O'Neills.com Leinster U-20 Hurling Championship Quarter-Final results

OFFALY 3-20 GALWAY 2-17

WEXFORD 3-17 WESTMEATH 3-12

Offaly delivered the shock of the season so far in the O'Neills.com U-20 championships this afternoon when they knocked 2020 All-Ireland minor champions Galway out at the quarter-final stage in Leinster, while Wexford's five-point win in Mullingar means that they too will join Kilkenny and Dublin in the eastern province's semi-final draw.

A late goal from dual star Cormac Egan was the match-clinching score for the Faithful County, where seven of the 18 players that saw action were part of last year’s minor group. Despite their lack of experience and maturity relative to a highly-rated Galway group, they posed a huge physical test to the Tribesmen, disrupting the westerners' attacking flow.

The sides went point-for-point in the early stages but Galway needed some long-range dead ball scores from Rory Burke to stay in touch, with only Darren Shaughnessy making any impression close to goal. Meanwhile Shane Rigney, Adam Screeney, Joe Hoctor and Dan Bourke struck early points for Offaly, who did a better job of creating good chances from within 50 metres of the Galway goal.

Screeney set up Rigney for Offaly’s first green flag after 12 minutes and the prospect of an upset win was really opened up when good work from Charlie Mitchell and Dan Bourke gave Joe Hoctor the chance to fire in Offaly’s second goal eight minutes before half-time.

2-8 to 0-9 in front at the interval, Offaly were rocked after half-time when Galway drew level with a quickfire 1-2, Ruben Davitt firing in the goal and a point, but a majestic score from Screeney on the right wing, followed up by two points in 30 seconds from Rigney and Mitchell, pushed momentum back Offaly’s way.

A lengthy injury stoppage which saw wing back Brecon Kavanagh taken off didn’t disrupt Offaly in the slightest and they kicked on again with points from Mitchell and Hoctor, not to mention a majestic score from Ter Guinan on the run, to lead by six, but a goal from Liam Leen at the start of eight minutes of stoppage time ensured a tense and dramatic finale.

Shane Rigney hit the post going for goal at one end, Kieran Hanrahan almost found the net but had his shot blocked by Mark Troy at the other, and it was right at the death when Offaly could finally celebrate as Cormac Egan set up Mitchell for a shot on goal and while Darragh Walsh did brilliantly to deny Mitchell, the ball fell kindly for Egan to whip the sliotar to the net and seal Offaly’s first championship win over Galway at any level since the 1994 senior semi-final. 

Westmeath, who caused Offaly plenty of problems when the two sides met in the first series of round robin games in this year's championship, were also impressive this afternoon as they took on Wexford at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar, though they couldn't quite match their midland rivals when it came to actually delivering a victory, as Wexford always had a little bit to spare in a competitive and thoroughly enjoyable contest.

The Model County took control of the game when Corey Byrne Dunbar set up Jack Redmond for a goal with eight minutes gone and they briefly moved six points clear, before being dragged right back into a tight battle when David Williams struck 1-1 and Eamon Cunneen added a point to make it 1-6 to 1-5.

In a tie where both sides went through spells of dominance, Corey Byrne Dunbar struck back with two wonderful points, a fantastic catch from Luke Murphy set up Cillian Byrne for a second Wexford goal, but a Brian McGrath green flag for Westmeath, hit in at the second attempt after a fine initial save from Derry Mahon, left the game finely poised at half-time, 2-10 to 2-7.

Cian Byrne and David Williams led the scoring charge as the two counties traded points throughout the second half, and it was only with a little under five minutes to play that Wexford gave themselves a little bit of breathing room through Jack Redmond's second goal, meaning that by the time David O'Reilly responded in kind for Westmeath, Pádraig Dunne's final whistle was only a minute away.