DUBLIN 2-11 CLARE 0-10
Dublin minor footballers booked their berth in the last four of this year’s All-Ireland MFC with this quarter-final victory at O’Moore Park, Portlaoise on Monday afternoon.
The Dubs will now face Derry in their All-Ireland MFC semi-final on Sunday, August 27 (1.30) – the curtain-raiser to the senior clash of Dublin and Tyrone.
Dublin struggled at times, conceding a lot of turnovers, as Clare deployed extra men back in defence but a purple patch early in the second half that yielded an unanswered 1-7 put them on the road to victory.
Ross McGarry was Dublin’s scorer-in-chief finishing with a tally of 2-4 (0-3f), the Ballyboden St Enda’s man getting the credit for a touch onto a James Doran delivery in the fourth minute of the second half.
This was the catalyst for Dublin’s best passage as McGarry, two points including one free, Seán Hawkshaw (two), wing-back Eoin O’Dea, Ciarán Archer and Fionnán O’Sullivan all tagged on points to give their side a 2-10 to 0-6 lead by the 56th minute.
Despite a great start Dublin only led by the minimum at the interval, 1-3 to 0-5.
Karl Lynch Bissett, from a James Doran pass, got the Dubs up and running with a point in the second minute while less than three minutes later Ross McGarry fired to the Clare net following good work by Donal Ryan.
However, the Banner County hit the next five points, two frees from Gavin Cooney another free from Dermot Coughlan with Gearóid Cahill and Coughlan again splitting the posts to lead 0-5 to 1-1.
But Dublin finished the half on the up courtesy of two frees from McGarry.
SCORERS – Dublin: R McGarry 2-4 (0-3f), S Hawkshaw, C Archer (0-1 ‘45’ 0-2 each), K Lynch Bissett, E O’Dea, F O’Sullivan 0-1 each. Clare: D Coughlan 0-4 (0-3f), G Cooney 0-3 (0-2f), R O’Doherty, G Cahill, J Sheedy 0-1 each.
DUBLIN: D O’Hanlon; D Maher, P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, L Flatman; K Kennedy, N Matthews, E O’Dea; D Ryan, M Tracey; K Lynch Bissett, J Doran, D Brennan; R McGarry, S Hawkshaw, D Lacey. Subs: F O’Sullivan for Brennan (ht), C Archer for Lacey (39), A Lynch for Maher (43), A Byrne for Ryan (54), H Ladd for McGarry (59), G Nangle for Kennedy (64).
CLARE: S Ryan; J Sheedy, J O’Sullivan, J Miniter; D Ryan, F Donnellan, C McNelis; D Griffin, K White; S Rouine, R Phelan, D Coughlan; R O’Doherty, G Cooney, G Cahill. Subs: S Casey for Cahill (39), C O’Donoghue for Phelan (42), A Reynolds for Griffin (44), P Kelly for O’Sullivan (54), C Dillon for White (57), C O’Brien for O’Doherty (61).
REF: B Cawley (Kildare).