Dublin 3-23 Dubs Stars 3-13:DUBLIN WILL take a leaf out of Henry Shefflin's book in a bid to get their injury-stricken hurlers back for the 2012 Championship.
Manager Anthony Daly revealed yesterday Dublin’s three cruciate knee ligament injuries from last year, Conal Keaney, Tomás Brady and Stephen Hiney, will all miss the upcoming league.
And he says they will look to mirror the progress made by Kilkenny hero Shefflin last summer and target a June return for Keaney and Brady, with Hiney the more serious of the trio and not due back until July.
“So far so good, they are really working hard, which is all you can ask of them. But they’ll see no league. Stephen won’t see the Leinster Championship – he still has a load to do and is doing it. They were up in the mountains cycling this morning.
“You have to respect the cruciate. You have to look at what Shefflin did last year and timed his run to get back for the Leinster semi-final and that’s the way we’d be looking at the lads. If we can get them back for then it’ll be fantastic and great to have them,” he said.
Daly was speaking in Thomas Davis GAA grounds in Tallaght yesterday after watching a Dublin selection in action in the annual clash with the Dub Stars, drawn from the stars of the 2011 county championship.
The Dubs boss is happy with the squad’s fitness after the winter break, and is eager to use the Walsh Cup to trawl for talent.
This month the Dubs have challenge matches with Gort, Loughgiel and Limerick before they defend their Walsh Cup crown.
Daly picked out young stars Danny Sutcliffe, Conor Clinton and Ronan Walsh for special praise after they impressed in a match dominated by an icy wind.
Ryan O’Dwyer, Daire Plunkett, Shane Ryan and Cian McBride were others to stand out, with Ger O’Meara crowning a great solo run with a stunning goal for the Dubs Stars, who trailed 1-11 to 2-7 at half time, having had the wind behind them, and were easily picked off in the second half.
After last season’s highs, Daly knows 2012 will be a major challenge as they try to build on that progress. “We are trying to consolidate first of all, and with Division One now changed to six teams every game is crucial,” he says.
“It was the same when it was eight but really with six you can afford very few slip-ups. We go to Salthill in the first game and it’s tough and we’ve Cork then and . . . if you lose a couple you are in trouble and if you win a couple you are in great shape – so it’ll be important to be ready for the start of that. I’d have preferred if they left it alone with eight but at least you are in the top six.
“We’ve a good squad and if we can get everyone back off the treatment table and available it’ll be a fair team to pick,” he added.
DUBLIN: F McGarry; R Trainor, O Gough, P Schutte; R Walsh (0-1), M Quilty, D Sutcliffe; C McBride (0-1), C Clinton (0-1); D O’Callaghan, R O’Dwyer (0-9, six frees), S Ryan (1-2); D Plunkett (1-4), S Lambert (0-3), P Carton (1-2). Subs: E Dillon for O’Callaghan, half-time).
DUBS STARS: G Maguire; M Cussen, P Kelly, D Spain; M Travers, K Ryan, D Curran; G O’Meara (1-0), S Durkin; L Ryan (1-0), J O’Loughlin (0-2), S Stapleton (0-5, two frees, 1 65); J Maher (0-1, free) C McCormack (1-0), K O’Reilly (0-2, one free). Subs: S Costello (0-2, one free) for L Ryan 25, A Nolan for Maguire HT, J Gilligan (0-1) for Kelly 45.
Referee: G McGrath.
