Dublin exit hurling championship at hands of Leesiders

Daire Walsh

In spite of a spirited final-quarter showing, Dublin’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship campaign came to an end at Semple Stadium, Thurles last night.

Courtesy of first-half goals from Tim O’Mahony and Shane Kingston – son of team manager Kieran – it was their opponents Cork who secured the spoils on a final scoreline of 2-26 to 2-24. 30-time winners of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, the Leesiders will now face Leinster champions Kilkenny in the last-four.

Following their provincial decider defeat against the latter two weeks earlier, Dublin were looking to rediscover the form that saw them overcoming Galway so impressively at the Leinster semi-final stage.

This was Dublin’s first appearance in an All-Ireland quarter-final since 2015 and Mattie Kenny’s troops were eager to send out a big statement.

There was considerable local interest within the Sky Blues ranks, with James Madden (Ballyboden St Enda’s), Danny Sutcliffe (St Jude’s) and Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields) included in the starting line-up. Crummey’s brother Paul and Thomas Davis star Davy Keogh were listed amongst the replacements and both players saw action over the course of the contest.

Additionally, former St Patrick’s, Palmerstown defender Liam Rushe – now a member of Na Fianna on Dublin’s northside – was selected in the pivotal position of centre half-back.

The initial signs were promising for the Metropolitans as Donal Burke’s 13th-minute free edged them into a 0-6 to 0-5 lead.

However, O’Mahony’s superb individual three-pointer five minutes later moved Cork into the ascendancy and the Munster giants pushed forward in the remaining minutes of the half.

While Rushe landed an excellent score to supplement a flurry of contributions from Burke, Kingston’s major handed their Rebel counterparts a 2-13 to 0-11 interval cushion.

When Keogh entered the fray in place of Cian O’Sullivan just past the 50-minute mark, Dublin were all of nine points adrift. To their credit, they managed to bring the gap down to four in the closing minutes with Sutcliffe twice finding the target in clinical fashion.

Nevertheless, Cork fired back with four unanswered points to see out the game in fine style.

GO-AHEAD ADULT HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP: JULY 28TH

GO AHEAD ADULT HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP (JULY 28)

By Daire Walsh

With just one round of fixtures left to play, it remains extremely tight at the summit of the Go Ahead Adult Hurling League Division One North table.

At Clonshaugh on Wednesday evening, St Vincent’s suffered defeat for the first time in 2021 – losing out to Craobh Chiarain on a final score of 2-13 to 1-14. This was also the case for St Brigid’s, who – after previously recording three consecutive wins – were on the receiving end of a 2-21 to 2-18 reversal at the hands of Na Fianna at St Mobhi Road.

By virtue of their win on home soil, the Glasnevin men move level on points with both Brigid’s and Vincent’s. Despite this recent set-back, a slightly superior scoring difference ensures the former lead the way in Division One North.

Na Fianna hold onto second place for the time being, with Vincent’s occupying third spot. The final round of fixtures on August 14 sees Vincent’s hosting Brigid’s at Pairc Naomh Uinsionn and Na Fianna facing Naomh Barrog in Kilbarrack.

It promises to be a tantalising conclusion to a shortened campaign, with all three teams possessing a realistic opportunity of coming out on top of the pile. Elsewhere in One North on Wednesday, Whitehall Colmcille and Naomh Barrog picked up their first points of the term when playing out a 1-16 to 1-16 draw at Collins Avenue.

Promoted from Division Two for the first time in 2019, Barrog were on the brink of a maiden top-flight triumph as they led 1-11 to 1-7 at the interval. In addition to goalkeeper Josh Rooney, the visitors held a stubborn resistance in the form of defenders Liam Glynn and Niall Ring.

Cillian Costello and Joe Flanagan dovetailed to good effect in midfield, with centre-forward Ciaran Gallagher another player to make his presence felt. Diarmuid O’Donnell, Dean Flood and Sean Doyle were named on the inside line as Barrog were going the right way towards atoning for a July 14 defeat to Craobh Chiarain.

