Dublin 2-17 Clare 0-17
On the afternoon Division One A of the Allianz Hurling League served notice that it might no more be easily unravelled than last year, when each county had everything to play for on the final day, we can't say we weren't warned about this particular encounter.
Like all of the teams who had lost their opening game, Dublin – whose setback in Galway had been especially embarrassing – responded impressively to overcome the All-Ireland champions in a match they led from gun to tape before a crowd of 4,312 at Parnell Park.
"Mindset is nearly everything, isn't it?" said winning manager Anthony Daly afterwards. "Waterford and Kilkenny won as well didn't they? These league games – they're funny. We'd a bit of a meeting on Tuesday night and we trained hard on Tuesday and Thursday and we asked for a response and in fairness, we got a response.
“We missed a few chances to make it maybe a bit more comfortable for ourselves but Clare probably targeted last week something savage – at home to Kilkenny – and it’s hard then to be 100 per cent tuned for the following week. So, we smelt an advantage there and it’s good to see lads back in form.”
Daly’s old comrade-in-arms, Clare manager David Fitzgerald reiterated the message he sent out after defeating Kilkenny last week: “You’re not going to have a performance every day. We definitely didn’t have as much hunger as the last day and we knew Dublin were going to come very hungry today. They did, Dublin fought like tigers today.”
Champions' revival
One influence on the Leinster champions' revival was the stepped-up form of their key players. Liam Rushe resumed his All Star performance levels, ruling the air in a match during which, as Fitzgerald said, the ball appeared to follow him around the half-back line.
Beside him Shane Durkin was also in impressive form, driving forward and scoring two points in the second half. In attack, Conal Keaney similarly dominated the skies and scored 1-3 from play.
Around the middle, Clare were annihilated on the puck-outs and that prevented their building any sustainable momentum going forward and also gave Dublin plenty of material for their attack.
On a heavy pitch Dublin’s physical advantages helped but, as Fitzgerald acknowledged, the winners’ desire also trumped Clare.
There was inevitably in the circumstances plenty of frees – half of the total scores came from placed balls – and in that regard, Dublin were pleased to welcome back Alan McCrabbe, who missed last season. He took over from regular free-taker Paul Ryan, who went for a groin scan yesterday.
McCrabbe hit seven frees and one line ball in the first half whereas Colin Ryan provided the usual reliable supply for the All-Ireland champions.
Dublin first broke away on the scoreboard when Keaney thundered in for a goal to make it 1-6 to 0-2. Clare struggled to keep in touch but John Conlon chipped in with three points from play.
At the break Dublin led by five, 1-12 to 0-10 – the last point from Colm Cronin a potential goal after he'd been sent clear by Keaney.
Lost control
Cronin, who had an energetic match at centrefield, had his moment however less than 10 minutes into the second half when McCrabbe's ball got him into space. He nearly lost control of the sliotar but had the presence of mind to steer it into the net to put Dublin eight up, 2-14 to 0-12.
Within a minute David O’Callaghan very nearly made it three with a snapped finish that saw the ball zinging out off the crossbar.
Clare got the deficit back to six but couldn't reduce it any further. Tony Kelly tried to engineer goals from late frees but to no avail. Replacements Cathal O'Connell, who like last week marked his arrival with a point, and Bobby Duggan, from last year's minors, who took over some of Colin Ryan's free taking duties and pointed twice but also notched three wides, tried to add some zip up front.
Dublin squandered the opportunity to improve their scoring difference after last week as McCrabbe, Keaney and Danny Sutcliffe registered late wides.
DUBLIN:
G Maguire; N Corcoran, P Kelly, S Timlin; S Durkin (0-2), L Rushe, M Carton; C Cronin (1-1), J McCaffrey ( 0-1); R O'Dwyer, A McCrabbe (0-9, all frees), D Sutcliffe; M Schutte, C Keaney (1-3), D O'Callaghan (0-1).
Subs:
J Dougan for Timlin (31 mins), E Dillon for McCrabbe (63 mins), D Treacy for O'Callaghan (66 mins), N McMorrow for O'Dwyer (70 mins).
CLARE:
D Tuohy; S Morey, D McInerney, C Dillon; P O'Connor (0-1), Conor Ryan, B Bugler; P Donnellan, S Golden; J Conlon (0-3), T Kelly (0-2, one free), Colin Ryan (0-7, all frees); C McGrath (0-1), S O'Donnell, C Galvin.
Subs:
N O'Connell for Golden (half-time), C O'Connell (0-1) for Conor Ryan (41 mins), B Duggan (0-2, two frees) for Colin Ryan (49 mins),
Referee:
A Kelly (Galway).
