Dublin 2-28
Laois 1-15
Kevin O’Brien reports from Parnell Park
A STRONG SECOND-half display from Dublin saw them past Laois and into Round 2 of the All-Ireland SHC qualifiers this evening.
Eamonn Kelly’s Laois trailed by just a point after a wind-backed opening-half, but Dublin turned on the style after the break and coasted to victory.
Dublin outscored the away side by 2-16 to 1-4 in the second-half as they comfortably booked their place in the next round of the backdoor.
Eamonn Dillon gave a sparking performance with 2-4 from play, while Cuala man David Treacy fired over nine points.
David ‘Dotsy’ O’Callaghan, who’s struggled with a back injury in recent times, posted two points after arriving off the bench in the final quarter.
Laois lost sweeper Cahir Healy to a second yellow card for a foul on Eamonn Dillon late on, while their goalkeeper Enda Rowland drilled goaled from a 21m free in the dying moments.
The Midlands outfit were without John Lennon, Cha Dwyer, Willie Dunphy and Picky Maher through injury, while Ross King was suspended, and their lack of experience showed in the second-half.
This was a high-scoring encounter that lacked any real championship intensity or bite.
The second round of the qualifiers will offer a stern test of Dublin’s credentials, with Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford lying in wait.
Laois put the wind to good use early on, with Purcell finding the target four times inside the opening five minutes to give the visitors a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.
Dublin eventually settled into the game with youngsters Cian O’Sullivan and Ben Quinn firing over a brace of scores each. Treacy finished the half with four converted frees to his name, while Laois goalkeeper Enda Rowland drilled over a placed ball about 30m from his own goal.
Playing against the breeze in the second-half, Laois dropped Cahir Healy back as a sweeper but it only handed Dublin the initiative.
Dublin led by 0-12 to 0-11 at the interval, but moved four points in front shortly after the restart with Eamonn Dillon’s well-taken goal. Dillon collected a long delivery inside and spun away towards the goal before slotting into the bottom corner.
A flurry of points arrived shortly afterwards from Treacy, Donal Burke and Dillon himself, as Dublin stepped on the accelerator. Dillon’s second goal was a thing of beauty after a Dublin breakaway, while O’Callaghan and Fergal Whitely hit a brace each off the bench.
Dublin hit 2-14 without reply during the second period, as Rowland’s late goal from a 21m free put some respectability on Laois’s scoreline.
Scorers for Dublin: Eamonn Dillon 2-4, David Treacy 0-9 (0-6f), Ben Quinn and Cian O’Sullivan 0-3 each, Donal Burke, Fergal Whitely and David O’Callaghan 0-2 each, Niall McMorrow, Shane Barrett and John Hetherton 0-1 each.
Scorers for Laois: Patrick Purcell and Mark Kavanagh 0-5 each (0-2f), Enda Rowland 1-1 (all frees) Matthew Whelan, Ciaran Collier, Cian Taylor and Cahir Healy 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. Conor Dooley (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
2. Cian O’Callaghan (Cuala)
3. Eoghan O’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille)
4. Fionn O’Riain Broin (St Jude’s)
7. Shane Barrett (Na Fianna)
6. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields)
5. Sean Moran (Cuala)
8. Ben Quinn (Crumlin)
9. Niall McMorrow (Ballyboden St-Enda’s)
10. Donal Burke (Na Fianna)
11. Liam Rushe (St Pat’s Palmerstown)
12. Eamonn Dillon (Naomh Fionbarra)
13. Cian O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s)
14. Ryan O’Dwyer (Kilmacud Crokes)
15. David Treacy (Cuala)
Subs
21. Fergal Whitley for McMorrow (48)
24. David O’Callaghan for O’Sullivan (60)
23. Fiontan McGibb for Burke (62)
26. John Hetherton for O Riain Broin (65)
20. Tomas Connolly for Moran (65)
Laois
1. Enda Rowland (Abbeyleix)
2. Dwane Palmer (Camross)
3. Leigh Bergin (Shanahoe)
4. Lee Cleere (Clough Ballacolla)
5. Eric Killeen (Rathdowney Errill)
6. Matthew Whelan (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
10. Ryan Mullaney (Castletown)
8. Patrick Purcell (Rathdowney Errill)
11. Cahir Healy (Portlaoise)
12. Sean Downey (Ballinakill)
7. Ciaran Collier (Camross)
9. Jack Kelly (Rathdowney Errill)
14. Neil Foyle (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
15. Aaron Dunphy (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
13. Mark Kavanagh (Rathdowney Errill)
Subs
17. Cian Taylor for Kelly (ht)
18. Aidan Corby for Dubphy (52)
19. Stephen Bergin for Downey (57)
21. Donncha Hartnett for Killeen (70)
20. Padraig Lawlor for Collier (70)
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)
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Lovely article and spells out the beauty and brilliance of competitive games…..hoping for a cracking championship….good luck to the players