Dublin ease to league win over Limerick footballers:
By John Keogh Limerick Leader Sport
DUBLIN condemned Limerick to a second defeat of the Allianz Football League Division 2 on a 2-17 to 1-11 scoreline at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
The Dubs controlled the first half with relative ease and goals from Brian Fenton and a Dean Rock penalty helped them to a 13-point half-time advantage.
Limerick produced a much better performance after the break and were the better side for large parts of the second half with Hugh Bourke’s goal the highlight.
Dessie Farrell’s side wasted no time in putting Limerick to the sword with Greg McEneaney, Ross McGarry and Dean Rock scoring points in the opening three minutes.
Cian Sheehan responded for Limerick but another Rock free and a classy score from Con O’Callaghan put Dublin 0-5 to 0-1 ahead.
Then came the first Dublin goal. A slick team move saw O’Callaghan through on goal. He was brilliantly denied by a brilliant Donal O’Sullivan save but Fenton was on hand to palm the ball into the empty net.
Dublin kicked four more points before Limerick got on the board again through a fisted effort by Adrian Enright. The Dubs then recorded their second goal after O’Callaghan was fouled by Gordon Browne and Rock dispatched the penalty into the bottom left corner.
Limerick struggled to create anything in the Dublin half throughout the first half but did improve in the final stages with Sheehan kicking a second point, while James Naughton also got on the scoreboard twice to leave the score at 2-12 to 0-5 in Dublin’s favour.
Ray Dempsey’s side were a different animal in the first part of the second half. Hugh Bourke took advantage of a loose ball to send a shot to the net.
Naughton then fired over his second free before Bourke nailed a point to follow his goal and then Enright got his second fisted effort of the game to leave the score at 2-12 to 1-8 in Dublin’s favour.
It took Dublin 18 minutes to register their first score of the half, courtesy of a Rock free. McGarry, O’Callaghan and then Rock again restored Dublin’s dominance heading into the final quarter.
Limerick shaded the final 10 minutes with two Naughton frees and a lovely score from Iain Corbett seeing Dublin’s winning margin reduced to nine points at full-time.
Scorers – Limerick:James Naughton 0-5 (4 frees), Hugh Bourke 1-1, Cian Sheehan and Adrian Enright 0-2, Iain Corbett 0-1.
Scorers – Dublin: Dean Rock 1-5 (1-0 pen, 3 frees), Ross McGarry and Con O’Callaghan 0-4 each, Brian Fenton 1-0, Greg McEneaney, Lorcan O’Dell, Daire Newcombe and Killan O’Gara 0-1 each.
LIMERICK: Donal O’Sullivan (Monaleen); David Connolly (Adare), Seán O’Dea (Kilteely-Dromkeen), Barry Coleman (Rathkeale); Brian Fanning (Pallasgreen), Cillian Fahy (Dromcollogher-Broadford), Mike Donovan (Galbally); Cian Sheehan (Newcastle West), Iain Corbett (Newcastle West); Paul Maher (Adare), James Naughton (St Senan’s), Gordon Browne (Na Piarsaigh); Adrian Enright (Fr Casey’s), Davy Lyons (Adare), Colm McSweeney (Gerald Griffins).
Subs: Hugh Bourke (Adare) for Lyons (22 mins), Killian Ryan (Mungret St Paul’s) for Sheehan (h-t), Peter Nash (Kildimo-Pallaskenry) for Browne (57 mins), Tony McCarthy (Kildimo-Pallaskenry) for Donovan (60 mins), Robbie Bourke (Adare) for Enright (68 mins).
DUBLIN: David O’Hanlon (Na Fianna); Sean McMahon (Raheny), Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis), Daire Newcombe (Lucan Sarsfield’s), Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcille), Greg McEneaney (Skerries Harps), Tom Lahiff (St Jude’s); Brian Fenton (Raheny), Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne (Cuala); Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street); Ross McGarry (Ballyboden St Enda’s), Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock); Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street), Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams), Con O’Callaghan (Cuala).
Subs: Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda’s) for O’Dell (44 mins), Killian O’Gara (Templeogue Synge Street) for McGarry (60 mins), Adam Fearon (Skerries Harps) for Gannon (64 mins), Sean Lowry (St Vincents) for Lowry (65 mins), Ben Millist (Ballinteer St John’s) for McEneaney (68 mins).
Referee: James Molloy (Galway)