GAA: WE TRIED to stop him. Swear to God we did. Diarmuid Connolly came bouncing out of the Dublin dressingroom on Saturday night with a big smiley head on him, popped his bag in the hold of the Dublin team bus and strolled pass the swoonsome gathering of pressmen as if we were nobody special.
We made an approach, asked for a quick word, indicated we weren’t averse to all manner of indignity if it meant he’d bless us with a couple of minutes. We got bupkis.
Connolly picked a spot on the wall about 40 yards away, fixed his eye on it and walked on.
One sideways glance flashed a not-a-hope-lads smile and he was gone.
To stand there grasping at air was to know how it felt to be Justin McMahon and Conor Gormley. There was nothing anyone could do about it. He’d had the kind of day where everything went his way as Dublin strode past Tyrone by 0-22 to 0-15.
“I think he had a reasonable game, alright,” teased Pat Gilroy after Connolly’s seven points from play eroded Tyrone’s chances one perfect arc at a time.
“Diarmuid is capable of doing anything. He is a phenomenal talent. He is capable of doing even better than that. He is that good and we see it out at training.
“We have been waiting a while for that to come in a big game in Croke Park.
“He has done well in this year’s league, he has committed himself hugely in terms of effort. Outside of the points he scored, his work-rate was phenomenal, I think he stripped the ball three times from Tyrone guys and that is a huge plus as well.”
Some days you’re just golden. Connolly wasn’t the only stand-out here – Paul Flynn is one more decent half away from an All Star and Alan Brogan stayed on track for footballer of the year – but the St Vincent’s man was the only untouchable on view. Each of his points was a little gem by itself and, crucially, each of them came right when they were needed.
His first drew Dublin level after Tyrone had got slightly the better of the opening skirmishes. He kicked two in a row 15 minutes in to put clear water between the sides for the first time and when Seán Cavanagh answered immediately with a miracle free, Connolly came straight back with a brilliant kick from the left-hand side off his left boot.
When Tyrone rallied near the break to bring the margin back to four, he lofted a catch-step-kick point without even looking at the posts. And when Tyrone ached for the first score of the second half, it was Connolly who got it, the first in a three-point spurt from Dublin that tied a neat little bow on the evening.
All that was of interest from then on was the closing margin, which would have run comfortably into double figures had Dublin taken half their goal chances.
“He is a seriously, seriously talented player,” said Barry Cahill of Connolly. “He is one of the most talented players I have seen around in the Dublin set-up. Once he applies himself he is unmarkable and unbeatable at times. He has great balance and is able to score off both feet, a handful for any full-back line. Hopefully Diarmuid and the rest of the lads can build on this performance the next day.”
It’s no great insight to say Dublin will take some beating now. If Gilroy has done nothing else with this team, he’s made them cussed and galvanised and a million miles removed from the startled earwig days. With 20 minutes left here, all but one of Tyrone’s midfielders and half-forwards were sitting in the stand, a tribute to the all-consuming furnace Dublin make of that patch of land. Mickey Harte ruefully admitted he’d have used 10 subs if he’d been let. Even then, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Harte will bristle at the sweeping statement but Tyrone looked old and battle-weary on Saturday.
The likes of Gormley, Kevin Hughes and Owen Mulligan all found the exchanges a step too quick for them. They’re still only 30 but the miles on the clock are many. Father Time remains undefeated.
As for whether Dublin can do the same now, the prospect is gaining ground with every game. Donegal in the semi-final has the potential to be epic.
Scores will have to be mined from rock rather than popped over on a roll and it’s inconceivable that Connolly, in particular, will be allowed the kind of space that was on offer here. They used to say, though, that sometimes when you’re watching Paul Daniels, you really should be keeping an eye on Debbie McGee. Focus too much on Connolly and the Brogans will pick and poke at Donegal with impunity.
Spit on your hands and rub ’em together. Three games left to solve summer’s puzzle.
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