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Understrength Offaly prove no match for Dublin

O'BYRNE SHIELD SEMI-FINAL: Dublin 3-13 Offaly 0-7: DUBLIN QUALIFIED for their first ever O’Byrne Shield final following a comprehensive…

Mon Jan 24 2011 - 00:00

O'BYRNE SHIELD SEMI-FINAL: Dublin 3-13 Offaly 0-7:DUBLIN QUALIFIED for their first ever O'Byrne Shield final following a comprehensive win at Parnell Park on Saturday.

Pat Gilroy’s men had too much power and pace for an Offaly side missing 18 players through college commitments and their Rhode contingent on club championship duty.

After putting six goals past Wexford a week ago, Gilroy’s experimental Dubs had this match secured by half-time when they led by 3-6 to 0-2.

“It’s about getting as many guys as you can and having a look at them to see what sort of panel we are going to have for the National League. That is what we are all focusing on,” said Gilroy afterwards.

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“They are not all established guys, but you want them to put pressure on the established players. You want that constant pressure and I think having a good bit of competition served us well last year and, hopefully, that will be the case again this year.

“It was encouraging and they showed up well, particularly at the start where we played good patches of football.”

Given the number of players he was missing, Offaly manager Tom Cribben made no excuses after the game. “We have a lot to do. We were down a lot and can’t afford to be without them. Physical wise and strength wise, they looked ahead of us, but also their natural pace they had in abundance all over the pitch,” he conceded.

“We are learning. We are trying a lot of new lads and this is the only place you’ll learn. There’s no point in me thinking I’d a big 6ft guy who played well against Longford in a different intensity game – if you want to really learn, throw him into the thick of things against Dublin and give him that experience and, hopefully, he’ll learn from it.”

Dean Kelly shone in the Dublin attack and Denis Bastick and Colm Murphy dominated midfield where they were up against former underage Dublin star John Coughlan, now with Offaly.

Graham Cullen was pulled down for a penalty in the fifth minute which Mossy Quinn expertly converted. Then Kevin McManamon, in the 11th minute, and Diarmuid Connolly, in the 25th minute, ended fine solo runs with impressive finishes.

Not even the Offaly veterans Ciarán McManus and Karol Slattery could stem the tide as Dublin cruised to the final.

DUBLIN:S Cluxton; D Daly, S Murray, A Hubbard (0-1); D Lally (0-1), P Casey, C McKiernan; D Bastick (0-1), C Murphy; D Connolly (1-0), K Bonner, D Kelly (0-3); K McManamon (1-1), G Cullen (0-1), T Quinn (1-4: pen goal, 1 '45', two frees). Subs:A Darcy for McManamon (31 mins); P Flynn for Connolly (half-time); P Andrews (0-1) for Bonner (42), W Lowry for Daly (50), D Stapleton for McKiernan (55).

OFFALY:E Brennan; G Rafferty, S Brady, S Pender; N Spain, K Slattery, R Brady (0-1); P Bracken, R Dalton; NA Graham (0-1, free), J Reynolds, C McManus (0-3); N Dunne (0-1, free), J Coughlan, K Casey. Subs:G Guilfoyle for Dalton (half-time); S Ryan (0-1) for Bracken (51 mins).

Referee:J Curley (Meath).

Next Up . . .The other semi-final, between Meath and Laois, was called off at the weekend, and is rescheduled for tomorrow evening in Páirc Tailteann at 7.45pm. The winner will meet Dublin in the final next weekend.