O'Byrne Cup - Dublin 0-15 Offaly 1-07

Dublin 0-15 Offaly 1-07

Pat Gilroy, away with the senior panel at a training camp, will return in the knowledge that Dublin's stranglehold on the O'Byrne Cup remains tight.  With the U21s also playing elsewhere it was left to Mick Bohan to select a team to take on Offaly & his charges did football in the county a lot of credit.

After a couple of early exchanges for each side the Dubs accelerated & after 30 minutes saw the Blues take a 6point lead.  John O'Brien & Nesty Smith played havoc with the Offaly defence.  But before the Dubs could take it easy a soft goal ensued with a lobbed in ball seemingly missed by Declan O'Mahony in the sun dropping to the net.

Dublin pushed on in the 2nd half and although Offaly marked tightly the result was never in question & Bohans charges progressed to a 2nd round meeting with Wicklow on the 11th in Parnell Park.

Dublin - C Walsh, B Sexton, Willie Lowry (St. Vincents) (B Kirby (50)), Darren Daly (Fingal Ravens), Declan Lally (St. Brigids) (0-01), Gary O'Connell (Erins Isle) (Kevin Devine (65)), Philip McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams), Declan O'Mahoney (Ballyboden St. Endas), Elliott Reilly, Derek Byrne (0-03), Gareth Smith (St. Oliver Plunketts/ER) (0-01), James O'Connor (Thomas Davis) (Danny McCann (30)), Aidan Relihan (0-03), John O'Brien (0-04), J Donnelly. 

Offaly - A Mulhall, C Evans, C McManus, K Lynam, K Flannery, J Quinn, M Mitchell, N Smith (0-01) (J Rafferty (40) (C Egan (55))), C Carroll (0-01), N Coughlan (0-01), R Guinan (0-03), G Rafferty (Jason Kelly (50)), T Deehan (1-01), J Reynolds (P McConway (55)), J Coughlan (K Casey (45)).