Burke the late, late hero as senior hurlers escape to victory

Sun, 4th February 2018

DUBLIN 0-23ANTRIM 0-22

A Donal Burke pointed free in the sixth minute of added time saw Dublin edge out Antrim in dramatic fashion in their NHL Division 1B encounter at Corrigan Park, Belfast on Sunday afternoon.

The Glensmen looked like they had done enough to share the spoils after coming back from seven points down before the young Na Fianna man split the post with the last puck of the contest from just outside 65 metres.

“It was a good response to last week. Our workrate, particularly in the first 60 minutes, was excellent. We really, really worked hard," said manager Pat Gilroy.

“Our shooting wasn’t what it should have been ... but it was very satisfying to get the response from last week, because it was twice the workrate."

Dublin, after a slow start, led by six points at the interval and on two occasions in the second half moved seven points clear but in Neil McManus Antrim had an ace deadball expert as his side battled to the finish and got on level terms before Burke's late heroics following a foul on Liam Rushe, who came off the bench to make his first appearance of the year.

It could prove to be a very important victory for Pat Gilroy's men who following last weekend's poor show against Offaly were badly in need of this victory.

The top four teams in Division 1B will progress to the Division 1 quarter-finals with the bottom two counties battling it out in a relegation play-off to avoid the drop to Division 2A.

It was Burke who also fired over the opening point of this full-blooded contest inside 15 seconds but the hosts then hit the next four scores to be 0-4 to 0-1 ahead inside ten minutes.

Towards the close of the opening half Dublin began to get motoring with Conal Keaney doing well out the field as Dublin scored seven points without reply to lead by 0-14 to 0-8 at half-time.

Paul Ryan's close range free on the restart extended Dublin's advantage but despite holding a seven-point cushion they were eventually reeled in by their hosts who looked to have done enough before the late, late foul on Rushe and Burke's accuracy from the resulting free.

Dublin face Limerick away in two weeks' time in their next league clash.

SCORERS - Dublin:P Ryan 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 '65'), D Burke 0-7 (0-4f), F Whitely, C Keaney, C McBride 0-2 each, J Madden, D Sutcliffe 0-1 each. Antrim:N McManus 0-16(0-11f, 0-2'65'), A Graffin, J McNaughton 0-2 each, G Walsh, D McCloskey 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: A Nolan; P Smyth, B O'Carroll, E O'Donnell; S Barrett, C Crummey, J Madden; C McBride, T Connolly; D Burke, F Whitely, D Sutcliffe; C Keaney, E Dillon, P Ryan. Subs:L Rushe for Ryan (51), J McCaffrey for McBride (53), N McMorrow for Connolly (64), P Winters for Dillon (69).

ANTRIM: C O'Connell; P Burke, J Dillon, A Graffin; J Maskey, M Donnelly, D Kearney; C McKinley, G Walsh; N Elliott, N McManus, J Connolly; D McKinley, C McCann, C Johnston.Subs:C Carson for Connolly (inj 8), N McAuley for Maskey (43), J McNaughton for Walsh (45), R McCambridge for McCann (53), D McCloskey for Elliott (63).

REF: J Heffernan (Wexford).

Allianz Hurling League Div 1B

P W D L For AG Diff Pts

1. Limerick 2 2 0 0 2-49 0-28 27 4

2. Galway 2 2 0 0 3-37 1-33 10 4

3. Offaly 2 1 0 1 2-35 2-39 -4 2

4. Dublin 2 1 0 1 1-38 2-47 -12 2

5. Antrim 2 0 0 2 1-38 1-42 -4 0

6. Laois 2 0 0 2 0-35 3-43 -17 0