Mattie Kenny’s Senior Hurlers register first win of the year with victory over Antrim in their Walsh Cup opener
Dublin 2-27
Antrim 1-21
Parnell Park, Dublin
A winning start for Mattie Kenny and the Dublin Senior Hurlers as they successfully saw off the challenge of Antrim at Parnell Park this afternoon. It follows a National League and Leinster Championship win over the Ulster men last season, before they travel to Corrigan Park to square off one more time mid February in Corrigan Park.
Antrim made a bright start at Parnell Park and a goal from Deaglan Murphy helped them to move eight ahead mid-way through the first half.
Colin Currie began to put his mark on the game for Dublin and they drew level shortly before Cian O’Sullivan’s goal pushed them back ahead. Currie registered 1-13 of Dublin’s 2-27
The two-point half-time lead could have been more but Dublin wasted chances, hitting 10 wides in the opening 35 minutes.
Mattie Kenny’s charges had their second goal shortly after the restart – finished by Currie – and they were able to push on from there, with the Blues manager sure to be happy to see both Eamon Dillon and Shane Barrett getting game time late on.
On an afternoon when Kenny looked at 23 players, including defenders John Bellew and Luke Walsh, Aidan Mellett of Ballyboden was the most impressive, scoring a point and setting up Currie and Ronan Smith for scores. Shane Barrett’s return after a year out is a boost in defence while Eamonn Dillon came on and scored after a long-term hamstring injury.
There’ll be a bigger hurling test next weekend when Henry Shefflin’s Galway arrive at Parnell Park for Walsh Cup but it was a solid start to the year.
Dublin Scorers:
Colin Currie 1-13 (8f, 1 ’65)
Rian McBride 0-05
Cian O’Sullivan 1-01
Chris Crummey 0-03
John Hetherton 0-02
Ronan Smith 0-01
Aidan Mellett 0-01
Eamonn Dillon 0-01
Antrim Scorers:
Ciaran Clarke 0-06 (5f, 1 ’65)
Conor Johnson 0-04
Niall McKenna 0-04
Déaglan Murphy 1-01 (1f)
Eoghan Campbell 0-02 (1f)
Neil McManus 0-01
Michael Bradley 0-01
Conal Bohill 0-01
Daniel McKernan 0-01
Dublin:
1. Sean Brennan
20. Ronan Smith
3. Paddy Smyth
4. Luke Walsh
5. John Bellew
6. Daire Gray
7. James Madden
8. Conor Burke
9. Rian McBride
10. Cian O’Sullivan
11. Sean Currie
12. John Hetherton
13. Colin Currie
22. Chris Crummey
23. Aidan Mellett
Dublin Substitutes:
Ronan Hayes for O’Sullivan (H/T)
Davy Keogh for S. Currie (49)
Donal Burke for Hetherton (49)
Tomas Connolly for Smith (54)
Eamonn Dillon for Mellett (56)
Shane Barrett for Gray (56)
Kevin Burke for Walsh (56)
Darragh Power for C. Burke (60)
Antrim:
1. Paul McMullan
2. Aaron Crawford
3. Matthew Donnelly
4. Gerard Walsh
5. Scott Walsh
6. Eoghan Campbell
7. Joe Maskey
8. Shea Shannon
9. Michael Bradley
10. Niall McKenna
11. Conor Johnston
12. Conal Bohill
13. Déaglan Murphy
14. Neil McManus
15. Ciaran Clarke
Daniel McKernan for Shannon (H/T)
Ryan McCambridge for S Walsh (49)
Ryan McGarry for Maskey (49)
Paddy Burke for M Bradley (49)
Sean Elliott for Clarke (54)
Arron Bradley for Bohill (54)
Keelan Molloy for McManus (60)
Stephen Rooney for G Walsh (69)