Hudson's goal puts Dubs on road to victory over DCU

Hudson’s goal puts Dubs on road to victory over DCU

Sun, 8th January 2017

DUBLIN 1-15 DCU DOCHAS EIREANN 0-11

A highly experimental Dublin got the better of DCU in their opening group game of the Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup at Parnell Park in front of a large crowd on Sunday afternoon.

The Dublin All-Ireland winning panel are currently away on a team holiday and in their absence the reserves answered the county call in fine fashion with this seven-point victory.

The Dubs next face UCD this Wedneday night (8.15) in part of an Walsh Cup/O’Byrne Cup double header at the Donnycarney venue (hurling v UCD, 6.30) before concluding their group games against Wexford in Enniscorthy next Sunday (2.0).

Dublin, managed by former Dublin senior footballer and selector Paul Clarke, laid the foundation for victory in the opening half with Paul Hudson’s 31^st minute goal coming at a crucial juncture in the game.

After opening up a seven-point interval lead Dublin were afforded the opportunity to run in subs with one in particular Shane Cunningham slotting two points shortly after his introduction while Niall Walsh put in a hard-working display from wing-forward.

Dublin held a 1-9 to 0-5 advantage after the opening 35 minutes.

Paul Hudson grabbed the only goal of the half in the 31^st minute when the Thomas Davis man fired to the DCU Dochas Eireann net.

It came shortly after Dublin keeper Evan Comerford had denied Kevin Feely from the penalty spot with the score standing at 0-8 to 0-4 in Dublin’s favour.

Dublin had opened well with scores from Michael Deegan, Jason Whelan, Conor McHugh, Paul Hudson and Deegan again to open up a 0-5 to 0-1 lead inside 15 minutes.

DCU, however, rallied and David Mannix’s 17^th minute point trimmed the gap to 0-5 to 0-3 before Comerford was alert to deny DCU a goal.

SCORERS - Dublin: Paul Hudson 1-3 (0-1f), Michael Deegan 0-4 (0-1f), Conor McHugh 0-3, Shane Cunningham 0-2, Jason Whelan, Niall Walsh, Gavin Ivory 0-1 each. DCU: Ryan Burns 0-4 (0-4f), David Mannix 0-2, Dessie Ward, Mark Plunkett, Eanna O’Connor, Cian Mulligan, Thomas O’Reilly 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: Evan Comerford; Jack Smith, Eoin O’Brien, Ross McGowan; Brian Howard, Ciarán Reddin, Niall Scully; Jason Whelan, Ryan Deegan; Gary Sweeney, Shane Boland, Niall Walsh; Paul Hudson, Michael Deegan, Conor McHugh. Subs: Gavin Ivory for Hudson (46), Tom Shields for O’Brien (48), Robbie Gaughan for Walsh (52), Shane Cunningham for McHugh (58), Ross O’Brien for Boland (63), Ross Hazley for Whelan (63), Seán Newcombe for R Deegan (70).

DCU DOCHAS EIREANN: Shane Mannion;Eoin Smith, Daniel O’Neill, Barry Kerr; Seamus Lavin, Kevin Feely, Dessie Ward; Caolan McGonagle, Hugh McFadden; Eanna O’Connor, Mark Plunkett, Tom Lahiffe; David Mannix, Niall Murphy, Ryan Burns. Subs: Shane Carthy for Murphy (30), David Neary for Ward (ht), Eoghan Smyth for Mannix (ht), Cian Mulligan for Lahiffe (ht), Thomas O’Reilly for O’Connor (60), Matthew Corcoran for Plunkett (60), Brian Cawley for Eoin Smith (62), Conor Doran for Kerr (69), Thomas Galligan for McGonagle (69).

REF: Cormac Reilly (Meath).