Dublin 4-21
Cork 2-17
Fintan O’Toole reports from Croke Park
DUBLIN MAY HAVE suffered two hurling league defeats to Cork in 2015 but their total superiority tonight resulted in them recording an emphatic win over the Rebels.
Three goals in a four minute spell in the opening period proved the difference in swinging this contest in Dublin’s favour as Cork lost a third straight league game.
Eamon Dillon smashed home the first, David Treacy finished the second clinically to the net and Sean McGrath raised the third green flag to leave Dublin in front 3-8 to 0-4 by the 24th minute.
They were 11 points clear at the break and Dillon got in for a fourth goal in the second-half after being set up by Mark Schutte.
Defeat compounds Cork’s relegation worries and even two late goals by Seamus Harnedy could not diminish the concerns that this loss creates.
Cork started brightly with Midleton duo Conor Lehane and Luke O’Farrell landing a brace of points apiece as they went ahead 0-4 to 0-2 inside the opening five minutes.
But then Cork endured a 20-minute scoring drought and at the other end their defensive rearguard caved in under pressure from Dublin. Between the 12th and 24th minutes, Dublin remarkably hit 3-6 without reply as Treacy and Dillon in particular caused huge problems.
Cork tried to stem the tide before the interval with Patrick Horgan knocking over frees yet Dublin held a commanding position, 3-12 to 0-9, at the break.
Any thoughts of a Cork second-half comeback were quickly dispelled as Dillon raised their fourth green flag in the 47th minute.
Dublin’s defence was strong throughout with Shane Barrett and Liam Rushe impressing. The game petered from there to an inevitable conclusion with Dublin storming in front by 18 points – 4-20 to 0-14 – with just five minutes left.
Cork applied some gloss to the score line as they hit 2-3 in the closing exchanges, Harnedy responsible for a brace of goals, but this was a bad night at the office for the Rebels.
Scorers for Dublin: David Treacy 1-7 (0-5f), Eamon Dillon 2-3, Sean McGrath 1-0, Shane Barrett, Niall McMorrow, Mark Schutte 0-2 each, Liam Rushe, John McCaffrey, David O’Callaghan, Daire Plunkett, Sean Treacy 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-7 (0-6f, 0-1 ’65), Seamus Harnedy 2-0, Conor Lehane 0-4, Luke O’Farrell, Paul Haughney (0-1 ’65) 0-2 each, Bill Cooper, Brian Lawton 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. Conor Dooley (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
2. Eoghan O’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille)
3. Cian O’Callaghan (Cuala)
4. Oisin Gough (Cuala)
19. Shane Barrett (Na Fianna)
6. Liam Rushe (St Pat’s Palmerstown)
7. Johnny McCaffrey (Lucan Sarsfields)
8. Darragh O’Connell (Cuala)
9. Daire Plunkett (St Brigid’s)
10. Sean McGrath (Kilmacud Crokes)
11. Niall McMorrow (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
14. David Treacy (Cuala)
13. David O’Callaghan (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
15. Mark Schutte (Cuala)
12. Eamonn Dillon (Nh Fionnbarra)
Subs
21. Colm Cronin (Cuala) for McGrath (half-time)
18. Joey Boland (Na Fianna) for McCaffrey (58)
23. Sean Treacy (Cuala) for O’Callaghan (65)
24. Fiontan McGibb (Setanta) for David Treacy (65)
17. James Madden (Ballyboden St-Enda’s) for O’Callaghan (68)
Cork
1. Anthony Nash (Kanturk)
4. Stephen McDonnell (Glen Rovers)
2. Killian Burke (Midleton)
3. Christopher Joyce (Na Piarsaigh)
5. Damian Cahalane (St Finbarrs)
6. Mark Ellis (Millstreet)
7. Cormac Murphy (Mallow)
8. Daniel Kearney (Sarsfield)
9. Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr)
10. Bill Cooper (Youghal)
11. Seamus Harnedy (St Itas)
13. Conor Lehane (Midleton)
24. Luke O’Farrell (Midleton)
12. Patrick Cronin (Bishopstown)
15. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
Subs
20. Lorcan McLoughlin (Kanturk) for Murphy (28)
21. Paul Haughney (Midleton) for Kearney (32)
17. Stephen Murphy (Blackrock) for McDonnell (half-time)
23. Paudie O’Sullivan (Cloyne) for Cronin (44)
26. William Leahy (Aghada) for Horgan (62)
Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway)
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