Naughton first match against Wexford was seen as the potential breakthrough match for Dublins young senior hurling team in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Dublin showed that the gap is lessening being themselves and the bigger teams but Wexford came out of the game with the one point win with a late point from Barry Lambert. Naughtons hurlers must now play in the qualifiers of the all-Ireland championship against Cork, Offaly and Limerick or Tipperary. The Dublin team were scheduled to play their first game against Cork in Parnell Park. Cork wrote a letter to the Competitions Control Committee to request that the game be played at a neutral venue, this was met with anger by both the Offaly and the Dublin managers who were playing at home on the first weekend of the qualifiers. A change of venue never materialised and Cork played Dublin in Parnell Park in a game which Cork won by 3-20 to 0-15. Dublins next game in the qualifiers was against Tipperary who had previously beaten Dublin in the league. Naughtons men put on a good performance against Tipperary but faded towards the end, leaving Dublin at the bottom of the table.