EirGrid Leinster U20 Football Final

Kildare 0-16 Dublin 0-13 AET

By Paul Keane at Netwatch Cullen Park

Back to back EirGrid Leinster U20 football titles for Kildare and back to back heartbreak for Dublin who were defeated by the Lilywites in the final for the second year running.

Kildare got the job done in 60 minutes last year but required 80 this time around as they edged a dramatic extra-time affair to successfully defend their title for the first time since the 1960s.

Ryan Sinkey struck four points and collected the Man of the Match award after a strong display that propelled Brian Flanagan's side through to a May 6 All-Ireland semi-final clash with Derry or Down who meet in the Ulster final tomorrow evening.

After finishing last year's campaign as All-Ireland runners-up, Kildare will have designs on going a step further this time and certainly don't lack courage or character.

They trailed or were level for much of regular time in Carlow as Dublin sought their first title since 2020 but Colm Dalton's brilliant score for Kildare in the 62nd minute tied it up at 0-11 apiece and forced extra-time.

From there, Kildare pulled decisively clear, outscoring Dublin by 0-5 to 0-2 in the additional 20 or so minutes with scores from Adam Fanning, Callum Bolton, Shane Farrell, goalkeeper Cormac Barker and Oisin O'Sullivan.

Defeated Dublin changed almost a third of their team from the side that beat Meath by four points a week earlier in Navan.

Talisman forward Luke Breathnach and defender Eoghan O'Connor Flanagan were both carried off with injuries against Meath so missed out.

That opened up starting spots for Joe Quigley and Finn Bruton while Michael McDonald and Seamus Smith also lined out.

Kildare contained six starters from the team that beat Dublin by two points in last year's provincial decider.

Sinkey provided the early inspiration with three terrific Kildare points, his third tying the scores up at 0-4 apiece after 20 minutes.

It was tight and tense and three Dublin points in the remaining 10 or so minutes left them with a narrow 0-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

Quigley accounted for three of those Dublin's scores while Ross Keogh and county senior Greg McEneaney split the posts too.

Dublin got the margin out to three points in the third quarter with back to back Keogh points and it was about then that the game suddenly came alive.

Kildare's response was terrific and four points between the 42nd and 48th minutes from Bolton, Sinkey, O'Sullivan and Fanning nudged them ahead for the very first time, 0-10 to 0-9.

It was anyone's game in the closing minutes and Dublin did their best to seal victory with scores from Bill Costello and Quigley before Dalton sent the game to extra-time with a booming 62nd minute equaliser for Kildare, 0-11 to 0-11.

Kildare dominated the extra period, building on a 0-14 to 0-12 half-time lead to eventually win by three.

Scorers for Kildare: Ryan Sinkey 0-4, Colm Dalton 0-3, Shane Farrell 0-2 (0-2f), Callum Bolton 0-2, Adam Fanning 0-2, Oisin O'Sullivan 0-2, Cormac Barker 0-1 (0-1f).

Scorers for Dublin: Joe Quigley 0-5 (0-3f), Ross Keogh 0-4 (0-3f), Luke Ward 0-1, Greg McEneaney 0-1, Seamus Smith 0-1, Bill Costello 0-1.

Kildare: C Barker; R Burke, H O'Neill, T Von Engelbrechten; J Harris, J McGrath, J McKevitt; F Cooke, S Farrell; R Sinkey, C Bolton, C Dalton; E Cully, O O'Sullivan, A Fanning.

Subs: Sean Hanafin for Cully 41, Darragh Swords for Cooke 54. Ethan Mountaine for Von Engelbrechten e/t, Niall Dolan for Sinkey 64, Fionn O Giollain for Burke 70+1, Daire Guerin for McGrath 75.

Dublin: A Smyth; F Bruton, T Clancy, E Nugent; A Gavin, G McEneaney, D O'Leary; E Dunne, M McDonald; C Dolan, R Keogh, S Smith; L Ward, J Quigley, D Dempsey.

Subs: Bill Costello for Dempsey h/t, James Cotter for Smith 45, Tom Brennan for McDonald 50, Dara McGrath for O'Leary 62. Charlie McMorrow for Cotter e/t, McDonald for Costello 66, Caelum Moriarty for Quigley 70+1, Clyde Burke for Dolan 77.

Referee: Alan Coyne (Westmeath).