Dazzling Dublin inflicted a humiliating 2-20 to 0-14 defeat on Tipperary at Parnell Park this afternoon.

The majestic Metropolitans dominated their illustrious opponents from start to finish with a performance that suggests they are perhaps ready to move on to the next level under new manager Ger Cunningham.

Eamonn Dillon and Liam Rushe goaled in either half as the hosts prevailed by a whopping twelve points. In reality, it could have been more, such was the gulf in quality between these two teams on the day.

Paul Ryan notched eight points for the winners, three from play, while John O'Dwyer was the losers' leading light on a day to forget for them, grabbing five scores from play and six in total.

Cunningham's purposeful charges produced a superb first-half display to deservedly lead by nine points at the short whistle, 1-11 to 0-5. While the Dubs caught the eye during those opening 35 minutes, the Premier County - without Patrick 'Bonner' Maher today - in contrast looked rudderless and out of sorts, with three of their five first-half points coming from Seamus Callanan frees.

The Metropolitans made a fantastic start, tearing into a seven point lead inside 22 minutes, 1-7 to 0-3. Dillon smacked home his goal at the midway stage in the first half, propelling his side into a six-point lead.

The same player had cancelled out Callanan's opener in the fifth minute before Danny Sutcliffe responded to another Callanan free on ten minutes. Ryan (two - one from play and one from a 70-metre free) and Colm Cronin fired the hosts to a three-point advantage before Dillon's major made it double scores.

Shane McGrath and former Tipp hurler Ryan O'Dwyer then traded scores as did Ryan and John O'Dwyer. On 26 minutes, wing back Chris Crummey drilled over an inspirational eleventh Dublin point and Ryan's 21-metre free two minutes later had the gap out to eight points, 1-9 to 0-4. No sooner had Callanan clipped over his third pointed free of the afternonn than Ryan converted at the other end to preserve the eight-point margin with half an hour played.

Mark Schutte stretched the gap with a beauty to give his side a handy nine-point interval cushion.

Shane Durkin had the margin out to ten points within a minute of the restart and Rushe added a 40th-minute point after John O'Dwyer had grabbed his second for the visitors. The one-way traffic continued as Ryan smashed over his fifth point of the match from a '65': 1-14 to 0-6.

With 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer to the fore, Tipp registered seven of the next eleven points but still trailed by eight with as many minutes remaining. Dillon arrowed one over for the winners five minutes from the end - 1-19 to 0-13. Conal Keaney may not have been exercising the umpires much but the former Dublin footballer was absolutely immense throughout in his new brief around the middle of the field, giving the equally-outstanding Durkin a real run for the Man of the Match accolade.

Callanan sent over a Tipp consolation in injury time but the day clearly belonged to the deadly Dubs, who had the last say as Rushe fired to the net with the last act of a surprisingly-one-sided encounter.

Dublin - A Nolan; C O'Callaghan, M Carton, P Schutte; S Durkin (0-1), P Kelly, C Crummey (0-1); D Sutcliffe (0-2), R O'Carroll; C Keaney, E Dillon (1-2), C Cronin (0-1); P Ryan (0-8, 5f), L Rushe (1-1), M Schutte (0-2). Subs: R O'Dwyer (0-1) for R O'Carroll, C Boland (0-1) for R O'Dwyer, B Quinn for C Cronin, J McCaffrey for S Durkin.

Tipperary - D Gleeson; C Barrett, P Curran, Joe O'Dwyer; K Bergin, C O'Mahony, Padraic Maher; S McGrath (0-1), B Maher; D Maher, G Ryan, J Woodlock (0-1); J O'Dwyer (0-6, 1f), S Callanan (0-4, 3f), J Forde (0-1f). Subs: R Maher for D Maher, T Stapleton for S McGrath, C Kenny for G Ryan, C O'Brien (0-1) for C O'Mahony, M Breen for Joe O'Dwyer.

Referee - B Kelly.

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