Dublin 2-14 Kildare 0-17 (after extra-time)
Cillian O’Shea summed up Dublin’s determined mood as he returned to play after an early injury in Navan to score the vital extra-time goal, securing a historic three-in-a-row of EirGrid Leinster Under-21 football titles.
No Dublin side had ever achieved that feat and with 27 minutes on the clock at Pairc Tailteann, and Kildare leading by seven points after a blitzkrieg start, it looked as if it would stay that way.
Kildare, the favourites partly because they beat Dublin in the minor championship three years ago, had surged into a 0-9 to 0-2 lead.
To compound matters for Dessie Farrell’s Dublin, they lost a groggy O’Shea, wearing number 12 but starting in defence, to a heavy hit sustained in the fifth minute.
Dublin fought back courageously to force extra-time, however, and there was considerable irony that having left the field with a fuzzy head, Kilmacud Crokes man O’Shea had the cool head to slot that winning goal after returning to action.
“The word came through that Cillian had to come off after a few minutes,” said Farrell. “Then the medical team came back to us and said that actually he wasn’t concussed.
“If we’d left it another minute he’d mightn’t have had to be substituted at all. But it may have worked out for us because he had a huge intervention then when he did come on for extra-time. Fair play to him, he showed great composure but he’s capable of doing that.”
Man of the Match Con O’Callaghan scored 1-7 for Dublin and his 27th minute goal hauled Dublin back after the slow start.
They trailed by just 1-5 to 0-10 at half-time and the sides were level three times in the second-half.
Neil Flynn, who hit 10 points for Kildare, forced extra-time with his 54th minute point from a 45. Dublin were the superior force in extra time though and for the second year running claimed Kildare’s scalp in the provincial final, O’Shea making sure of the win with his expertly taken 69th minute goal.
Dublin: L Molloy; E Smith, S McMahon, D Monaghan; C O'Shea (1-0), B Howard (0-1), M Cahilan (0-1); A Foley (0-1), D McIlgorm; K Deeley, C Basquel (0-1), G O'Reilly (0-2); C Sallier (0-1), C O'Callaghan (1-7, 5f), D Spillane.
Substitutes: S Clayton for O’Shea 5, A Elliot for McIlgorm 15, E Murchan for Monaghan h/t, P Small for Spillane h/t, M Deegan for Elliot 47. O’Shea for Sallier e/t, K Doherty for O’Reilly 68, Spillane for Murchan 76, T O’Sullivan for Smith 79.
Kildare: D Campbell; P Mescal, D Maguire, E Bateman; R Houlihan, S Ryan, B Byrne; L Flynn, P Connell (0-1); C Kavanagh, C McMonagle, C Hartley; B McCormack (0-5), C Healy (0-1), N Flynn (0-10, 3f, 3 45).
Substitutes: M Hyland for Byrne 30, R Feely for Hartley 38, M Sherry for McMonagle 43, C Scanlan for Healy 54. B Kelly for Scanlan e/t, Scanlan for McCormack 68, D Malone for Maguire 76, Healy for Feely 79.
Referee: J Hickey (Carlow).
