Gaelic Games

Dublin consistency sees Mattie Kenny’s side move top of Division 1B

Dubs secure just fourth win in 11 outings in Thurles in one point win over Tipperary

Donal Burke of Dublin drives at the Tipperary defence during the league leader’s win away in Thurles. Photograph: Lorraine O’Sullivan/Inpho

Paul Keane at FBD Semple Stadium
Mon Feb 28 2022 - 06:00

Tipperary 0-21 Dublin 2-16

Even in the conditions - Mattie Kenny estimated a 45kmph wind was blowing across FBD Semple Stadium - the Dublin manager still found the consistency he was looking for. Well, almost.

For the guts of an hour, Dublin did a pretty good job of impersonating a team used to winning in Thurles and not, as they were, chasing just a fourth win in 11 outings there across the last decade.

Goals from Rian McBride and Ronan Hayes, plus a 0-9 haul from Donal Burke, bringing his 2022 takings to 1-65 overall, left the Walsh Cup winners five points clear at the hour mark and on the brink of a surprisingly comfortable win.

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It was around then that Colm Bonnar, overseeing a transition year in Tipperary and attempting to infuse an ageing core with All-Ireland U-21 and U-20 winning talent from 2018 and 2019, brought on the McGrath brothers, Noel and John, and Conor Bowe in the hope of engineering a comeback.

It worked too as Noel McGrath and Bowe, along with top scorer Jason Forde, all struck to leave just a point between them in stoppage time.

Then, at the death, Forde had a half chance to potentially steal a goal but scuffed his shot and fell awkwardly, slamming his neck down into the ground. It just about summed up one of those evenings for Tipp though for Dublin, top of Division 1B and still unbeaten in 2022, it’s looking a whole pile better.

“It’s about getting that consistency of performance,” said Kenny. “That’s what we’re aiming for and trying to do. The game of hurling is very fickle, a goal either way, one or the other can decide a result.

“What we want is that coming down the stretch we’re in all these matches and we want to have ourselves in a position to get the win in the last five or 10 minutes.

“That all comes down to performance. If our guys keep doing what they’re doing, then we’ll be really happy because overall the application of the boys to training and to the matches has been great.”

Colm Bonnar has now handed game time to 27 different Tipperary players in three games, seven of those - Barry Hogan, Brian McGrath, Eoghan Connolly, Robert Byrne, Noel McGrath, John McGrath and Bowe - getting their first taste of league activity on Saturday.

To put the scale of Bonnar’s rebuilding into context, goalkeeper Barry Hogan, the entire full-back line and wing-back Robert Byrne all lined out in either the 2018 or 2019 U-21 or U-20 final.

Naturally, they struggled at times against a physically stronger and more experienced Dublin who also edged the midfield battle where Conor Burke and Chris Crummey were on top.

Former Hurler of the Year Seamus Callanan, a sub for the wins over Laois and Kilkenny, started his first game of 2022 but was well held by Dublin captain Eoghan O’Donnell and eventually hauled off.

For Dublin, the picture is more positive seven weeks out from the start of the Leinster championship.

“All the experienced guys did well but I thought John Bellew, a newcomer to us this year, did well, Andy Dunphy, Aidan Mellett, these types of guys who are just coming into the team this year, I thought they all put in really big shifts out there. That’s what we’re happy about.”

Tipperary will travel to Waterford next Sunday while Dublin will host Kilkenny on Saturday at Parnell Park. That game will come too soon for a number of Dublin regulars to return.

“The likes of Liam Rushe, Daire Gray, Cian O’Sullivan, Cian Boland, Mark Schutte, we’re anxious to get these guys back but they won’t be available for another number of weeks,” said Kenny.

Dublin, leading 1-8 to 0-10 at half-time thanks largely to McBride’s 25th minute goal, slipped behind in the third quarter but then turned on the afterburners, outscoring Tipp by 1-7 to 0-3 between the 43rd and 60th minutes.

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; E Connolly, B McGrath, C Morgan; R Byrne (0-2), S Kennedy, R Maher; A Flynn, P Cadell; D McCormack, J Forde (0-12, 11f, 1 s/l), M Breen (0-1); P Flynn (0-1), S Callanan, J Morris (0-3).

Subs: N McGrath (0-1) for Cadell (55 mins), J McGrath for Callanan (55 mins), C Bowe (0-1) for Flynn (62 mins).

Dublin: S Brennan; A Dunphy, E O'Donnell, C O'Callaghan; J Bellew, P Smyth, J Madden (0-1); C Burke (0-1), C Crummey; D Burke (0-9, 8f), R McBride (1-02), D Sutcliffe; F Whitely (0-2), R Hayes (1-1), A Mellett.

Subs: E Dillon for Hayes (58 mins), D Keogh for Whitely (64 mins), J Malone for McBride (67 mins), P Crummey for Mellett (67 mins).

Ref: J Murphy (Limerick).