Huge win for Senior Hurlers against Antrim

DUBLIN 1-31 

ANTRIM 1-16

Dublin picked up their second victory in Division 1B of the Allianz National Hurling League when overcoming Antrim by fifteen points at Corrigan Park on Sunday afternoon. 

The margin of victory will help in terms of points difference as twelve separate players contributed on the scoreboard with the hosts, in contrast, limited to just five scorers over the seventy minutes. 

With the wind at their backs, Dublin took full advantage in the first-half as they led by 0-20 to 1-8 with Ruairí Donaghy netting for the hosts in the 25th minute. 

The visitors pulled further clear as Chris Crummey put the finishing touches to a well-worked move early in the second-half with the outcome never in doubt from that point. 

Dublin wasted little time in serving notice of their intent with scores by Donal Burke and Fergal Whitely helping build a five-point buffer by the 6th minute. 

Seaan Elliott opened the home account through a 7th minute free but the visitors continued to dominate with Dara Purcell, Whitely and Burke enhancing their personal tallies. 

A trio of Elliott frees either side of the first-quarter mark brought Antrim back to within six points as the contest settled somewhat after such a frantic start. 

Burke was equally effective from placed balls at the opposite end but the hosts were handed encouragement ten minutes before the break as Donaghy improvised a flicked finish past Seán Brennan in the Dublin goal. 

Keelan Molloy added a brace of points as the half evolved but Dublin finished the half in the ascendancy as James Madden and Cian O’Sullivan pushed them nine points clear by the interval.

The St Brigid’s attacker and current All Star continued in a similar vein after the break as he clipped over three further scores and the issue was effectively settled as Crummey found the net in the 40th minute. 

Whitely, who made a strong impression in his first outing of the year against Wexford, was busy throughout and was rewarded for his efforts with five points from play while his Kilmacud clubmate Purcell chipped in with a quartet of scores. 

These tallies proved too much for an Antrim side heavily reliant on Elliott for keeping their scoreboard ticking over and Dublin eased home through a brace of late points by substitute Ronan Hayes. 

The Dubs will look to take another positive step towards achieving their promotion ambitions when they host Down in Parnell Park next Saturday afternoon (5.00).  

Scorers – Dublin: D Burke 0-8 (4f, 1 ‘65); F Whitely 0-5; C Crummey 1-1; D Purcell, C O’Sullivan 0-4 each; J Madden, R Hayes 0-2 each; P Smyth, C Burke, B Hayes; J Hetherton, D Ó Dúlaing 0-1 apiece. Antrim: S Elliott 0-8 (7f); R Donaghy 1-1; K Molloy 0-3; J McNaughton (1f), C Johnston 0-2 each. 

Dublin: S Brennan; C Groarke, P Smyth, E O’Donnell; A Dunphy, C Crummey, C Burke; B Hayes, C Donohoe; F Whitely, D Burke, J Madden; D Purcell, J Hetherton, C O’Sullivan.Subs: D Ó Dúlaing for Hetherton (43), C McHugh for Groarke (43), J Bellew for Smyth (58), C Ó Cathasaigh for O’Donnell (61), R Hayes for O’Sullivan (65).  

Antrim: D Nugent; S Rooney, N O’Connor, P Burke; E McFerran, G Walsh, J Maskey; R McCambridge, P Boyle; K Molloy, C Johnston, R Donaghy; S Elliott, J McNaughton, S Walsh. Subs: E O’Neill for S Walsh (47), J McCloskey for Elliott (62), S Duffin for Boyle (62), J McLaughlin for McCambridge (68).   

Referee: Brian Keon (Galway).