SH Qualifier: Four-midable Dubs oust O'Moore County

July 04, 2015

Dublin's Niall Corcoran with Tommy Fitzgerald of Laois
©INPHO

Dublin are through to the second round of the hurling Qualifiers, having defeated Laois by 4-17 to 0-19 at O'Moore Park tonight.

Mark Schutte (2), Conal Keaney and sub David O'Callaghan netted for the winners, who will be on duty again next Saturday. They will learn their opponents in Monday morning's Qualifier draw.

Laois - who battled gamely and were on terms after 23 minutes - scored 13 times in the first half, Dublin 12 times … but three of those Dubs scores were goals and thus they led by 3-9 to 0-13 at the short whistle.

Schutte netted twice inside the opening six minutes as the Metropolitans roared into a 2-2 to 0-1 advantage, playing against the wind.

Points from Zane Keenan and Cha Dwyer kept the O'Moore County in contention and further scores from Joe Campion and Willie Hyland had them within two points again after 20 minutes before Dwyer's third sublime point made it a one-point match.

Keenan tied the scores up in the 23rd minute but Paul Ryan's 27th-minute free restored Dublin's lead and Eamonn Dillon made it 2-6 to 0-10 a minute later before Schutte cancelled out a Keenan point. Ryan O'Dwyer put three between them on 30 minutes and Keaney's timely goal four minutes from the break doubled that margin, 3-8 to 0-11.

Keenan (free) and Hyland pulled back O'Moore County points but Dillon had the final say of an electric first half.

Quickfire points from Johnny McCaffrey and Ryan propelled the Dubs eight points clear within eleven minutes of the restart, 3-15 to 0-16.

The second half was a rather flat and low-scoring affair but Seamus Plunkett's men didn't give up and just six points separated the teams with seven minutes left: 3-15 to 0-18. The Dubs finished strongly and O'Callaghan provided the icing on the cake with their fourth major in the last minute.

Dublin - G Maguire; N Corcoran, C O'Callaghan, P Schuttte; C Crummey, L Rushe, S Barrett (0-1); J McCaffrey (0-1), R O'Dwyer (0-1); C Boland, E Dillon (0-4), D Sutcliffe; P Ryan (0-5, 4f), C Keaney (1-3), M Schutte (2-1). Subs: S Durkin for S Barrett, D O'Callaghan (1-0) for C Boland, D Treacy for P Ryan, D Plunkett (0-1) for D Sutcliffe.

Laois - E Reilly; P Whelan, C Healy, B Stapleton; J Fitzpatrick (0-1), M Whelan (0-1), T Delaney (0-1); D Palmer, P Purcell; S Maher (0-1), Z Keenan (0-6, 5f), C Dwyer (0-3); T Fitzgerald, W Hyland (0-4), J Campion (0-1). Subs: J A Delaney for B Stapleton, N Foyle (0-1) for T Fitzgerald, J Walsh for P Purcell, PJ Scully for P Whelan, B Conroy for S Maher.

Referee - J Ryan.


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