Walsh Cup, Group One
Dublin 3-26 Antrim 2-22

AS far as season openers go, this was a positive one for Antrim despite falling to Dublin in their opening Walsh Cup game at Parnell Park on Saturday.

The Saffrons had four starters making debuts: Rory McCloskey at full-back, with Paul Boyle, Rian McMullan and Caolan McKernan scoring from more advanced positions, while there were a host of new faces off the bench and also some returning from injury including Damon McMullan who missed out on the entire 2022 campaign.

Over the course of the afternoon, Antrim had 11 different scorers including 10 of the starting side, a healthy statistic on a day in which the margin of victory was a little unkind as an injury-time goal gave something of a lopsided reflection on proceedings.

There were also some new faces for the hosts including manager Micheál Donoghue whose tenure began with a win thanks to Joe Flanagan in particular who put in an exhibition of point-taking from play and dead balls - landing 14 in all.

The hosts were never behind in this game, yet Antrim snapped at their heels throughout and it was a very entertaining contest with the issue in doubt right until the final minutes when the Dubs found the scores to settle the argument.

"Wheels in motion would be unfair on it as that was a big game for us," said Antrim manager Darren Gleeson who insisted they weren't treating this game as a chance to simply blow off the cobwebs.

"We hadn't played a game yet and even in-house matches were tough for us to get (due to the number of players missing). We had to get the U20s in to make up the numbers.

"That was an important game and a lot of guys were making their Antrim senior debut, which was great as they wouldn't have played a lot of minor or U20 inter-county hurling. That was a big step-up for them to take."

On an afternoon that felt more like spring than early January with a blinding low winter sun just keeping us in check, it was the hosts that settled that bit better with Daire Gray clipping over their first point of 2023 when bursting from the back and then Joe Flanagan hit the first of his nine first-half points from a free and then another off a 65.

Antrim played with a two-man inside forward line of Neil McManus and newcomer Rian McMullan with another debutant, Caolan McKernan dropping deep.

It took a while for the Saffrons to find their way in attack but they got there as McManus opened with a free and then Niall McKenna emerged from a ruck to float over out on the left.

A trio from Flanagan placed balls was only broken by a Michael Bradley effort, but the Saffrons were within one as a brace from Conall Bohill either side of Flanagan's first from play left Dublin 0-7 to 0-6 up after 20 minutes.

The hosts always had an answer in that opening period and would enjoy an excellent spell with Cian O'Sullivan - who was out in front consistently to gather - got the point his play deserved with Cillian Costello getting in on the act.

Niall O’Connor and Eoghan Campbell challenge Alex Considine
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Niall O’Connor and Eoghan Campbell challenge Alex Considine

McManus pulled one back from a free, but the Dubs were on top and after Flanagan landed another from play, the goal arrived on 25 minutes as Liam Murphy was held up but did well to spot Glenn Whelan outside and the full-forward cracked home.

He would add a point soon after with another Flanagan free pushing the gap out to eight, but Antrim summoned a response with Joe Maskey fielding and playing a good ball into McMullan who finished well.

Chris O'Leary hit back with a Dublin point, but Antrim's tails were up, hitting five of the final six points through Paul Boyle, McMullan, James McNaughton (two) and McManus as the cut the gap back to two - 1-14 to 1-12 at the half.

Perhaps stung by this Antrim resurgence, the hosts wasted no time in getting down to business upon the resumption and took just 20 seconds to find the net as they took advantage of a loose ball to attack with O'Sullivan playing in Liam Murphy to do the honours.

Flanagan landed another pair of frees in-between one from McNaughton, but Antrim again began to motor with points from Daniel McKernan, McNaughton and Bradley reducing the gap to a goal.

Cian Boland replied on 46 minutes, but Antrim would immediately find their second major as McManus did superbly to emerge from a ruck with ball in hand, pop out to McKenna on the left of goal who cracked home.

The teams would go score for score with the Dubs just keeping their noses in front until Paul McMullan made a stunning stop from substitute Andrew Jamieson-Murphy with the ball transferred upfield for Paul Boyle to score and then a great passage of play from the visitors as they worked the ball from defence to attack with Bradley slinging over the equaliser with 12 to play.

Conall Bohill challenges Cian Boland
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Conall Bohill challenges Cian Boland

Both teams were ringing the changes at this stage and the hosts adapted better as they raised a gallop down the stretch, rattling off six points on the spin including two for Jamieson-Murphy who would also get his goal in stoppage time as Enda O'Donnell played him in.

This put a gloss on the final score for Dublin as they opened their season with a win, but even in defeat, Antrim will look back on an afternoon with a lot more positives than negatives. 

"We've Armagh on Monday night (in the Conor McGurk Cup at Dunsilly, 7.30pm) and there'll be a couple of new faces there again," Gleeson added.

"A few of the U20s we'll get a look at so that's a good match for us. We've a hard week of training again and then we had six or seven injured boys out training this morning, so everything is rolling along nicely."

DUBLIN: D Perry; J Bellew, D Gray (0-1), E Moran; D power, C O'Leary (0-2), D McBride (0-1); C Costello (0-1), A Mallett; C Dowling, J Flanagan (0-14, 8 frees, 3 65s), C Boland (0-1); C O'Sullivan (0-2), G Whelan (1-1), L Murphy (1-0).
Subs: J Madden for A Mellett (49), C Boyle (0-1) for C Dowling (49), A Jamieson-Murphy (1-2, 0-1 free) for L Murphy (55), C Burke for C Costello (57), A Considine for D Power (62), E O'Donnell for J Flanagan (67).

ANTRIM: P McMullan; P Burke, R McCloskey, N O'Connor; M Bradley (0-3), E Campbell (0-2), C Bohill (0-2); J Maskey, D McKernan (0-1); P Boyle (0-1), J McNaughton (0-4, 1 free), N McKenna (1-2); R McMullan (1-1), N McManus (0-3, 2 frees), C McKernan (0-1).
Subs: S Walsh for D McKernan (50), E O'Neill for N McManus (50), D McMullan for C McKernan (50), A Bradley for R McMullan (56), E McAlonan for J Maskey (56), S McAuley (0-1) for P Boyle (61), E Og McGary for M Bradley (61), G Walsh for C Bohill (61), E Trainor for R McCloskey (64)

REFEREE: Eamonn Furlong (Wexford)