Heavy losses to Vincent’s, Na Fianna and Brigid’s had preceded this game for Whitehall, but they showed plenty of resilience on the resumption. Outscoring their opponents by 0-9 to 0-5, the hosts came away with a commendable draw in the end.

As a consequence of their thrilling 2-21 to 4-15 stalemate at Silver Park on Wednesday, both Kilmacud Crokes and Ballyboden St Enda’s remain unbeaten in Division One South. ‘Boden’s scoring average puts them marginally ahead of their Stillorgan counterparts, but this could all change in the coming weeks.

On August 11, ‘Boden will face Lucan Sarsfields at 12th Lock. By the time Crokes play Cuala at Shanganagh Park three days later, they will know what is required to come out on top spot in the division.

Overcoming Cuala won’t be easy of course and the Dalkey side remain in contention for back-to-back league titles, having been crowned champions at the end of the last completed league season of 2019.

Since their defeat to Kilmacud on the opening day of the term,John Twomey’s charges have embarked on an impressive winning run. Lucan Sarsfields and Faughs were both accounted for, in advance of their 2-14 to 1-11 victory against Ballinteer St John’s on Wednesday.

This puts Cuala a single point behind both Ballyboden and Kilmacud in the league standings, all of whom are expected to challenge at the business end of the Dublin Senior Hurling Championship.

Meanwhile, Faughs left the frustration of three straight defeats behind them by securing their first win of Division One South at the expense of Lucan Sarsfields in Tymon North. Lucan were looking to move up the table with a win in their second away game of the year, but the Templeogue club shaded it on a score of 1-19 to 1-17.

Dublin Under 20s fall short in Leinster Championship decider

By Daire Walsh

IT WAS was ultimately disappointment for the Dublin Under 20 hurlers in Portlaoise on Tuesday night as they fell to a 2-15 to 0-15 defeat at the hands of Galway in the 2021 Leinster Championship final.

Just five weeks after the Sky Blues had overcome the Tribesmen in the much-delayed 2020 provincial decider, Seán Power’s charges were hopeful of holding onto their crown.

And despite the concession of goals to Galway attackers Oisin Flannery and John Cooney, they remained in the mix heading into the final-quarter of the action.

However, their western counterparts pushed on in the closing stages and consequently booked their place in the forthcoming All-Ireland showpiece on Saturday week (July 7).

Power called upon a heavy local contingent for this game, with Ballinteer St John’s duo Iain Ó hEithir and Seamus Fenton being joined in the starting line-up by Patrick Dunleavy (Ballyboden St Enda’s) and Kevin Lahiff (St Jude’s). Pearce Christie (Ballyboden) and James O’Brien (Faughs) were listed amongst the substitutes, but remained unused in the game.

Although Ó hEithir also featured in that recent Leinster title success, he was surrounded by a relatively new batch of team-mates on this occasion. Galway had more survivors within their ranks, including dead-ball specialist Donal O’Shea – son of Tipperary senior hurling selector Eamon.

When Lahiff struck over a point for the holders in the seventh-minute, it propelled them into a 0-4 to 0-2 cushion. Galway fired back with a goal from Flannery after a mishap by opposition goalkeeper Ben Hynes, and held a slender advantage at the first half water break.

Still, with Lahiff and wing-back Dunleavy finding the target, the sides were on level terms at the interval (0-10 to 1-7). Donal Leavy briefly edged Dublin clear on the resumption before a wonder goal by Cooney (younger brother of Galway senior star Joseph) saw them falling behind again.

Ciarán Foley’s free-taking kept Dublin in the hunt, though, and Dunleavy’s second point on 48 minutes left the bare minimum between the teams (2-9 to 0-14). Yet it was at this juncture that Galway pushed into overdrive and it took a brace of Hynes saves to keep the Blues within reach of the silverware on offer.

The prospect of a dramatic fightback remained a possibility, until Sean McDonagh (two) and O’Shea struck unanswered points to finally seal Dublin’s fate.