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Image courtesy Paul Lundy
DUBLIN 2-21
LAOIS 0-13
Dublin finished their Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B campaign on a positive note as they overcame Laois by fourteen points at a rainy Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately, the win wasn’t sufficient to claim promotion to the top tier with their narrow losses to both Offaly and Waterford earlier in the campaign proving fatal to their 1A ambitions.
Dublin led by 1-9 to 0-9 at the break with Darragh Power’s 19th minute goal just reward for their early control.
Without some key personnel in the likes of Chris Crummey and Donal Burke, Dublin pulled away upon the restart with David Purcell’s goal five minutes from time sealing an impressive victory.
It was the visitors that opened the scoring through Brian Hayes in the 3rd minute with Aidan Corby replying for Laois as he levelled matters soon after.
A fine Ronan Hayes point restored Dublin’s lead in the 6th minute before Diarmuid Ó Dúlaingdoubled that advantage as he converted a free two minutes later.
Dublin continued to dictate matters thanks to points from Power and Conor Donohoe with the hosts offering a sporadic threat up front, as reflected in a James Duggan score.
Ó Dúlaing (free) and Aaron Dunphy exchanged points towards the end of the first quarter before the visitors landed the first blow as Power arrived onto Donohoe’s brilliant pass before firing home from close range.
The Fingallians clubman added to his tally in the 22nd minute and while Laois hit back through Mark Dowling and Duggan, a Conal Ó Riain point pushed Dublin five points clear by the 26th minute.
The hosts finished the half strongly however as Corby’s second point of the half preceded a PJ Scully brace as the Dubs entered the break with a narrow three-point lead.
A strong start to the second-half that yielded points from Ó Dúlaing, Ó Riain and Ronan Hayes handed Dublin a degree of comfort and another Ó Dúlaing score saw the visitors race into a seven point lead by the 44th minute.
The hosts were limited to a couple of Scully frees as the contest ran away from them with points by Seán Currie and substitute John Hetherton keeping the Dubs on the front foot.
AJ Murphy, fresh from winning the Club Hurler of the Year award, made an instant impression as he pointed within three minutes of his introduction while another substitute, David Purcell, effectively settled the issue when netting in the 65th minute.
It proved a case of shooting practice for Dublin from that juncture as Ó Riain and Murphy availed of some increasingly loose defending to leave the visitors comfortable winners by the final whistle.
Scorers – Dublin: D Power 1-2; D Ó Dúlaing 0-4 (4f); David Purcell 1-0; R Hayes, S Currie (2f), C Ó Riain, AJ Murphy 0-3 each; B Hayes, C Donohoe, J Hetherton 0-1 apiece. Laois: PJ Scully 0-5 (3f, 1 ‘65’); A Corby, J Duggan, A Dunphy 0-2 each; M Dowling, FC Fennell 0-1 apiece.
Dublin: S Brennan; A Dunphy, C McHugh, P Smyth; P O’Dea, P Doyle, K Burke; C Burke, C Donohoe; B Hayes, C Ó Riain, D Power; S Currie, R Hayes, D Ó Dúlaing. Subs: D Lucey for Doyle (44), J Hetherton for Ó Dúlaing (47), I Ó hEithir for O’Dea (51), AJ Murphy for C Burke (56), David Purcell for R Hayes (64).
Laois: E Fleming; D Conway, L Cleere, C Comerford; R Mullaney, E Gaughan, J Walshe; FC Fennell, D Dooley; A Dunphy, T Keyes, A Corby; M Dowling, J Duggan, PJ Scully. Subs: B Conroy for Duggan (49), D Hartnett for Cleere (55), J Lennon for Dowling (59), J Keyes for Dunphy (68), C Byrne for T Keyes (68).
Referee: James Owens (Wexford).