Allianz Hurling League Division 1B
Dublin 1-25 Antrim 0-14
IT wasn't the flying start under Davy Fitzgerald that Antrim supporters had been hoping for at Croke Park on Saturday as they fell to a much more fluid and assured Dublin in the opening Division 1B game in the Allianz Hurling League.
Heading into this opener, the Antrim boss - who was banished to the stands for the night as he served a one-game suspension from last year - warned that his way of thinking and approach to the game is going to take some time to bed in and that certainly looked the case with Antrim's players looking a little unsure of themselves at times.
Some played in unfamiliar positions with Scott Walsh deployed to the engine room, while in defence, they seemed in two minds as to which of the Dubs they needed to track and this afforded space for the hosts to profit from.
Cian O'Sullivan was the main beneficiary as between frees and play, the St Brigid's man finished with 0-14 and he had a decent supporting cast, including Conal Ó Riain who bagged the game's only goal in the 10th minute as part of his tally of 1-2.
For Antrim, the longer the game went, the more they struggled in attack with James McNaughton contributing 10 of their scores between frees and play as the ball into a two-man and c sometimes one-man inside line was easily dealt with by the hosts.
Still, the mantra from the dressing room after was that it remains a lengthy process and it is one they intend to stick with, according to selector Pat Bennett who drew the short stray to face the media in Fitzgerald's absence.
"We are disappointed and you have to be disappointed, but you have to put it into perspective," the Waterford native said.
"We've been here five or six weeks and you don't change things in five or six weeks. How long have Dublin been motoring? Five or six years, (made the) Leinster final last year and will be going to try and win a Leinster final this year and go further.
"You won't do that in five weeks. You need to build little blocks and go again.
You can't just change a guy who has been playing one way for five or six years and then we turn around and change the system, expecting him to do different things (immediately).
"We've agreed on a system, are going to go with the system and we just have to get better at that.
"The lads are disappointed because if you saw the effort they've put in over the past five weeks, that wasn't them.
"Look, it's the first round of the League and we're going to be meeting these boys (Dublin) at Corrigan in the Championship, so we'll talk then."
Conall Bohill looks to find a way around Conal Ó Riain
It was an even enough start with the sides swapping early fees and then scores from play through Nigel Elliott and John Hetherton, but the Dubs would then edge ahead through O'Sullivan's second free of the game and they would stay there.
The new system Davy Fitzgerald is seeking to embed looks like it will take a little time to settle as Dublin were beginning to find acres of space on occasion with Antrim players missing their assignment at times, but the decision to drop Niall O'Connor - wearing 15 - into sweep paid off as he collected the short poc-out and drilled over.
But Dublin led by two when those gaps they were finding really paid off with 10 played as a ball into the corner found from Chris Crummey the unmarked Iain Ó hEithir who was not tracked when pushing up from the back and the debutant's crisp ball was taken in stride by Conal Ó Riain who cracked home.
Antrim responded well with three from McNaughton, but they were beginning to struggle to gain any headway in attack and were punished for fouls in defence as the gap became six.
Paddy Burke had to make a vital challenge with Dublin seeking a second goal and this would initiate a superb move with Burke's support run helping set up McNaughton for a score.
The Loughgiel man followed with a free to bring his tally to seven for the half, but Dublin finished the half much better with four points including a stoppage-time 65 from O'Sullivan to bring his tally to 0-9, awarded after a Fergal Whitely piledriver took the slightest of nicks to go outside the post.
Connor Burke avoids the hook from Scott Walsh 
It was a long way back and in reality, the game was as good as gone. Those with any hopes had them crushed quite quickly after the restart with O'Sullivan JohnHetherton and Ó Riain clipping over scores and although Niall McKenna hit back, another two from O'Sullivan pushed the gap to 12.
The sting completely went out of proceedings with the gap between points from McKenna and McNaughton a full nine minutes and 12 barren minutes elapsed between Dublin scores as the wides piled up.
Two of their subs, Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing and Cillian Hayes got in on the act late but the issue had long since been decided as the Dubs triumphed with plenty to spare.
DUBLIN: E Gibbons; J Bellew, D Lucey, I O hEithir; P Dunleavy, C Crummey (0-2), D Gray; B Hayes, C Burke (0-1); C Ó Riain (1-2), C O'Sullivan (0-14, 11f, 1 65), D Power; F Whitely, J Hetherton (0-2), D Purcell (0-3.
Subs: D Ó Dúlaing (0-1) for F Whitely (43), S Gallagher for D Gray (46), C Hayes (0-1) for B Hayes (57), D Purcell for J Hetherton (60), J Lambert for P Dunleavey (63)
ANTRIM: R Elliott; C Boyd, R McGarry, P Burke; D McCloskey, E Campbell, C Bohill; S Walsh, P Boyle; N McKenna (0-2), N Elliott (0-1), J McNaughton (0-10, 8f); K Molloy, E O'Neill, N O’Connor (0-1).
Subs: G Walsh for R McGarry (HT), E McFerran for C Boyd (HT), S Elliott for N O'Connor (48), J Maskey for C Bohill (54), J McLaughlin for E O'Neill (66)
REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford)
