By Colm Shalvey

Christy Ring Cup Final

Derry v Offaly, Sunday, 1.00, Croke Park

A new name will be engraved on the trophy after Sunday’s Christy Ring Cup Final between Derry and Offaly at Croke Park.

Four-time All-Ireland champions Offaly were relegated from the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2019 and after winning on their Christy Ring Cup debut against Derry last year, they were dumped out by Down after a thriller that ended up being decided by a penalty shoot-out. The Faithful County have been sending out signals this season that they may be on the way back. A series of comprehensive wins in the Allianz Hurling League saw Offaly claim the Division IIA title with a score difference of +91 and they have powered their way through to this final at the expense of Sligo and Wicklow.

Derry reached the Christy Ring decider in 2015, but they were relegated the following year, before bouncing back to win their second Nickey Rackard title in 2017. Having lost their opening two league games to leave themselves adrift of the promotion race in Division IIA, Derry have since gone on a five-match winning run. They needed to work hard for a one-point win over Roscommon in their championship opener, before they claimed more convincing results against Wicklow and Sligo.

Derry’s 2-70 in three Christy Ring Cup matches gives them an average score of over 25 points, but that is dwarfed by Offaly’s prodigious scoring rate as they have rattled in 8-69 in just two games.

Offaly are in their second campaign under the guidance of eight-time All-Ireland winner and 2011 Hurler of the Year Michael Fennelly. Eoghan Cahill has been in prolific form throughout the last two seasons, accumulating a remarkable 2-143 in 13 games. Brian Duignan, Oisín Kelly, John Murphy and Liam Langton have also been regulars on the scoresheet for Offaly, whose half-backs Aidan Treacy, Ben Conneely and Killian Sampson all chipped in towards their huge tally last weekend.

Antrim duo Dominic McKinley and Cormac Donnelly, who have both been connected with the multi-code success in Slaughtneil in recent years, have brought Derry to this stage at the first time of asking. Cormac O’Doherty has 62 points to his name in 2021 for the Oak Leaf County, while Odhrán McKeever and Gerald Bradley both also reached double figures over their last two games. Sé McGuigan, Brian Cassidy and Richie Mullan are also among the main men for Derry, who will be hoping that Conor McAllister is fit to take his place in the full-back line after he went off injured in their semi-final.

Derry will need everyone firing on all cylinders on Sunday as they bid to put the brakes on an Offaly side in rampant form to date.

Derry’s Christy Ring Cup scorers 2021: Cormac O’Doherty 0-27 (17f, 3 ‘65s); Odhrán McKeever 2-5; Gerald Bradley 0-10; Sé McGuigan 0-9; Brian Cassidy 0-5; Déaglán Foley 0-4; Eoghan Cassidy, Mark McGuigan 0-3 each; Shea Cassidy, Pádhraig Nelis, Richie Mullan, Conor Kelly 0-1 each.

Offaly’s Christy Ring Cup scorers 2021: Eoghan Cahill 0-23 (12f, 3 ‘65s, 1 s-l); Brian Duignan 1-10; Oisín Kelly 2-3; John Murphy 0-7; Liam Langton 0-6; Leon Fox, Shane Dooley (0-2f) 1-3 each; Killian Sampson, Aidan Treacy 1-2 each; Ben Conneely 1-1; Éimhín Kelly, Jason Sampson 0-3 each; Luke O’Connor 0-2; Colm Gath 0-1.

Christy Ring Cup top scorers 2021:

Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch (Sligo), 3-24

Andy O’Brien (Wicklow), 0-30

Cormac O’Doherty (Derry), 0-27

Eoghan Cahill (Offaly), 0-23

Cathal Dolan (Roscommon), 0-19

Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch of first-time semi-finalists Sligo is the 2020 Christy Ring Cup top scorer ahead of Sunday’s final. Wicklow’s Andy O’Brien is in second place, with two players involved in the decider – Derry’s Cormac O’Doherty and Offaly’s Eoghan Cahill – poised to move up the standings. The top five is completed by 2020 top scorer Cathal Dolan of Roscommon.