Sean Currie’s 2-13 secures minor hurling semi-final spot for Dublin

Antrim’s third-quarter rally ended by two goals from full forward

Dublin 2-20 Antrim 0-11

A 2-13 haul from Sean Currie helped Dublin to a 15-point win over Antrim in yesterday's All-Ireland minor hurling championship quarter-final at Páirc Esler in Newry on Saturday.

The opening quarter hour was nip and tuck. Antrim opened the scoring through Tiarnan Murphy, with Currie levelling matters for the Dubs. Currie had his eye on goal seconds later but his well-struck shot was well saved by Paul McMullan between the Antrim posts.

Ben Coffey then put Dublin into a lead they would not lose when picked out by Luke McDwyer. Currie converted a free to stretch Dublin's lead with Sean Elliott closing the gap to the minimum on 13 minutes.

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A brace of Currie frees extended the advantage while Liam Murphy's goal effort sailed over the bar for a 0-6 to 0-2 Dublin lead on 22 minutes. Emmett Allen completed a great team move for Dublin's seventh point of the day with Currie adding another two points either side of a Mark Grogan point.

Antrim added their first point in 21 minutes from an Elliott free to make the score 0-10 to 0-3 at the break.

Antrim rallied briefly in the third quarter, briefly cutting the gap to five points, 0-11 to 0-6, with a Murphy free on 38 minutes. That was as good as it got for the Saffrons.

The on-fire Currie added his first goal on 43 minutes when latching in to a breaking ball and firing low to the net, and his second major arrived on 55 minutes to seal a comprehensive win for Dublin.

DUBLIN: C O'Donoghue; A Dunphy, B McHugh, K Burke; E O'Neill, L Walsh, L Gannon; D Keogh, B Coffey (0-1); M Grogan (0-2), E Allen (0-2), E O'Donnell; L Murphy (0-1), S Currie (2-13, four frees), L McDwyer.

Subs: S Lambe for L McDwyer (49 mins), C Derwin (0-1) for M Grogan (51 mins), B Smith for A Dunphy (55 mins), J Byrne for L Murphy (55 mins), J Rooney for C O'Donoghue (67 mins)

ANTRIM: P McMullan; O McAuley, S Walsh, P Lennon; S Magill, C Boyd, R McGarry; M McGreevy, C McHugh; E McQuillan, C Scullion, N McCormack; T Murphy (0-4, all frees), D Smith (0-1), S Elliott (0-5, three frees).

Subs: A McGrath (0-1) for C Scullion (7 mins), E McManamin for A McGrath (52 mins), F McCurry for P Lennon (57 mins), M Smith for O McAuley (57 mins)

Referee: J Keane (Galway)