Waterford 4-17 Dublin 1-3: Dublin hurlers started lively at Walsh Park on Saturday night, but ultimately made a tame exit from the hurling championship and provided opponents Waterford with easy access to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Lining out without David Sweeney and Kevin Flynn from their selected side, Dublin led within 25 seconds through a Tomás McGrane point and trailed by just two points, 0-5 to 0-3, after 23 minutes.

That was the best they had to offer, however, and Waterford came within two minutes of holding them scoreless for the rest of the match, their goal coming in the final minute of normal time from substitute John Kingston.

The game, played in murky conditions before an attendance of 7,000, was almost totally one-sided from the 24th minute when John Mullane, alone in front of goal, finished an Eoin McGrath cross to the net.

Dublin goalkeeper Gary Maguire had earlier saved brilliantly from Dan Shanahan but he was helpless to prevent Mullane's goal and another from Séamus Prendergast right before the half-time whistle.

That left the interval score 2-10 to 0-3 after Tony Browne, Mullane and Eoin McGrath had shown up particularly well for the winners.

Despite the best efforts of their goalkeeper, and Derek O'Reilly, Damien Russell and Tómas Moore outfield, Dublin had little success in stemming the tide in the second half.

More Waterford points flowed from Eoin Kelly, Paul Flynn, Prendergast, Ken McGrath and substitute Jack Kennedy and there were further goals from Flynn on 43 minutes and late substitute Paul O'Brien four minutes from time.

It was all too easy for the 2004 Munster champions, who will no doubt face a stiffer test when they travel to Cusack Park, Ennis, for their final match in the qualifier series against Clare next Sunday.

WATERFORD: S Brenner; T Feeney, F Hartley, J Murray; T Browne (0-1), K McGrath (0-2), E Murphy; B Phelan, E Kelly (0-4); D Shanahan, M Walsh, P Flynn (1-3, 0-3 frees); J Mullane (1-2), S Prendergast (1-2), E McGrath (0-2). Subs: D Coffey for Murphy; J Kennedy (0-1) for Walsh, B Wall for Browne, P O'Brien (1-0) for E McGrath, G Power for Prendergast.

DUBLIN: G Maguire; G O'Meara, S Hiney, J Cullen; D O'Reilly, R Fallon, S Ó Sé; D Russell, T Moore; S McDonald, T Davis, D Curtin (0-2, frees); T McGrane (0-1), M Carton, E Carroll. Subs: G Bennett for Ó Sé, E Moran for McDonald, P Carton for McGrane, J Kingston (1-0) for Davis, S Mullen for Curtin.

Referee: B White (Tipperary).