Mattie Kenny delighted with new faces as Dublin too good for Antrim challenge

On an afternoon when the manager looked at 23 players, including defenders John Bellew and Luke Walsh, Aidan Mellett of Ballyboden was arguably the most impressive of the greenhorns, scoring a point and setting up scores

Antrim's Joe Maskey is tackled by Rian McBride of Dublin during the Walsh Cup R1 clash at Parnell Park. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Dublin 2-27 Antrim 1-21

Eoghan O'Donnell will take over from Danny Sutcliffe as the Dublin hurling captain for 2022.

Manager Mattie Kenny confirmed the news after beginning their Walsh Cup pre-season campaign with a convincing nine-point win over Antrim at Parnell Park. Cian O'Callaghan will be Dublin's vice-captain though with O'Donnell and O'Callaghan among a number of experienced performers absent for this Round 1 tie, Paddy Smyth wore the armband

It was a useful blowout for Dublin who flirted with an unlikely defeat when they conceded 1-7 without reply between the seventh and 15th minutes before coming roaring back to lead by half-time, Cian O'Sullivan with a stoppage time goal.

Free-taker Colin Currie, a county finalist with Na Fianna, added Dublin's second goal after the restart and helped himself to 1-13 overall. On an afternoon when Kenny looked at 23 players, including defenders John Bellew and Luke Walsh, Aidan Mellett of Ballyboden was arguably the most impressive of the greenhorns, scoring a point and setting up Currie and Ronan Smith for scores. Shane Barrett's return after a year out is a boost in defence while Eamonn Dillon came on and scored after a long-term hamstring injury.

There'll be a bigger test next weekend when Henry Shefflin's Galway arrive at Parnell Park but it was a solid start to the year.

"Antrim asked a lot of questions of us in the first-half, they pulled seven or eight points clear so we had to dig and fight to get ourselves back into it," said Kenny. "We gradually did and we're delighted with the workout."

Like O'Donnell, former captains Sutcliffe and Liam Rushe didn't feature while Mark Schutte, Oisin O'Rorke, Fergal Whitely and Cian O'Callaghan weren't part of the 26.

Kenny said a number of players are 'carrying various little knocks and things' but said that there have been no retirements.

"No, no and we've brought in the likes of Alex Considine. He strained a muscle in the warm up but we'll have a look at him in the next few weeks."

Scorers for Dublin: C Currie (1-13, 8 frees, 1 65); R McBride (0-5); C O'Sullivan (1-1); C Crummey (0-3); J Hetherton (0-2); R Smith, E Dillon & A Mellett (0-1 each).

Scorers for Antrim: C Clarke (0-6, 5 frees, 1 65); C Johnson & N McKenna (0-4 each); D Murphy (1-1, 1 free); E Campbell (0-2, 1 free); N McManus, M Bradley, C Bohill & D McKernan (0-1 each).

DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Bellew, P Smyth, L Walsh; R Smith, D Gray, J Madden; C Burke, C Crummey; A Mellett, R McBride, C O'Sullivan; C Currie, S Currie, J Hetherton.

Subs: R Hayes for O'Sullivan (h/t); D Keogh for S Currie, D Burke for Hetherton (49); T Connolly for Smith (54); E Dillon for Mellett, S Barrett for Gray, K Burke for Walsh (56); D Power for C Burke (60).

ANTRIM: P McMullan; A Crawford, M Donnelly, G Walsh; S Walsh, E CAmpbell, J Maskey; S Shannon, M Bradley; N McKenna, C Johnston, C Bohill; D Murphy, N McManus, C Clarke.

Subs: D McKernan for Shannon (h/t); R McCambridge for S Walsh, R McGarry for Maskey, P Burke for M Bradley (49); S Elliott for Clarke, A Bradley for Bohill (54); K Molloy for McManus (60); S Rooney for G Walsh (69).

Ref: D Hughes (Kilkenny).