Dublin hold on for victory despite Antrim response

Victory at Parnell Park for Dublin, their first in the Allianz League under new manager Micheál Donoghue, but boy were the hosts glad to hear the final whistle.

Leading by 10 points in the 65th minute, this was shaping up as a comprehensive win for Dublin but a Keelan Molloy-inspired Antrim comeback brought the deficit down to just three points by full-time.

Having created no goal chances in the opening half, Antrim suddenly started to pepper shots at Dublin goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons in the second-half and Molloy twice hit the net in the 51st and 65th minutes.

Antrim struck the last 1-04 of the game with veteran Neil McManus also on the mark but they ultimately came up short and will rue the concession of 14 wides overall.

It means Darren Gleeson's side are still searching for their first league points of the campaign but they have at least gone down fighting on both occasions against Kilkenny and now Dublin.

They will face Dublin all over again on 22 April at Corrigan Park in the first round of the Leinster championship, while their next league game is away to Waterford on 26 February.

For Dublin, Donal Burke once again led the scoring with 10 points though a host of wides, 15 in all, also undermined their challenge.

When the sides previously met in Round 1 of the Walsh Cup early last month, Dublin won by seven points and they led by that same margin at half-time of this rematch.

There was a brief period of difficulty for Donoghue's side between the 12th and 20th minutes when they conceded five points in a row.

Conal Cunning grabbed two of those Antrim scores while Michael Bradley, James McNaughton and Niall McKenna were also on the mark.

But a Saffrons side containing three changes from the team that lost to Kilkenny by six