Under-21 Hurling All-Ireland Semi-final/Dublin 3-18 Derry 2-11:Dublin's burgeoning authority on the hurling ground continues apace. Yet again there was adequate evidence of this demonstrated on a rain-drenched pitch by Seán Lane's Leinster champions in the All-Ireland under-21 championship semi-final in Newry on Saturday.
Lane, however, was not pleased with his team's general performance. The Dublin manager was emphatic in his assertion his team did not play well despite the 10 points winning margin. In fact all the indications are Dublin players can expect to come under the cosh in terms of energy-sapping work-outs on the training field over the next couple of weeks ahead of the final against either Galway or Cork on September 9th.
"We are delighted to be in the final for the first time in 35 years but a lot of work remains to be done," said Lane. He assessed Derry's performance as robust and tough, backed up by superb fitness.
"For a lot of the time we played second fiddle moving forward. In fairness to Derry they must be given a lot of credit for the work they are doing in the game."
Lane continued: "They got among us and threw us off our game. This is something we must seriously look at for the same kind of trend even more severe and more serious will happen against either Cork or Galway in the final."
From the opening half minute when full forward Declan O'Dwyer pointed Dublin into the lead they never looked likely to be headed.
O'Dwyer landed two of the goals that influenced a 3-12 to 1-8 interval lead, an advantage that was attained against a strong wind.
Cheekily O'Dwyer kicked his second goal and Dublin's third to the net to the utter dismay of Derry goalkeeper Darryl McDermott.
The big threat in the Derry attack came from Paddy Henry and Seán McGoldrick. Henry was deadly with the placed ball and smacked over a 65 moments after the interval to marginally reduce Derry's deficit. Lane took a serious view of the second-half scoring trend. He said: "We could only draw the second half, they scored 1-3 against our 0-6."
Derry manager Brian McGilligan was perhaps the best known individual at the venue for his achievement in winning All-Star and Compromise Rules awards in the 1980s. He said: "I thought Dublin were cuter than us and of course this emanates from having had more competitive matches."
Lane, impressed by Derry's courage and grit, went to the Derry dressingroom after the game. He told the dejected Derry players that they should stick to the task in the interests of Derry hurling and indeed of hurling in general.
Said Lane: "I told them that we have been together for a number of years now and lost successive Leinster finals at minor and under-21 level. Ye should take heart from this and not give up."
Dublin captain John McCaffrey expressed the feelings of his players when stating: "We trained as hard as we could for this match for we knew that Derry, having watched them defeat Antrim, were a very tidy side."
Dublin selector Tom Ryan was satisfied that players such as Dan Webster, Alan McCrabbe, McCaffrey, Joey Boland, Peadar Carton and, of course, O'Dwyer had excellent moments.
McCrabbe and McCaffrey formed a highly effective midfield partnership and accounted for 10 of the winning points.
DUBLIN: P Curtin; R Drumgoole, P Callaghan, D Webster; K Dunne, T Brady, M McGarry; J McCaffrey (0-5), A McCrabbe (0-5); E Moran (0-1), D Connolly (0-1), J Boland (0-1); P Carton (1-1), D O'Dwyer (2-2), R O'Carroll (0-2). Subs: S Ennis for O'Carroll; C Lane for Moran; I Fleming for Connolly; G Kelly for McGarry.
DERRY: D McDermott; B Henry, R McCluskey, S McNicholl; Conor McKenna, M Craig, Cormac McKenna; B Dodds, N Holley; P Henry (0-5, 65 and three frees), O McCluskey (0-2), G O'Kane (0-1); S Dodds (1-1), K O'Neill, S McGoldrick (1-2). Subs: C Mulholland for Cormac McKenna; C McQuillan for O'Neill.
Referee: A Stapleton (Laois).
