Dublin 6-19 Derry 3-11 Dublin went a long way to securing their place at hurling's top table for next season with a comfortable win at blustery Celitc Park yesterday.

They dominated just about every area, but it was their superiority in the half-back line and at midfield which was the platform for this victory.

With an ample supply of quality possession Dublin's forward line had a field day. They could probably have scored more than the six goals they managed, with the likes of Keith Horgan and Steven McDonnell continually cutting swathes through the Oak Leaf defence.

With a strong wind at their backs, Dublin were in the ascendancy from the first whistle, with Horgan getting a point from the first attack.

By the five-minute mark things were already looking grim for Derry as Steven Hiney rampaged up from half-back and drilled the ball to the net. Kevin O'Donoghue added another score before Kevin Flynn made it 1-4 to no score after only 10 minutes.

DERRY: K Stevenson; P McVeigh, G Brunton, E McKeever; P Murphy, D Magill (0-2, 1f, 1 65); P O'Kane; A McCrystal, M Conway; P Carton, O Collins (2-6, five frees), G Biggs; D McGrellis (0-1), R Kennedy (1-1), J O'Dwyer (0-1). Subs: C McKeever for O'Dwyer, R Convery for Biggs, S McBride for Carton.

DUBLIN: B McLoughlin; P Brennan, S Perkins, K Ryan; S Hiney (1-0), K Wilson, K Elliott; C Keaney (0-5, 3f), R Fallon (0-1); Keith Horgan (1-2), K O'Donoghue (0-1), S McDonnell (2-1); D OReilly (0-6, 3f), L Ryan (0-2), K Flynn (1-1). Subs: M Carton (1-0) for K O'Doherty, G Ennis for Flynn, T Moore for O'Reilly, S Daley for Perkins, J McGurk for Keaney.

Referee: J McLean (Antrim).