Offaly hurlers laid down a major marker in the National League Division 1B with a last-gasp point from a monster free from U20 hurler Dan Ravenhill.
Ravenhill was deep in his own 45 when he attempted the free that beat Dublin 0-27 to 1-23 in Croke Park. OFfaly remain top of the pile and unbeaten so far this season while also showing their intentions for the upcoming Leinster championship.
The Faithful County was admittedly given a helping hand by Dublin midfielder Conor Burke's 65th-minute exit for a straight red card offence. This will now see him miss next weekend's crucial game against Waterford down in Walsh Park, which could determine who goes up to Division 1A next season if the Déise men can get the job done against Antrim.
Offaly had previously beaten Laois and Antrim in their last two league games, but this was a significant improvement in quality as they came up against the 2024 Leinster finalists. They trailed Dublin for the majority of the game but were never far off either. They will genuinely believe now that with ties against Westmeath and Waterford to come, they can secure promotion with a top-two finish.
With the same team from last year’s U20 All-Ireland, a good problem for Johnny Kelly and Leo O’Connor is how they will be able to manage a Leinster campaign and retain their crown with the 60-hour motion removing the seven-day restriction regarding players featuring in both inter-county Senior and U20 Championship fixtures will be a tough juggle.
However, I’m sorry to be a bearer of bad news. The last time an Offaly team has beaten Dublin at Croke Park in a league game, they finished the season with relegation from the Leinster championship. This will be a statistic that Kelly and Co will be looking to rearrange, especially if they can get Adam Screeney back to full health. The current enforced break could do him and the Faithful county the world of good.
