No joy for the Dublin hurlers at Walsh Park yesterday - they lost to Waterford by 1-13 to 1-10 which leaves them bottom of Division 1A after three games. Waterford had Pauric Mahony to thank for the win with 14-man winners taking a 1-10 to 0-8 lead into the break. Alan McCrabbe and Mahony shared the first two points before Dublin moved three points ahead inside seven minutes thanks to Conal Keaney, David O'Callaghan and McCrabbe. Mahony and O'Callaghan swapped points and the Deise were quickly level with a run of points from Kevin Moran and two from Mahony - that made it - 0-5 apiece after 14 minutes. After Johnny McCaffrey had edged Dublin back in front, Mahony punished Anthony Daly's side with yet another free. Seamus Prendergast's brace sent the hosts two points clear and Joey Boland replied for Dublin before Mahony's 23rd-minute goal from a free put daylight between the sides for the first time: 1-8 to 0-7. Ryan Donnelly stretched the gap to five but Derek McGrath's team then received a major blow when Michael 'Brick' Walsh picked up a straight red card seven minutes from the break. Mahony's superb free made it a six-point game but Dublin responded with a Colm Cronin point to leave five between them at the short whistle.
Mahony and Shane O'Sullivan hit the first two points of the second half and off-colour Dublin didn't raise another flag until McCrabbe's 65 went over the bar in the 62nd minute. Another Mahony free six minutes from time left seven between them, 1-13 to 0-9, and Dublin were also reduced to 14 men in the 66th minute when Conor McCormack received a straight red card. Conal Keaney briefly made it interesting when he found the net for the Leinster champions in the 69th minute but Waterford held on for their second successive league win. Next up for the Dubs is Kilkenny at Parnell Park on Saturday evening. Kilkenny beat Galway by 2-16 to 1-16 to move top of the table while Clare got the better of Tipperary by 4-15 to 20 points.
