Final beckons for battling Dublin

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE: Dublin 1-15 Cork 1-14:DUBLIN'S HURLERS achieved a major breakthrough in Páirc Uí­ Chaoimh yesterday, reaching a first national final in 50 years and a first league decider since 1946. It's a lot of distinction to have been packed into a sunny afternoon in Cork before just 3,778 eyewitnesses to history.

The visitors were understandably jubilant at the end, as news pulsed through that Waterford had held on to their lead to beat Galway to leave Anthony Daly’s team in second place in the Division One table.

Like so much of Dublin’s success this campaign, this was a match they won more comfortably on the field than on the scoreboard. Again they started hesitantly but slowly their game picked up and they realised that Cork, with nothing to play for, were there for the taking.

The wides’ count went 14-12 against Dublin so Cork will rue misses that could have got them something from the match but, once in their stride, the winners played with more structure and direction and deserved the win.

It was a triumphant return to the team for David O’Callaghan, who started in a two-man full-forward line with Paul Ryan – Daire Plunkett dropping back from where he launched some characteristic, lung-pumping runs that Cork struggled to stay with.

With six points from play, O’Callaghan was the outstanding forward on the day, fastening on to ball and proving well able to slip his marker and get away accurate shots. There was also the welcome reappearance from the bench of former All Star, Alan McCrabbe.

Paul Ryan complemented O’Callaghan with reliable free -taking – including from 70 and 80 metres – to end the day with 1-8 but all around the Dublin forwards were getting stuck in and Cork didn’t manage to create much of a platform for their own attackers.

Conal Keaney probably had his quietest day in the company of John Gardiner so it’s a tribute to the rest of the team that they were able to get on with scoring and pressurising.

Playing with the wind Cork led by only two, 0-4 to 0-2, at the end of the first quarter – a manageable deficit for Dublin who were relieved to see their opponents hit seven wides in the first half.

Ryan Dwyer played a robust match – getting yellow-carded for clattering into Eoin Cadogan – and overall the team did well harassing Cork.

With the match tightly balanced Kieran Murphy had a goal chance in the 29th minute after winning a dangerous ball but the shot detonated over the bar for a point.

Cork’s best forward, not for the first time this campaign, was Niall McCarthy who gave Paul Schutte an intensely physical contest and exerted great influence when the team were going forward. N Mac also managed three points from play to emphasise his importance to the county ahead of next month’s championship opener.

Dublin trailed just after half-time by two points, Patrick Horgan’s fine point lofted over to make the score 0-10 to 0-8. But Dublin got the all-important goal a minute later, Plunkett again storming through the middle and placing Ryan for a clear shot on goal, which the Ballyboden forward buried in the net. O’Callaghan added a point almost immediately afterwards.

But Cork responded and Dublin began to get flustered – sending three line balls in succession astray – and Ben O’Connor’s free levelled the match at 0-13 to 1-10 going into the final quarter.

If you were to isolate what has made Dublin different this season, apart from the growing strength of the panel, it would be a developing unflappability when matches take potentially decisive, negative turns.

No sooner had Keaney hit a glorious point to restore the lead than a failure to clear allowed Horgan and Kieran Murphy to prise open Dublin’s defence to allow Luke Farrell a simple shot for goal, which he took in the 56th minute.

Just as they had done against Kilkenny, Dublin struck back with three points – two frees from Ryan and another from O’Callaghan, created by Tomás Brady, who had an excellent second half at full back – in two minutes to reclaim the lead, 1-14 to 1-13.

Two further points were shared – Ben O’Connor taking a point from a 20-metre free – and Dublin had to survive a raid by replacement Paudie O’Sullivan, who was whistled up for overcarrying, and a long-range free from Gardiner before referee Brian Gavin whistled them into the big time.

DUBLIN:G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; P Schutte, P Kelly, S Durkan; J McCaffrey, S Lambert; C McCormack, R Dwyer, C Keaney (0-1); D Plunkett, D O'Callaghan (0-6), P Ryan (1-8, 0-7 frees). Subs: M O'Brien for Schutte (43 mins), A McCrabbe for Lambert (48 mins), D O'Dwyer for McCormack (61 mins).

CORK:D Cusack; S McDonnell, E Cadogan, S O'Neill; J Gardiner (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 65), R Curran, W Egan; P Cronin, B Murphy; B O'Connor (0-4, all frees), C McCarthy (0-1), N McCarthy (0-3); L Farrell (1-1), K Murphy (0-1), P Horgan (0-1). Subs: L McLoughlin for Cronin (15 mins), T Kenny for Egan (50 mins), C Lehane for C McCarthy (50 mins), P O'Sullivan for K Murphy (56 mins), J O'Connor for McLoughlin (63 mins).

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).