Sport

Slick Dublin cruise into final

Dublin 3-11 Cork 0-14 DUBLIN ARE still in the hunt for a second under-21 title in three seasons after a hugely impressive victory…

Mon Apr 23 2012 - 01:00

Dublin 3-11 Cork 0-14DUBLIN ARE still in the hunt for a second under-21 title in three seasons after a hugely impressive victory in Portlaoise on Saturday.

The Rebels provided stern resistance in the opening 10 minutes when they pushed four points clear, but once Dublin began to find a modicum of space, John Cleary’s side had no answer.

Philip Ryan plundered two goals while the outstanding Jack McCaffrey ended Cork’s hopes with his clinical strike less than two minutes into the second half.

Cork kept plugging away and reduced the deficit to five points at one stage, but it had been six with a quarter of an hour remaining.

READ MORE

Contrary to the opening period when Brian Hurley, Dónal Óg Hodnett, John O’Rourke and Mark Sugrue all scored from play, Cork were completely reliant on frees in the second half.

When the Rebels did chisel out a score, Dublin responded, through Paul Hudson, Ryan, Emmet Ó Conghaile and Ciarán Kilkenny who was generally well marshalled by the Cork defence in which Danny O’Donovan and Alan Cronin excelled.

“We struggled in some parts of the game but I thought the guys showed great resolve,” said Dublin manager Jim Gavin afterwards.

“Cork got a great start. But we knew that we had the wind and the forwards to score. Other guys . . . rallied very well. There were some great performances . . . I’m delighted for them.”

Gavin knows Roscommon will be hard to overcome in the final but sees his team’s experience of the big occasion as beneficial.

DUBLIN: JB Carthy; M Concar, K O'Brien, S George; L Fletcher, J Kelly, J McCaffrey (1-0); E Ó Conghaile (0-2), D Byrne (0-1); C Reddin, G Sweeney (0-1), M Schutte; C Kilkenny (0-1), P Ryan (2-3, 1-0 pen, one 45), P Hudson (0-2). Subs: P Maguire (0-1) for Byrne (38); G Seaver for Schutte (45); P O'Higgins for Reddin (46); H Dawson for Hudson (55); E Keogh for Sweeney (57).,

CORK: S Mellet; D O'Donovan, D Cahalane, A Cronin; J Cronin, T Clancy, J Wall; R Deane, E Healy; K Hallissey (0-1, free), M Sugrue (0-1), J O'Rourke (0-2); L Connolly (0-2, one 45), B Hurley 0-6 (five frees), D Óg Hodnett (0-1). Subs: D McEoin (0-1) for Hallissey (ht); C O'Sullivan for Wall (40); B O'Driscoll for Healy (51); A Cadogan for Sugrue (55).

Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh).