Kevin Ryan sung the praises of both Offaly and Westmeath after they served up a classic Leinster SHC quarter-final on Saturday night.

The Faithful manager cut a relieved figure after Shane Dooley - who bagged 3-8 - inspired them to a brilliant comeback win, which avenged last year's heavy defeat to the same opposition.

"My heart is still racing there, what a finish!" Ryan is quoted as saying in the Irish Daily Star.

"We didn't need that, but of course halfway through the second half you would settle for that kind of a finish.

"It was a great game of hurling and I hope to God that it gets the credit it deserves. People will look at it and say it's only Westmeath and Offaly, but there were some fantastic scores there, some fantastic hurling.

"The heart and the effort and the passion from both teams was fantastic."

Two of Dooley's goals came in the closing stages and Ryan praised the Tullamore sharpshooter for sticking to his task in the face of another strong showing from Westmeath full back Tommy Doyle.

"I remember the Tipperary game (Allianz League quarter-final). You are on the verge of taking him out of it, 10 or 15 minutes to go and he's tired. And he ends up getting 2-3 in the last three minutes. He does that in games."

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