Ó Ceallacháin knows Dubs will be ‘written off' against Limerick
Niall Ó Ceallacháin has insisted that Dublin are targeting an All-Ireland SHC semi-final spot but has acknowledged that they will be 'written off' before facing Limerick.
Dublin's dubious reward for swatting aside surprise Joe McDonagh Cup champions Kildare with the minimum of fuss is a last-six clash with the bookmakers' All-Ireland favourites.
Donal Burke, a back-to-back All-Star nominee in 2022 and 2023, could feature after togging out against Kildare, having not played since coming on as a sub against Antrim five weeks ago.
Dublin will have some momentum on their side after sticking 3-25 on the board in Newbridge and effectively wrapping this preliminary quarter-final win up by half- time, when they led by 15 points. First-quarter goals from Ronan Hayes and the recalled Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing laid the platform for Dublin's fourth win of this year's championship.
Fergal Whitely added a late 1-1 in what was his first start of the campaign.
But the jump in standard from facing a side that operated in the Christy Ring Cup in 2024 to taking on a Limerick side with a team of generational performers will be severe.
'There's a place in the semi-final at stake, there's six teams left in this thing, and we've said before, we really want to be in that last four,' said Dublin manager Ó Ceallacháin.
'The same as the other teams that are playing next weekend will. We have a good bit to work on to be sharper than what we were in the second half against Kildare but we'll be ready.'
Ó Ceallacháin said the reality is that few will give Dublin a chance next weekend.
'We'll just have to see from an outcome perspective,' he shrugged.
'What I would say is there's a panel there and hurling for Dublin means a hell of a lot to them. We see that from week to week and there's nothing that they wouldn't do to make Dublin hurling successful at senior level.
'We'll be up against it next weekend and we'll be written off but let's see how we go.'
Yet another one-sided preliminary quarter-final encounter, which Dublin won by 21 points, will raise fresh questions around the necessity of these fixtures.
'Physically we were just shattered after last Sunday — it was hard to stay going,' acknowledged Kildare manager Brian Dowling.
'They're going to have to look at the structures here. If they want the Joe McDonagh Cup teams in this competition, they're going to have to give them time.
'That's not me making excuses; I said it before the game.
'Even for Laois, I felt sorry for them and I would have hated to be in their position, turning around six days after losing an All-Ireland final to have to come out and play again. That's not easy to do.'
Scorers for Dublin: S Currie 0-8 (5 frees); D O Dulaing 1-4; F Whitely, R Hayes 1-1 each; R McBride, B Hayes 0-3 each; C O'Sullivan, C Crummey 0-2 each; C Burke 0-1.
Scorers for Kildare: D Qualter 0-8 (6 frees, 1 65); G Keegan 0-2; J Sheridan, C Boran, J Travers 0-1 each.
DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Bellew, P Smyth, C McHugh; P Doyle, C Crummey, P Dunleavy; B Hayes, F Whitely; S Currie, R Hayes, R McBride; J Hetherton, D O Dulaing, C O'Sullivan.
Subs: C Burke for Whitely (28-29, blood); Burke for McBride 45; C O Riain for O'Sullivan 50, A Dunphy for Dunleavy 51, S Gallagher for B Hayes 59, D Power for R Hayes 65.
KILDARE: P McKenna; D O'Meara, R Boran, R Hogan; P Dolan, L O'Reilly, C Boran; D Guerin, S Leacy; C McCabe, G Keegan, D Qualter; D Melville, C Dowling, J Sheridan.
Subs: J Travers for McCabe (45); H Carroll for O'Reilly (50); M Curtin for Sheridan (58); K Harrington for Dowling (60); O Lynam for Qualter (67).
Referee: J Owens (Wexford).
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