Senior hurlers suffer relegation to Division 1B

DUBLIN 0-19 CLARE 3-18

Dublin were caught in the blocks at the start of the second half as Clare secured their berth in next year’s top-flight and tipped the Dubs over the edge into Division 1B in Sunday’s relegation play-off in Cusack Park, Ennis.

Dublin led 0-13 to 1-8 at half-time but within four minutes of the restart the Banner County had taken control when hitting 1-4 without reply to lead 2-12 to 0-13 by the 39^th minute, their goal coming from John Conlon.

The Dubs did reply with points from Eamonn Dillon and two from David Treacy but a third Clare goal from Tony Kelly ruled out any late heroics by Ger Cunningham's men.

The second half was in contrast to the first as Dublin opened well and following Aaron Shanagher's point in the first minute Dublin were on top with points from Caolan Conway, Eamonn Dillon, Niall McMorrow and David Treacy (free) to lead 0-4 to 0-1.

On 20 minutes Aaron Shanagher breached the Dublin defence to propel Clare into a 1-4 to 0-5 lead  but it was the Dubs who finished the half on a high.

Two David Treacy frees were followed by a point from Donal Burke, his third of the half, and when Eamonn Dillon added to his tally Dublin were 0-12 to 1-7 up.

Tony Kelly and Caolan Conway swapped points in the final minute of the half and Dublin would have been encouraged for the second half as they led by two points.

It could have been even better for the Dubs as both Donal Burke and Eamonn Dillion had sightings of goal could couldn't make it count.

SCORERS – Clare: D Reidy 0-6 (0-5f), T Kelly 1-3, A Shanagher 1-2, J Conlon 1-1, C Galvin, J McCarthy 0-2 each, D Fitzgerald, A Cunningham 0-1 each. Dublin: D Treacy 0-7 (0-5f), D Burke, C Crummey, E Dillon 0-3 each, C Conway 0-2, N McMorrow 0-1.

CLARE: A Fahy; C Dillon, D McInerney, S Morey; B Bugler, C Cleary, D Fitzgerald; C Galvin, T Kelly; J Shanahan, P Collins, J Conlon; C McInerney, A Shanagher, D Reidy. Subs: J McCarthy for Shanahan (21), P Flanagan for Morey (ht), A Cunningham for C McInerney (50), C Malone for Cleary (59), G O’Connell for Bugler (69).

DUBLIN: C Dooley; S Barrett, E O’Donnell, O Gough; C Crummey, L Rushe, C O’Callaghan; D O’Connell, B Quinn; R O’Dwyer, N McMorrow, C Conway; D Treacy, D Burke, E Dillon. Subs: J Malone for Quinn (30), C Boland for Conway (47), R McBride for O’Dwyer (50), F Whitely for McMorrow (65), S Ó Riain for Treacy (68).

REF: J Ryan (Tipperary).