Anthony Daly admitted on Sunday that no matter which team Dublin drew in the Leinster semi-final they would be underdogs. In the end they avoided Kilkenny and Galway and ended up with Wexford.
On paper, the capital's hurlers should be happy with that outcome but Wexford showed plenty of the spirit and determination that brought them All-Ireland success 13 years ago when disposing of Offaly in the sun at Wexford Park in the Leinster quarter-final.
Dublin walked away from GAA headquarters on Sunday with the win but it was hardly a display to capture the imagination of the Dublin public. In contrast to Wexford, Dublin, who had made significant strides in the league throughout the spring, stuttered - not unlike their footballing counterparts later in the day - to victory over a disappointing Antrim side.
Given all the noises that have come out of Antrim regarding the Leinster Championship you would have thought they would have come out all guns blazing. In fact, 24 minutes into what was a lacklustre encounter, Antrim were already in trouble; they trailed 1-6 to 0-2 despite playing with the aid of a strong wind.
Granted, the Saffrons fought back to leave the bare minimum in it at the break but the damage had already been done and they ran out of puff in the second-half. Though their participation in Leinster will not bear fruit straight away, Antrim are still a considerable distance off the pace at the top level.
For Dublin there is plenty of scope for improvement. They will surely see Sunday's result in terms of moving on as opposed to the manner of their performance. Defensively they were excellent while Shane Durkan was particularly impressive at wing-forward. The inside forward line of David Tracey and David 'Dotsy' O'Callaghan also shone and their showing from now on will ultimately determine what impact Dublin will make on Leinster and the Championship as a whole.
They will face into the Leinster semi-final with the belief they can reach their first provincial decider since 1991. On that day Kilkenny beat them by two points. A two-point win over Wexford would do Dublin just fine but the Slaneysiders are not to be underestimated and they will be licking their lips at the prospect of derailing a season that promises so much for the side from the 'big smoke'!