Leinster U20 Hurling Championship semi-final – Dublin v Offaly – 7:30 pm
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Dublin will face-off against Leinster rivals Offaly at Parnell Park, in Dublin on Tuesday, July 20th at 7:30 pm in the first Leinster U20 Hurling Championship semi-final.
The Dubs haven’t played since their defeat to Cork in the 2020 All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship final on the 10th of July after it was rescheduled due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
They beat a solid Galway team, who will also be competing in the second Leinster U20 Hurling Championship semi-final on the same day.
Winning the game by 2 points with a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-18 at O’Connor Park back in June.
Deservedly securing the crown of Leinster champions after an exciting game, after a back-and-forth tie which saw Galway trounce back a slender lead from the Dubs late on, the men from the capital held on for the victory after a monumental surge of pressure from The Tribesmen in the latter stages of the game.
Offaly on the other hand made their way into the semi-final after a 2-25 to 1-16 win against Kildare on the 13th of July, at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.
A competitive game throughout saw Offaly outscore the Lilywhites in the second half, hammering them with a score of 2-14 to 0-04 after the restart.
Jack Screeney was on scintillating form, scoring an immaculate 0-12, while DJ McLoughlin (1-03), Charlie Mitchell (0-04) and Joe Ryan (1-01) all contributed to crucial scores in the second half, which saw The Faithful County outmuscle their opponents.
Conclusion
This is a tough game to call given the form both sides are on, Dublin will have much to prove after winning last year’s (played this year) Leinster title and then losing out on All-Ireland glory the following month.
Their opponents, Offaly look so good going forward and have the added bonus of being defensively sound, with their second-half showing against Kildare showing off how solid they can be.
It is a toss-up affair, but I will have to go for Offaly, just.
Prediction: Offaly by 2 points
Starting TeamsÂ
Dublin
Offaly
Betting
Dublin: 1/4
Offaly: 7/2
Draw: 10/1
