Dublin keep cool as game heats up

Dublin 1-13 Offaly 2-6: The difference between Dublin of the previous two years and Paul Caffrey's team is the development of a sense of calm.

Practically all the same faces are about but when the white heat arrived yesterday several figures delivered the impetus to get them over the winning line.

One such player was Senan Connell, who came in to kick two crucial points, but debutant Denis Bastic along with Shane Ryan filled a gaping void in midfield after Ciarán Whelan and Darren Homan had their afternoons cut short. One yellow card was warranted but the other was ridiculous.

Whelan will not miss the provisional system one iota when Congress surely dismantles it. The midfielder has added consistency to his vast repertoire during the league but, without becoming a dirty player, he has had three games curtailed.

At the under-construction O'Connor Park yesterday, Whelan received that third yellow card but it was a harsh call that once again displayed the bizarre zero tolerance employed by referees.

Three minutes before the break Whelan, who was already ticked, came across to challenge Ciarán McManus near the touchline under the nose of the linesman, both management teams and the media. McManus off-loaded the ball just in time and Whelan pulled up to make minimal contact. McManus went down hard.

The Raheny club man immediately turned to the linesman for support and seemed to get it but referee Derek Fahy still felt obliged to end his afternoon. Uproar duly ensued. In the aftermath it prompted a critical response from Caffrey. "I've said very little about the yellow cards because I am a believer in cleaning up the game and being patient with things, but that was the worst (yellow-card) decision I have seen this season.

"The linesman was adamant to me that no contact was made. Yet, the referee wasn't willing to take on board what the linesman was willing to say to him. I think that's a big negative, in terms of having a qualified referee as linesman and still they have no power to go in."

The yellow card ended an enthralling duel. McManus strangely faded out of the contest thereafter with Whelan's replacement Shane Ryan far too smart to seek open warfare.

The dismissal also stalled what had been developing into a rout. Dublin led 1-7 to 0-2 at that stage due to an early Tomás Quinn goal that was promptly followed by points from Darren Homan, Quinn and Alan Brogan. It marked a successful return to fitness for Brogan as he gave Scott Brady a roasting from his new centre-forward role.

Jason Sherlock added another score before Alan McNamee and James Coughlan finally got Offaly off the mark. Then Whelan went and within 60 seconds, Niall McNamee registered a goal, after a pass from his brother, to make the second half worth sticking around for.

Neville Coughlan got their second goal three minutes into the new half to suddenly make it a contest. Coughlan did his best to mess it up. After Paul Griffin and Ryan failed to deal with a skyscraper he fumbled over the ball for what seemed like an age before finally making it a two-point game.

Keeping with the family theme, James Coughlan pointed a free as Dublin looked set to choke. By this stage, the midfield area had radically changed with Homan punished for a late hit on Nigel Grennan.

The next move would decide the outcome and it came via a flurry of Dublin scores. Brogan struck first, followed by Connell's double before a Barry Cahill strike ensured a five-point cushion.

Four more yellow cards were brandished as Offaly's Alan McNamee, Brady and Roy Malone walked, while Peadar Andrews followed suit after pulling down John Reynolds for a penalty with three minutes remaining.

Only then did it become apparent that McManus was still present. It wasn't his day though as a firmly struck penalty was palmed over by Stephen Cluxton.

Conal Keaney had the last take on affairs with two insurance points to send the Dublin faithful back up the N7 thinking, the Cork display aside, this had been a progressive league campaign. In contrast, Offaly have stalled.

OFFALY: P Kelly; C Daly, C Evans, S Sullivan; N Grennan, S Brady, K Slattery; C McManus (0-1, pen), A McNamee (0-1); N Coughlan (1-0), M Daly, J Reynolds; N McNamee (1-0), R Malone, J Coughlan (0-2, 2f). Subs: J Kenny for A McNamee (44 mins, yellow card), G Rafferty for S Brady (56 mins, yellow card), J Glennon for R Malone (yellow card), D Hunt (0-1) for J Coughlan (both 59 mins).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P Griffin, P Christie, S O'Shaughnessy; P Casey, B Cahill (0-1), C Goggins; C Whelan, D Homan (0-1); D Lally, A Brogan (0-2), C Moran (0-1); J Sherlock (0-1), C Keaney (0-3, 1f), T Quinn (1-2). Subs: S Ryan for C Whelan (34 mins, yellow card), D Bastic for D Homan (41 mins, yellow card), S Connell (0-2) for D Lally (46 mins), P Andrews for C Goggins (63 mins), L Og hEineachain for P Andrews (69 mins, yellow card), D O'Callaghan for C Moran (71 mins).

Referee: D Fahy (Longford).

Yellow cards: Offaly - A McNamee (44 mins), S Brady (56 mins), R Malone (58 mins). Dublin - C Whelan (33 mins), D Homan (41 mins), P Andrews (67 mins).