Dublin 1-19
Dubs Stars 1-14
IT WAS HARDLY Croke Park beneath the summer sun but victory in the annual Dubs Stars challenge was welcome all the same for under pressure Dublin manager Ger Cunningham.
The Cork legend is beginning his third season as Dubs boss and needs things to go his way after a tricky few months that have seen several big names culled from the panel and several more make themselves unavailable.
Former players Peter Kelly and Michael Carton have publicly criticised Cunningham and the sense of a team needing to deliver in 2017 is strong.
Against that background, the show of character that saw Dublin seal victory by outscoring the Dubs Stars — the best club players in the capital — by 0-7 to 0-1 in the closing quarter or so, to win by five, must have been pleasing.
Cunningham will have plenty of newcomers this season and went with a team of greenhorns here though Alex Quinn’s 1-4 scoring haul for the Dubs Stars was probably most notable.
Tom Connolly and Fergal Whitely weighed in with three points each for Dublin while free-taker Oisin O’Rorke delivered 0-4 for the Sky Blues.
Dublin will begin their Bord na Mona Walsh Cup campaign on Wednesday night against Carlow back at Parnell Park and Cunningham may include many of the same players.
Caolan Conway lined out at midfield alongside AJ Murphy and the pair dovetailed well with three points between them in the first-half.
Dublin moved 0-5 to 0-1 up after 12 minutes but only added two more points for the remainder of the half.
Quinn’s goal approaching half-time, when he scooped home from close range after dispossessing the ‘keeper, put the Dubs Stars 1-8 to 0-7 ahead.
Further points from Quinn and Robbie Mahon put the club selection six clear early in the second-half though Dublin’s battling instincts kicked in from there.
Whitely and Connolly launched over a succession of long range points and a goal from Sean O Riain gave them the impetus to push on. Dublin and the Dubs Stars were without their AIB Leinster club title winning Cuala contingent for the encounter.
Scorers for Dublin: Sean O Riain 1-1 (0-1f), Conor Burke, Tom Connolly, Fergal Whitely, Sean O Riain (0-1f) 0-3 each, Caolan Conway and AJ Murphy 0-2 each, Fionntan MacGib and Donal Burke 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dubs Stars: Alex Quinn 1-4, Oisin O’Rorke 0-4 (0-2f), Joe McManus and Donie Fox 0-2 each, Cillian Costello and Robbie Mahon 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. Jonathan Treacy
2. Mark Kavanagh
3. Patrick Smith
4. Mark McCallion
5. Fionn O Riain Broinn
6. Matthew McCaffrey
7. Cian MacGabhann
8. Caolan Conway
9. AJ Murphy
10. Conor Burke
11. Sean O Riain
12. James Holland
13. Canice Maher
14. Tom Connolly
15. Alan Moore
Subs
19. Fergal Whitely for Conway (h/t)
21. Fionntan MacGib for Burke (40)
22. Donal Burke for Holland (48)
23. Ben Quinn for Murphy (51)
18. Ciaran Dowling for MacGabhann (52)
20. Johnny McGuirk for Connolly (56)
Dubs Stars
1. Brendan McLoughlin
2. Niall Corcoran
3. Ronan Walsh
4. John Bellew
5. Conor Murphy
6. Chris Crummey
7. Robbie Mahon
8. Cillian Costello
9. Donie Fox
10. Ross O’Carroll
11. Joe McManus
12. Fergal Heavey
13. Kevin O’Reilly
14. Oisin O’Rorke
15. Alex Quinn
Subs
17. Eoin Sheehy for Walsh (h/t)
18. Ronan Hayes for Costello (h/t)
19. Gavin King for Heavey (h/t)
16. Eoin Skelly for McLoughlin (h/t)
20. Stephen O’Dwyer for O’Reilly (46)
21. Paul Crummey for McManus (49)
Referee: Sean Stack (Parnells)
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