Dublin 2-6 Galway 1-14So, Dublin's league campaign gets off to a losing start. There were some positives but in general the capital's hurlers disappointed against an off-colour Galway at Parnell Park yesterday. But sure, it's only the first day out.
Dublin's 20 wides tell their own story. But there was one bright spark: Conal Keaney was back giving his team-mates a demonstration of how hurling should be played. Three wides from placed balls aside, he produced a towering display - scoring both goals with furiously hit frees in either half.
The debate over his dual status will continue. But Dublin's director of hurling Diarmuid Healy was crystal clear about his importance to the hurling community.
"Conal Keaney played a great game there today and there is a huge reliance on him alright. We badly need him in the hurling world. We need him full-time."
Elsewhere, Dublin were poor. Luckily for them, Galway took a while to clear the cobwebs, striking six first-half wides before they found any sort of rhythm. However, when they did get going it looked like Dublin were in for a long afternoon.
Eugene Cloonan's first two points could not have been replicated by any of the Dublin forwards, Keaney having by then been moved to midfield. Then in the 17th minute, Portumna's Damien Hayes cut through the Dublin defence before teeing up Cloonan, whose first-time strike swept past Brendan McLoughlin. At 1-6 to 0-1 the decent turnout in the Donnycarney sunshine braced themselves for a landslide.
Strangely it never came. Galway didn't score for another 12 minutes but David Curtin failed to cut the deficit with three wayward frees. Eventually Keaney stepped into the breach to land their second point, from near the touchline, only for Derek Hardiman to reply for the Tribesmen with an equally scintillating long-range effort.
With little working, Dublin manager Humphrey Kelleher called Simon Daly and Curtin ashore. Young Michael Carton looked uncomfortable in the corner; Damian Joyce made light work of him before he was released to the half-forward line. In fairness, the wily defending of Ollie Canning stunted their attack.
Kelleher attributed the slow start to stage fright: "They played a hell of a lot better when they got the nerves out of the way. It is daunting for them because they worked quite hard. I suppose the expectation was quite high for them today.
"However if you look at the amount of wides we had. Now, if you can convert 50 per cent of them that's 10 points. And we got beaten by what? Five. You add up all of those and we are not that far away. 'Tis a matter of belief." Even still, it was left to Keaney to ensure they went in for the break with something to cling to. His goal in first-half injury time almost ripped through the net, leaving it 1-8 to 1-2.
Cloonan continued his scoring spree with two more frees to leave the margin at seven points but Keaney struck another brace of points to keep it interesting.
Then with 10 minutes remaining, substitute Alan Kerins's second point pushed Galway out of trouble but they should have had the contest wrapped up by that stage. A golden chance fell to Hayes after 52 minutes but his shot was inches wide.
Keaney's second goal and a point from Tommy Moore, set up by Keaney, made it a four-point game but the dual star's Superman juice ran out thereafter as he missed the target with two frees. Dublin fans can take solace from the fact he can still improve. If he is allowed.
However, it was Cloonan who left the final imprint on the scoreboard with another splendid point, to leave him with 1-6 for the day.
In his second season Conor Hayes needs to progress the fortunes of Galway hurling to another level. He seemed content with the way his charges held on for victory. "Sometimes in the last year we have been guilty of going out of the game for long periods but I think we defended well and stayed well in this game. We were under a good bit of pressure, there was a fairly strong breeze there in the second-half."
Next up is a wounded Kilkenny. The bar will have to rise.
GALWAY: L Donoghue; D Joyce, D Cloonan, O Canning; D Hardiman (0-1), T Óg Regan, F Moore; D Tierney (0-1), F Healy (0-1); D Forde, M Kerins (0-2), K Broderick (0-1); J O'Loughlin, E Cloonan (1-6, three frees), D Hayes. Replacements: A Kerins (0-2) for Broderick (half-time), D Collins for Joyce (42 mins), J Conroy for Forde (49 mins), O Fahy for O'Loughlin (68 mins).
DUBLIN: B McLoughlin; S Daly, S Perkins, D O'Reilly; S Hiney, L Ryan, K Ryan; D Sweeney (0-1), R Fallon; D Curtain (0-1, free), C Keaney (2-3, four frees), K Flynn; S Martin, M Breathnach, M Carton. Replacements: D Spain for Daly, A Glennon for Curtain (both 33 mins), T Moore (0-1) for Martin, C Meehan for O'Reilly (61 mins).
Referee: T McIntyre (Antrim).
