Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, Round Three
Antrim 0-19 Dublin 3-25
IT was the same old story for Antrim against Dublin on Saturday as the men from the capital once again proved too strong as they made it three wins from three in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.
Aside from a draw between the teams at Corrigan Park two years ago, the Dubs have owned this fixture and it was clear from an early stage it would be business as usual as they took a grip and never looked likely to let go.
Antrim just couldn't get anything going in attack and the pressure on the backs told during six minutes in the first half as the Metropolitans cracked home two goals, which gave them a comfortable gap.
A bad day for the Saffrons became a dismal one late on with James McNaaughton sent off, which will mean he is out for next week's trip to Galway, and the Loughgiel man had been one of the few bright sparks for the hosts until that point.
Antrim were without the services of Keelan Molloy and Conor Johnston to add to their injury woes in attack and that told as there was a blunt edge to what they did as they just couldn't get anything going for a sustained period and there was a sense of inevitability about this game from early on.
Centre-backs Chris Crummey and Conor Boyd swapped early scores before points from Sean Currie and John Heatherton gave the Dubs a lead they would hold until the end.
James McNaughton pointed a free in reply, but the Dubs rattled off the next three through Currie and Cian O'Sullivan.
A McNaughton free would prove to be Antrim's last score for 14 minutes, by which time the Dubs had rattled off 2-3 and the first of those goals came as goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons picked out O'Sullivan to fetch and bury.
The second goal was not disimmilar as another long ball was grabbed by Ronan Hayed, who gave Ryan Elliott no chance.
Antrim rallied briefly with two McNaughton frees after Ryan McCambridge ended their dry spell, but they couldn't sustain it with Currie extending his first-half tally to eight and O'Sullivan knocking over another score with a sole Joseph McLaughlin score in response as the Dubs headed into the break with a 2-13 to 0-7 advantage which could have been greater by for a fine save by Elliott from Paddy Doyle.
James McNaughton takes on Darragh Power
A hat-trick of McNaughton points straight after the restart gave the hosts some hope, but Dublin replied through Brian Hayes and O'Sullivan.
After McNaughton and Currie swapped frees, Crummey landed a beauty from deep and then former Dublin footballer Conor McHugh thumped over after another McNaughton free.
It was clear the Dubs were managing their lead as Antrim just didn't have enough support for McNaughton in attack, as the goal they required to get back into it wasn't looking likely.
The gap was at 11 going into the final quarter but that was pushed out thanks to Currie and Crummey before the Dubs grabbed a third goal in the 64th minute as substitute Fergal Whitely showed fantastic control to get away and blast home.
It would go from bad to worse for Antrim with McNaughton shown a straight red late on for lashing out on McHugh as Dublin coasted home to maintain their perfect start to the campaign.
ANTRIM: R Elliott; S Rooney, N O’Connor, P Burke; J Maskey, C Boyd (0-1), C Bohill; E Campbell (0-1), G Walsh (0-1f); J McLaughlin (0-2 1f), R McCambridge (0-2), S Walsh; E O'Neill, J McNaughton (0-10, 8f, 1x65), N Elliott (0-1).
Subs: S McKay for S Walsh (HT), C McKeown (0-1) for E O'Neill (51).
DUBLIN: E Gibbons; J Bellew, P Smyth, C McHugh (0-1); P Doyle (0-1), C Crummey (0-3), A Dunphy; C Burke (0-1), C Donohue; B Hayes (0-1), C O’Sullivan (1-3), D Power; S Currie (0-12, 7f, 2x65s), J Hetherton (0-1), R Hayes (1-0).
Subs: P Dunleavy for A Dunphy (26), D Burke for J Hetherton (49), C Currie (0-1) for C Burke (53), F Whitely (1-1) for R Hayes (59), J Madden for C Crummey (66).
REFEREE: L Gordon (Galway)
