A SECOND successive Saturday for the Dublin hurlers to host big-name visitors from down south. An afternoon out for Tipp folk in the capital along with the faithful who made the trip from home. An All Ireland SHC qualifier that flared into life for a few minutes early in the second half, only to die a swift death as Tipperary euthanised the game with an efficiency that will have gladdened the heart of their manager. Out, brief candle.

A win against Cork in Thurles next Saturday evening will see Tipp top the group. On yesterday's form, frankly, that simply won't happen, even allowing for the certainty that they'll field a stronger team. For the moment, however, they're entitled to take comfort from the resolve they demonstrated after Peadar Carton strode through to fire Dublin's goal nine minutes into the new half and give the underdogs a twopoint lead. From there to the finish there was only one team in it. But it wasn't Dublin.

As against Cork the previous weekend, the home team punched their weight, or above it, for 45 minutes only to have nothing left in the tank come the closing quarter.

Even taking into account the success of the county's minors and under-21s this summer, a real breakthrough for Dublin hurling at senior level will not come dropping any other way than slowly.

A run through the first half as follows. Eoin Kelly opened the scoring after a diagonal delivery from Eamon Corcoran, who appeared to hit more ball during the half than any other man on the field, albeit not all of it to its intended destination. Alan McCrabbe overcooked two lineballs at the other end and following a Kelly free it took Dublin, who had the breeze behind them, until the eighth minute to unblank their account. Declan Qualter doing the needful after a neat lateral pass by Joey Boland.

By the 11th minute the home team had registered five wides, though Keith Dunne did materialise shortly afterwards to land a fine point from the left. Moments later a David Curtin free gave Tommy Naughton's side the lead for the first time, 0-3 to 02.

"Come on, Tipp, wake up, " yelled a woman in the stand.

Repeatedly. She wasn't overstating matters either; the visitors were struggling on their own puckout and Ronan Fallon, so impressive for Dublin this summer, was again a beacon in the centre of defence. In terms of pace, the exchanges were, not altogether surprisingly, nowhere near the level of the Dublin-Cork game here seven days earlier.

Seamus Butler and Ross O'Carroll swapped points.

Kelly levelled the scores at 04 apiece from play on the left, then departed with a groin injury. His replacement was Darragh Egan, who won a penalty three minutes from the break following a long ball by Francis Devanney. Willie Ryan's weak effort was easily saved but the sliotar ran loose for Lar Corbett to pick up the pieces and rifle over from the left. There was still enough time in the half for Ryan to add two points from play, McCrabbe getting one back for the hosts. Half-time: Tipperary 0-8 Dublin 0-6.

Whatever Naughton said to his boys at the break worked, and speedily. Dublin resumed with quick points from O'Carroll and Dunne for parity: good. Better still, they soon went and took the lead with the opening goal of the afternoon. McCrabbe was the instigator in midfield; Kevin Flynn carried on the move with a handpass into space on the right; half-time substitute Peadar Carton latched onto the ball, cut in along the endline (shades of Seamus Butler's goal for Tipp against Limerick at Semple Stadium last month) and slipped it past Gerry Kennedy.

For a moment or two the spectre of a shock flickered in the Donnycarney air. But only for a moment or two. The gun put to their heads, Tipperary didn't flinch. Far from it, indeed. To their considerable credit, in the space of the next nine minutes they reeled off an unanswered 1-5 to go six points ahead and break the back of Dublin's resistance.

The goal was a minor tragedy for Stephen Hiney, who slipped as he was about to clear his lines in the 46th minute. Corbett swept past him unchallenged and stuck the ball home.

Back in front once more, 111 to 1-8, the winners set about ramming home their advantage. Francis Devanney, Benny Dunne and Butler tacked on points and as Dublin's energy levels and concentration drooped, Ryan spent the last quarter converting frees from all angles.

Job done. Now for Cork.

DUBLIN G Maguire; P Brennan (c), S Hiney, T Brady; M Carton, R Fallon, K Ryan; J Boland, A McCrabbe (0-2, 0-1 free); R O'Carroll (0-2), D Qualter (0-1), K Dunne (0-2); J Kelly (0-1), D Curtin (0-1 free), K Flynn Subs P Carton (1-1) for Curtin, h-t; G O'Meara for Brennan, 47 mins; L Ryan for Kelly, 52 mins; D O'Dwyer for Flynn, 59 mins; S Mullen (0-1) for Qualter, 68 mins TIPPERARY G Kennedy; E Buckley, D Fanning, P Curran; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, S Maher; H Maloney, B Dunne (0-1); F Devanney (c) (0-1), R O'Dwyer, L Corbett (1-1); S Butler (0-2), E Kelly (0-3, 0-1 free), W Ryan (0-10, 0-6 frees) Subs D Egan (0-1) for Kelly, 25 mins; S McGrath (0-1) for Curran, 58 mins; L Cahill for Corbett, 65 mins Referee D Connolly (Kilkenny)