Hannah Tyrrell and Kate Sullivan both grabbed three goals each as Dublin booked an All-Ireland quarter-finals spot with an emphatic win over Leitrim.
Dublin hit the ground running with early points from Tyrrell and Chloe Darby. Leitrim subsequently opened their account with a successful free courtesy of marauding goalkeeper Michelle Guckian.
However, Dublin responded with Sullivan’s maiden goal of the contest on eight minutes.
Aiming to improve on last weekend’s draw with Waterford, the Dubs created further daylight with unanswered points from Tyrrell (two), Sullivan and Niamh Hetherton.
Whereas, Leitrim registered back-to-back points through Leah Fox and Muireann Devaney (free), Dublin continued to attack with extreme confidence.
Sullivan completed an opening period hat-trick with goals in the 27th and 29th minutes. Hetherton also rattled the net to guide Dublin towards an unassailable 4-12 to 0-4 interval cushion.
Dublin supplemented the scoreline with points from Hetherton and Carla Rowe. Tyrrell fired home two goals in the space of four minutes to further underline Dublin’s supremacy.
Dublin continued second-half dominance
Fox found the range for Leitrim on a brace of occasions during the third-quarter, but with Rowe bagging an impressive 1-1 salvo, Dublin remained in the driving seat.
Vivienne Egan added Leitrim’s seventh point as the final whistle approached. Indeed, Tyrrell completed a hat-trick of her own by converting her second penalty of the second-half.
As a result of this win, Waterford will need to record an even more comprehensive triumph at the expense of Leitrim next weekend in order to finish at the Group 4 summit.
For Leitrim perspective, a victory is required from that home encounter with the Deise to avoid the spectre of a relegation play-off.
Dublin: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Crowley; S Goldrick, H Leahy, A Curran; E O’Dowd, H McGinnis; C Darby, C Rowe, S McIntyre; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K Sullivan.
Subs: N Owens for Curran (35), A Timothy for McIntyre (45), J Egan for Rowe (50), C Fox for Goldrick (57), A Nyhan for Hetherton (60).
Scorers: H Tyrrell 3-7 (2-0 pen, 0-1f), K Sullivan 3-1, N Hetherton 1-4, C Rowe 1-3 (0-1f), J Tobin, S McIntyre, C Darby 0-1 each.
Leitrim: M Guckian; J Maye, C Tyrell, E Quigley; D Beirne, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, A Quinn; A Gilmartin, V Egan, S Quinn; L Fox, M Devaney, L O’Dowd.
Subs: A Clancy for S Quinn (h-t), S Ward for A Quinn, S Reynolds for Beirne (both 49), E Shanley for Quigley (58).
Leitrim: L Fox 0-3, M Guckian 0-1 (f), M Devaney 0-1 (f), A Gilmartin 0-1, V Egan 0-1.
Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo).
