle (50); Dan Ravenhill (Durrow) for Kavanagh (61); Daniel Hand (Kilcormac Killoughey) for Rigney (63).

Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin)