John Hetherton, Dublin, and Declan McCloskey, Antrim, in Allianz Hurling League action at Croke Park. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Allianz Hurling League Division 1B
Dublin 1-25 Antrim 0-14
By Paul Keane at Croke Park
Just six days after leading Na Fianna to AIB All-Ireland club SHC success at Croke Park, new Dublin manager Niall O Ceallachain experienced that winning feeling there again.
This time it was Antrim who felt the pain as O Ceallachain got his Sky Blues reign off to a flying start with a 14-point Division 1B dismissal of visiting Antrim.
None of the Na Fianna players were involved while experienced performers like 2024 captain Paddy Smyth, Danny Sutcliffe and Ronan Hayes were absent too, along with Eoghan O'Donnell who has quit to play football.
But a Dublin side with debutants David Lucey, Paddy Dunleavy and Iain O hEithir in defence coughed up just 14 points in total, and only six from open play, and cantered to an easier than anticipated win.
Conal O Riain was another newcomer in blue and the Kilmacud Crokes man, an U-20 last year, also seized the opportunity with 1-03 overall while free-taker Cian O'Sullivan slotted 13 points on the evening, 11 from placed balls.
O Riain's ninth minute goal left Dublin five points clear at that early stage and already there was an ominous feeling about things from an Antrim perspective.
New Antrim boss Davy Fitzgerald spoke beforehand about needing to improve their away record but they never looked like grabbing a result here and will hope for an improvement against Offaly in Tullamore on February 9. Dublin will be back in action the same afternoon against Westmeath in Mullingar.
O Ceallachain went with a new look Dublin side that contained just six starters - John Bellew, Chris Crummey, Daire Gray, Brian Hayes, Conor Burke and Darragh Power - from last June's All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Cork.
Crummey led the team out after being handed the captaincy for the second time in his senior career with Conor Burke as vice-captain.
Crummey has played in the half-forward line in the past but looks set to be a defensive mainstay in the O Ceallachain era with a commanding centre-back display.
He blasted one trademark long-range score in a first-half when Dublin were largely on top, allowing them to reach the interval with a 1-14 to 0-9 lead.
In the absence of regular free-takers and Na Fianna duo Donal Burke and Colin Currie, O'Sullivan was handed placed ball duties for Dublin and split the posts nine times in the first-half alone.
O Riain's goal was the standout moment of the first 35 minutes or so, the St Brigid's man controlling the ball firstly on the left before striking to the Antrim net.
Keelan Molloy was a late addition to the Antrim lineup. They also had an experienced performer in centre-back Eoghan Campbell who is one of their new vice-captains, along with Conor Johnston.
Paddy Burke and Nigel Elliott are Antrim's two new joint captains and Elliott hit one of their first-half points.
The Saffrons were wasteful though and dropped too many point attempts short in the opening period with the bulk of their scores coming from McNaughton frees. They are without ACL victim Conal Cunning and badly missed him.
It didn't get any better for the Ulster side after the restart with just a solitary point in the third quarter, from Niall McKenna.
Dublin didn't exactly cut loose in comparison but powerful full-forward John Hetherton hit his second of the evening and O'Sullivan continued to convert from frees and open play.
All of which left Dublin with a commanding 1-19 to 0-12 lead approaching the hour mark.
Antrim needed a miracle at that stage, or at least a goal to hint at some late drama, but it never arrived as Dublin finished with a series of points to gloss the scoreline.
Substitute Cillian Hayes, Crummey, Conor Burke, Dara Purcell and O Riain again were on the mark in the closing stages while O Ceallachain rolled on all five of his permitted subs including newcomer Jack Lambert from Ballyboden.
Scorers for Dublin: Cian O'Sullivan 0-13 (11fs), Conal O Riain 1-3, John Hetherton 0-2, Dara Purcell 0-3, Chris Crummey 0-2, Cillian Hayes 0-1, Conor Burke 0-1.
Scorers for Antrim: James McNaugton 0-10 (8fs), Niall McKenna 0-2, Niall O'Connor 0-1, Nigel Elliott 0-1.
Dublin: Eddie Gibbons; John Bellew, David Lucey, Iain O hEithir; Daire Gray, Chris Crummey, Paddy Dunleavy; Brian Hayes, Conor Burke; Dara Purcell, Darragh Power, Conal O Riain; Cian O'Sullivan, John Hetherton, Fergal Whitely.
Subs: Diarmuid O Dulaing for Whitely 53, Sean Gallagher for Gray 46, Cillian Hayes for Brian Hayes 57, David Purcell for Hetherton 60, Jack Lambert for Dunleavy 63.
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Conor Boyd, Declan McCloskey, Paddy Burke; Conal Bohill, Ryan McGarry, Eoghan Campbell; Scott Walsh, Nigel Elliott; Paul Boyle, Keelan Molloy, Niall McKenna; Eoin O'Neill, Niall O'Connor, James McNaughton.
Subs: Eoin McFerran for Boyd h/t, Gerard Walsh for McGarry h/t, Seaan Elliott for O'Connor 48, Joe Maskey for Bohill 54, Joseph McLaughlin for O'Neill 66.
Referee: James Owens (Wexford).
