Dublin 4-12 Offaly 0-17
Reigning All-Ireland Under-20 champions Offaly have been dethroned at the provincial quarter-final stage, with Dublin firing three second-half goals to quash any back-to-back ambitions at St Conleth's Park.
Offaly's class of 2024 claimed a memorable maiden All-Ireland title at the grade in June last year, an emotional triumph for a county which had spent so many years in the hurling wilderness.
With the likes of Adam Screeney, Dan Ravenhill, Donal Shirley and Shane Rigney still eligible to feature in the competition, there were high hopes of another tilt at silverware.
A group-stage loss to Galway to Ballinasloe pitched them into this afternoon's quarter-final against Dublin, who survived a preliminary quarter-final with a three-point win over Antrim.
Offaly were in control for much of the first half, Screeney landing six frees, with Ravenhill and Rigney chipping in with further points as they led 0-09 to 1-03 at the break.
It might have been even better, however, but for Callum Graham's scrappy 27th-minute goal which gave the underdogs a lifeline heading in at the break.
This proved invaluable. The Dubs were level immediately on the restart, Ollie Gaffney, involved in the lead-up to the first goal, finding the net himself.
Offaly nosed back in front with points from Ravenhill and Leigh Kavanagh but Dublin hit the lead for the first time, Graham bagging his second goal on 37 minutes to leave the score at 3-04 to 0-11.
Relying on goals until now, the Dubs, once in the groove, started flighting over points, with Gaffney, Brendan Kenny, Conal Ó Riain and Senan Crosbie all landing scores, as they nudged the lead out to four at 3-10 to 0-15 entering the final 10 minutes.
When Gaffney slipped home his second goal on 56 minutes, Offaly's race was run. The Dubs eased home on a 4-12 to 0-17 scoreline.
The Dubs progress to face Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final. The much-vaunted Offaly underage crop of 2024-25 are free to concentrate on the senior grade for the rest of the summer and beyond.
Wexford 1-18 Laois 1-24
Monday's other quarter-final yielded an even bigger upset, as Laois turned over Wexford in Chadwick's Wexford Park to continue the hosts' difficult fortnight.
Laois entered the game of the back of a preliminary quarter-final win over Kildare, while Wexford pipped Dublin in the group stage, but it was the away side who built up a seven-point first half lead, courtesy of a second-quarter surge.
A run of eight points on the trot, four coming from Ben Deegan, with two more from Ruaidhrí Kavanagh saw them lead 0-14 to 0-07 after 25 minutes, albeit with the benefit of a wind.
They frittered away most of that advantage on the lead-in to half-time, Conor Fanning burying a goal for Wexford to leave it 0-15 to 1-11 at the interval.
However, it was in the period after half-time that Laois really won the game, Justin Deegan finding the net shortly after the restart, with points from Deegan and Eoghan Cuddy pushing the lead out to six.
Laois held firm in the final 20, the Deegans - Ross, Ben and Justin - all chipping in with more scores as they ran out 1-24 to 1-18 winners.
This sets up a semi-final shot at redemption against Galway, against whom they lost by 23 points in Portlaoise just over a month ago.
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch Galway v Wexford in the Leinster Hurling Championship on Saturday from 2.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Saturday Game from 9.40pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates from around the country on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
