Senior Hurlers ease past Down

DUBLIN 6-32 

DOWN 0-18

Dublin picked up their second win in six days as they overcame Down by thirty-one points in their Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B clash at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Having eased past Antrim last Sunday, the Dubs led by 3-15 to 0-11 by half-time with a brace of John Hetherton goals augmented by another from Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing. 

Further goals from Dara Purcell and Paddy Dunleavy in the opening ten minutes of the second-half continued the procession with Fergal Whitely adding a sixth goal in the 68thminute. 

Tim Prenter opened the scoring for the visitors inside twenty seconds with Dublin levelling matters through a Donal Burke free in the 3rd minute. 

While Conor Burke edged the hosts in front four minutes later, Down managed to regain their lead as Daithí Sands and Paul Sheehan (free) tagged on points prior to Dublin assuming control of matters in the 9th minute. 

Hetherton’s influence from the edge of the square allowed him to deflect a lengthy delivery into his own path and the resultant pulled finish from ten yards left Pearce Smyth helpless in the away goal. 

The St Vincent’s attacker added two points from play by the 15th minute and with Dara Purcell, Donal Burke and the influential Darragh Power also on target, the hosts raced into a six-point lead towards the end of the first quarter. 

Tom McGrattan and Finn Turpin popped over scores at the opposite end but Dublin were finding space far too readily as they enhanced their lead following points from Fergal Whitely, Purcell, Donal Burke and Chris Crummey. 

The hosts looked to have lost a degree of momentum towards the end of the half despite an excellent Ó Dúlaing point as their opponents clipped over deserved scores through Sheehan and Liam Savage.

However, Hetherton’s second goal in the 34th minute, firing over after a Whitely turnover, highlighted the porous nature of the Down defence and Ó Dúlaing added a third goal soon after to extend Dublin’s lead to thirteen points by half-time. 

The second-half resumed in a similar vein of home pressure and after Ó Dúlaing and Donal Burke had added to their personal tallies, Purcell raced through with a low shot that Pearce failed to prevent from crossing the line. 

Matters deteriorated for Down in the 45th minute as Hetherton turned provider for Paddy Dunleavy to race through unopposed and crash home with Donal Burke landing a sublime point from under the terrace soon after to highlight the disparity on show.

Sheehan converted a trio of frees by way of riposte but those scores were of scant consolation to a Down side that were chasing shadows for the large part. 

Dublin made full use of their bench with Brendan Kenny looking lively when introduced but his hamstring injury in added time was a disappointing footnote to the encounter. 

His Kilmacud Crokes teammate Whitely added a sixth goal three minutes from the end with Dublin turning their thoughts to Ennis tomorrow lunchtime when they hope Clare can do them a favour against Wexford.  

Scorers – Dublin: J Hetherton 2-3; D Burke 0-8 (6f); D Purcell 1-5; F Whitely, D Ó Dúlaing1-2 each; D Power 0-4; P Dunleavy 1-0; B Kenny 0-3; D Keogh 0-2; C Burke, C Crummey, S Gallagher 0-1 apiece. Down: P Sheehan 0-7 (5f, 1 ’65); D Sands 0-3; F Turpin 0-3; C Taggart, L Savage, T Prenter, S Pucci, T McGrattan 0-1 apiece.  

Dublin: E Gibbons; J Bellew, C McHugh, C Kennedy; P Dunleavy, C Crummey, C Burke; D Power, C Ó Riain; F Whitely, D Burke, J Madden; D Purcell, J Hetherton, D Ó Dúlaing. Subs: D Keogh for Ó Riain (half-time), P Doyle for Madden (half-time), B Kenny for D Burke (48), S Gallagher for Crummey (51), D Lucey for McHugh (60).

Down: P Smyth; N McFarland, R McCrickard, B Teggert; B Trainor, C Taggart, L Savage; D Hughes, T Prenter; F Turpin, P Sheehan, D Sands; E Pucci, S Pucci, T McGrattan. Subs: M Dorrian for McGrattan (half-time), M Fisher for Teggart (24), B Christie for Prenter (51), C Coleman for E Pucci (51), C Cassidy for McCrickard (60), S McCarthy for Sheehan (Temp, 71).  

Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim).