Dublin 2-11 Laois 1-9For a long and mostly depressing time the hurlers of Dublin and Laois have measured themselves against each other. They both live in the same neighbourhood, a backwater as far as hurling is concerned. Either team will only be upwardly mobile when it leaves the other behind. Yesterday it looked for a long time as if they would be inseparable for years to come. In the end though Dublin made the bigger stride towards respectability.
It's new broom time for both counties. Marty Morris has assumed power in Dublin, with encouraging early results. The highly respected Paidi Butler has taken over in Laois. Both counties have the feeling that they have the right to expect better things from themselves but lack the confidence to demand them. Yesterday won't have done either any harm.
Laois made the better start, gifted a goal after two minutes when some schoolboys howlers in the Dublin defence let Liam Tynan in.
Laois seemed quicker and more confident when they got the ball inside Dublin's 21-yard line. At the other end Dublin huffed and puffed and lacked any cut in front of goal.
That Dublin's redemption at the end of the match should have come through a couple of goals was as surprising as it was novel. For long periods it looked as if they had forgotten how to score goals.
Dublin managed to keep in the game after Tynan's early score. And as a pattern to the match emerged it became clear that the home side had the best hurler on the field in Conal Keaney.
His example and his influence steadied things for Dublin and while the early goal still separated the two sides at half-time, Dublin had treated themselves to a generous total of wides.
For the second half Dublin shifted the furniture, opting for Keith Wilson and Michael Carton, scion of a good Dub hurling family, in midfield. The tactical shift worked and Dublin closed the three-point gap quickly.
Still, it looked like being one of those days. Laois had a certain confidence about them and when Dublin drew back to level they stretched themselves and produced another couple of scores from James Young.
As the game headed towards the death it seemed as if this insouciant ability to muster a score whenever needed would see Laois home. Sometimes trends are deceiving though.
Dublin, who had missed a couple of good, well-worked goal chances earlier on, closed to within a point via a score from Keaney and then slipped back to two points behind when Tynan helped himself. Then a fine move down the right saw Keith Wilson make ground and Kevin Flynn move the ball inside for Keith Horgan to goal. After all the fatalism Dublin were ahead.
Than Shane Martin burst through the middle of the Laois defence and, sensibly opting for his point, saw the ball bounce back high on the post. He caught the rebound and drove it low to the net. Keaney iced the whole thing with the closing point.
DUBLIN: B McLoughlin; K Elliott, D Spain, C Meehan; K Wilson, C Keaney (0-4, 1 free, 1 65) , T Moore; S Hiney, S McDonnell (0-1); S Martin (1-1), L Ryan, K Horgan (1-2); F Armstrong, K O'Donoghue, K Flynn (0-3, 3 frees). Subs: M Carton for Armstrong (half time) E Dunne for O'Donoghue (half time)
LAOIS: K Galvin; L Mahon, P Cuddy, T Phelan; C Cuddy, P Cuddy, M McEvoy; Patrick Mahon, E Maher; J Phelan, J Young (0-5, 4 frees), E Fennelly; M Rooney, L Tynan (1-1), D Culleton (0-1). Subs: O Bergin (0-1) for Maher 45 mins, Pat Mahon for Patrick Mahon (0-1), (50 mins) T Fitzgerald for Fennelly (56 mins) M Dunphy for Culleton ( 57 mins).
Referee : B Gavin (Offaly).
