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Dublin 2-23 Clare 0-34
A mild Saturday evening in Parnell Park and little more than a cool appetizer before main the championship courses sitting in wait, though Tony Kelly did serve up something special with the sort of scoring intent and accuracy to die for.
The Ballyea man was back in the Clare starting line up after missing the last day with an injury, and helped himself to a monstrous 0-20, including four from play, off his left and right, upside down and inside out. Truth is Dublin could do little to curtail a player in that form.
Strangely enough Clare didn’t have a shot on goal all evening, to Dublin’s relief perhaps, only Kelly’s tally. He scored 0-8 in the first half, 0-12 in the second, and that was enough to secure the five point win, Dublin playing the last 10 minutes with 14 men, after full back Eoghan O’Donnell was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Clare boasted the greater spread of scorers too, Aidan McCarthy chipping in with four from corner back, Shane O’Donnell hungry as ever adding two more, as did Mark Rodgers, with Davy Fitzgerald also added two off the bench.
It’s no secret that Brian Lohan has found himself under some pressure in recent weeks, the Clare manager losing his first two games against Antrim and Wexford, before overcoming Laois in round three by 10 points. It’s no secret he possibly needed this win more than Dublin did.
Mattie Kenny will be reasonably satisfied nonetheless, the Dublin manager coming in fresh from wins over Laois and then Antrim, after losing their first game to Kilkenny, looking to make it three wins on the trot: though leading at the break by two points, and contesting with intent throughout the second half, Donal Burke keeping them in it with some excellent placed-ball accuracy of his own.
He finished with 0-13, including three from play in the second half. After scoring two goals in the first half, Dublin didn’t get much of a sniff in the second.
Playing with the breeze, Dublin hit the hard ground running, responding to Clare’s opener with four unanswered points, Cian Boland, Danny Sutcliffe and Chris Crummy shooting with confidence and accuracy. Burke, the Na Fianna player who started the weekend as top scorer in Division 1b with his 0-32, also promptly picked up where he last left off.
It took Clare a while to get organised and up to speed, only once did the scores came thick and fast. Kelly, who sat out the last game with dead leg, started at centre forward and showed his usual hunger for ball. They hit back with four unanswered points of their own, three from Kelly, another from wing back Diarmuid Ryan, and with the game became a proper contest, both teams seemingly revelling in it.
Level again at the water break thanks to another Burke free, Clare kicked on again, Aron Shanagher displaying another of his now trademark high-fetch and scores, with O’Donnell also knocking with two points deftly struck with his own effortless style, leaving it 0-12 to 0-9.
Then from the proverbial nowhere, slightly against the run of play, Dublin hit the net, Ronan Hayes of Kilmacud Crokes, having moved back to full forward, latching onto a long ball from Boland, expertly driving the goal home off the ground. It was his first shot at goal and impressively finished. Level again, Dublin took a brief lead and then soon extended it, this time Boland finishing off the second attempt on goal, after Crummey’s shot was saved, and with that Dublin went into the break with two goals, and two points to the good, 2-11 to 0-15.
Into the second half though and Clare pressed on with Kelly’s accuracy showing them the way, closing out deserving winners.
Clare had beaten Dublin by nine points in last year’s league, so this marks progress for Dublin perhaps. Both teams finish up next weekend with another tasty appetizer before the championship, Clare at home to Kilkenny, Dublin heading to Wexford.
DUBLIN: A Nolan; A Dunphy, E O’Donnell, C O’Callaghan; P Smyth, C Burke, D Grey (0-1); C Crummy (0-2), J Madden; D Sutcliffe (capt) (0-2), D Burke (0-13, nine frees), M Schutte (0-1); C Boland (1-1), R Hayes (1-2), E Dillon (0-1).
Subs: R McBride for Smyth (50 mins), J Hetherton for Schutte (53 mins), D Keogh for Boland (60 mins), F Whitely for Sutcliffe, P Crummy for Dillon (both 70 mins)
CLARE: E Quilligan; R Hayes, C Cleary, A Fitzgerald; D Ryan (0-1), J Conlon (capt), P Fitzpatrick; C Malone (0-1), C Galvin; A McCarthy (0-4), T Kelly (0-20, 16 frees, S O’Donnell (0-2); A Shanagher (0-1), M Rogers (0-2), I Galvin.
Subs: D Reidy (0-1) for I Galvin (47 mins), D Fitzgerald (0-2) for Fitzpatrick (53 mins), S McMahon for Rodgers (63 mins), J McCarthy for C Galvin (67 mins).
Referee: Colum Cunning (Antrim)