Keaney shows hungrier Dublin the way

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE Dublin 1-16 Tipperary 1-15:THE KINDLING has started to catch fire. In a game supposedly set to serve as an appetiser for the two main courses which followed, a one-time footballer – in the shape of Conal Keaney – served as the fuel which ignited the possibility that something rather promising is developing in the Dublin hurling camp.

On this display, with Dublin eking out a one-point win over the All-Ireland champions despite some profligate shooting as the prized scalp edged towards reality, Keaney’s return to hurling has provided an impetus to the renaissance. Strong, fast and accurate, Keaney’s contribution of 14 points was the decisive factor in a game where his leadership was complemented by industrious work from his team-mates to serve back-to-back defeats on Tipperary in the opening two rounds of matches.

For sure, a Saturday evening in February with an icy fog engulfing the grand stadium is a far cry from a sunny summer’s afternoon when the sliothar moves faster and the striking is purer. Still, Anthony Daly’s men can only answer the questions asked of them at any given time and the standing ovation which rang in their ears as they trundled down the tunnel on the Cusack side of the pitch was like music to their ears.

Keaney has heard such approval before, in his time with the county’s footballers. For his new hurling team-mates, such acclaim has been rare.

Yet, the win itself was merited with Dublin leading for large segments of the match and, even after a couple of Tipperary’s heavy hitters including Eoin Kelly were released from the bench late-on, they stuck resolutely to the task to fashion out a win to follow their away draw against Waterford.

It didn’t start out that way, though. In fact, Tipperary dominated the early exchanges – moving into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after Michael Gleeson followed up Shane McGrath’s well-worked point with one of his own – but the tide turned Dublin’s way soon after when Shane Ryan set up Declan O’Dwyer, who outjumped Paul Curran, for a goal which was clinically finished.

Tipperary regained the lead – however briefly – when John O’Neill, staking his claim for a corner-forward position having recovered from knee injury, got on the end of a Brendan Maher pass, beat Shane Durkin to the ball, and gave Dublin goalkeeper Gary Maguire no chance from close range. That 28th minute goal put Tipperary 1-8 to 1-7 ahead but the home team responded well with three successive points from Keaney (two) and Liam Rushe before a Pa Bourke pointed free on the stroke of half-time left Dublin one point clear at the break.

Keaney’s contribution to Dublin’s cause was reflected in a simple statistic from the second half: Dublin scored six points; Keaney scored six points. He was also guilty of a number of missed chances as Dublin ran up 10 wides in the second-half.

In fact, showing their hurling nous, Tipperary – who trailed by four points with 20 minutes remaining – sent over four successive points (from McGrath, Brian O’Meara, Bourke and Eoin Kelly) to draw level in the 57th minute and hint that the old order of things would be restored. However, it was Dublin who finished the hungrier and the stronger with Keaney’s 14th point, from a free, in the 62nd minute providing the crucial last score of the game.

DUBLIN: G Maguire; R Treanor, T Brady, P Kelly; S Hiney, J Boland (0-1), S Durkin; J McCaffrey, S Ryan; C Keaney (0-14, 0-9 frees, 0-1 65), L Rushe (0-1), C McCormack; D O'Callaghan, D O'Dwyer (1-0), P Carton. Subs: R O'Dwyer for Ryan (30 mins), P Ryan for McCormack (47 mins), D Plunkett for O'Dwyer (52 mins), L Ryan for Carton (58).

TIPPERARY: D Gleeson; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; D Young (0-1, sideline cut), Pádraic Maher, B Maher (0-1); M Gleeson (0-1), S McGrath (0-2); G Ryan, P Bourke (0-6, three frees), Patrick Maher; J O'Neill (1-2), P Fanning, S Carey. Subs: B O'Meara (0-1) for Fanning (35 mins), E Kelly (0-1) for Carey (50 mins), B Dunne for Gleeson (55 mins), J Woodcock for Ryan (60 mins).

Referee: J Sexton(Cork).