FLASHBACK: Dublin v Antrim - 2024 Allianz Hurling League

By Conor Martin 

Dublin will be hoping for a similar outcome to their 2024 league meeting with Antrim when they head north this weekend in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B. 

Dublin were out of the blocks in a flash, Colin Currie pointing a free inside the opening minute. Six attacks brought six different scorers for the Dubs, while Antrim relied on three Conal Cunning frees to stay in touch.

Niall McKenna fired the Saffrons’ first from play, and, once they settled, the hosts drew level at 0-07.

Dublin struck three in response, but on 25 minutes, Ryan McGarry went long and Cunning climbed, turned and buried the sliotar into the net.

He added another from play to nose Antrim ahead, only for Dublin to finish the half strongly, leading 0-13 to 1-08 as Currie bookended the period with a free and by the half-time interval, there were 10 different Dubs on the scoresheet

Conor Burke stretched the gap after the restart, but Antrim surged back, Cunning hitting three more and Scott Walsh nudging them in front for the first time.

Antrim kept the pressure on, and even when Dublin reeled off three in a row to draw level, they responded again through Fred McCurry and debutant Joseph McLaughlin.

McLaughlin flashed a late goal chance into the side netting as Dublin clawed their way back once more and it seemed to be Antrim’s day when Cunning edged them ahead in the closing stages.

Then came the turning point, a moment Antrim keeper Tiernan Smyth, excellent up to then, would rue and want to forget ASAP. Smyth failed to deal with a dangerous ball, taking his eyes off the ball with Cian O'Sullivan in close proximity to see it over the line as the Dubs profited from the luckiest of lucky breaks as we recorded a first league win of 2024.