DUBLIN 4-18 MEATH 0-14
Pat Gilroy's reign as the new manager of the Dublin senior hurlers got off to a winning start when his side comfortably accounted for Meath in Wednesday night's Bord na Móna Walsh Cup round-robin clash at Abbotstown.
The Dubs face Antrim in Parnell Park this Sunday (2.0) with a victory booking them a place in the semi-finals.
Dublin settled quickly to move into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead after only eight minutes and by the break were out of sight really when 2-11 to 0-7 clear.
The Dubs struck for their opening goal in the 14th minute when Craobh Chiaráin's Robbie Mahon Darren Kelly fetched a long delivery from his club-mate Darren Kelly and fired home.
Ten minutes later Fionn Ó Riain Broin, who finished with 2-1, found the net as Dublin established a ten-point advantage by the break.
His second goal was one of the scores of the net when he manoeuvred space well before raising his second green flag.
Cian McBride's goal from Dublin early in the second half ended any hopes of a Royal comeback.
SCORERS – Dublin: P Winters 0-9 (0-6f, 0-1 ‘65'), F O Riain Broin 2-1, F Whitely 0-4, R Mahon, C McBride 1-0 each, A Moore 0-3, C Costello 0-1. Meath: J Regan 0-6 (0-5f), J Kelly 0-3, A Forde, J Toher (0-1f), P Conneely, N Heffernan, E Marsh 0-1 each
DUBLIN: A Nolan; P Smyth, B O’Carroll, C Hendricken; S Barrett, D Kelly, C Crummey; J McCaffrey, T Connolly; R Mahon, F Whitely, C Costello; A Moore, P Winters, F O Riain Broin. Subs: C McBride for Mahon (ht), S Ó Riain for McCaffrey (48), D Gray for Whitely (51).
MEATH: S McGann; C Lynch, D Healy, S Brennan; D Kelly, J Regan, K Keoghan; A Forde, M O’Grady; J Kelly, J Keena, J Toher; A Gannon, P Connelly, N Heffernan. Subs: P Kelly for Brady (ht), S McGrath for O’Grady (42), E Marsh for Forde (47), S O’Hanrahan for Connelly (56).
REF: D Hughes (Carlow).
Sunday 7th January 2018
Bord na Mona O Byrne Cup Senior Football:
St Patricks Park Enniscorthy (2.00) Wexford v Dublin
Ref: David Hickey (Carlow)
Glennon Bros Pearse Park (2.00) Longford v Kildare
Ref: Chris Dwyer (Offaly)
Pairc Tailteann Navan (2.00) Meath v Wicklow
Ref: Stephen Murphy (Louth)
Stradbally (2.00) Laois v Westmeath
Ref: Fintan Pierce (Offaly)
Bord na Mona Walsh Cup Senior Hurling:
Ashford (2.00) Wicklow A v Wexford
Ref: David Hughes (Carlow)
Freshford, Kilkenny (2.00) Kilkenny v Kildare
Ref: Gearoid McGrath (Wexford)
Parnell Park (2.00) Dublin v Antrim
Ref: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)
TEG Cusack Park Mullingar (2.00) Westmeath v Offaly
Ref: Barry Redmond (Wexford)
Bord na Mona Kehoe Cup Senior Hurling:
Louth Centre of Excel, Darver (2.00) Louth v Wicklow (B)
Ref: Chris Mooney (Dublin)
Glennon Bros Pearse Park (12.00) Longford v DCU/St Patricks
Ref: Shane Guinan (Offaly)