Dublin maintain momentum

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE Dublin 3-13 Cork 0-16:LIKE SATURDAY night's musical support they may too easily attract hype and be essentially unproven, and unlike Jedward they have yet to win a national title, but Dublin's encouraging start to the Allianz Football League was maintained at Croke Park with a lively win against the All-Ireland champions.

The temptation, notwithstanding the modern rise in the league’s credibility as a ratings agency, may be to read very little into the match – both teams, especially Dublin, were well under-strength – but like the opening-day win in Armagh, Pat Gilroy’s team had to survive a loss of momentum and effectively win the match twice.

They also delivered on the new priority of conceding fewer frees, giving away only three in the entire second half.

On a cold evening from which early fog had mercifully retreated, both sides provided a typical league encounter for the 35,028 spectators, a crowd that disappointed some of the more enthusiastic forecasts for the first fixture in Dublin’s ‘Spring Series’ but which was bang on county chair Andy Kettle’s projection last week.

Both managers made the point afterwards that players weren’t at peak fitness and with some involved in Sigerson matches during the previous few days, it wasn’t surprising that space opened up so readily or exchanges were marked by loose play in which half of the starting half backs kicked points from play.

The pay-off for Cork was their half forwards also thrived in the luxury of open play and both Patrick Kelly, who made a serious long-term case for the number 11 jersey with his economical use of ball, and Pearse O’Neill helped themselves to three points.

Dublin’s forwards, however, won the game by opening up Cork for goals. Bernard Brogan, so often the precision implement in the team’s finishing, became the supplier of opportunity and provided the assist for all three goals.

Brogan was reasonably well marked by Michael Shields on the latter’s return to duty for the champions but as well as his creative contribution the Footballer of the Year scored two points from play as well as four frees and kicked no wides.

The home team had to make a late change when Michael Darragh Macauley had to withdraw because of a breathing difficulty and he was replaced by Barry Cahill whose hard work and ability to push forward made an impression, culminating in the third goal, that suggested he’ll be a viable option there this year.

Beside him Denis Bastick had his best match for Dublin, winning ball in the first half albeit fading a bit after the break and kicking accurately, including for a first-half point. In the early stages it had looked ominous for the eventual winners, their random wides contrasting with Cork’s more clinical attacks, which gave the visitors a 0-5 to 0-3 first-quarter lead.

There were, however, stress signs. Kevin McManamon’s hard running (which clearly exhausted the player by the end of the match) was troubling the opposition and if some of the resulting chances came to nothing in the early stages, the vulnerability quickly became an issue. The first goal in the 20th minute owed more to the deft touch of Brogan, who flicked his boot at Diarmuid Connolly’s line ball and set up Tomás Quinn who took on the keeper and finished well.

Three minutes later, Lally pushed forward and linked with McManamon who out-stripped the defence, kept going for a one-two with Brogan and hammered the ball into the net for a quick turnaround, double-scores lead, 2-4 to 0-5. Cork finished the half the stronger and by the break had cut the margin to three, 0-8 to 2-5.

The opening exchanges after the re-start were unpromising for Dublin. Cork began to get on top at centrefield where Aidan Walsh’s energy combined with an improvement in his kicking saw him prove influential and they gradually chipped away at the deficit, twice getting it down to a single point thanks to an improved second-half showing by Daniel Goulding who kicked two points from play.

It was only the double intervention of Lally that kept Dublin marginally ahead and after the second point, the wing back had to leave the field injured. When Quinn dropped a 45 short in the 48th minute the sense of the home team under mounting pressure intensified but almost immediately the match swung decisively in their favour.

Brogan ghosted around the back of the ruck and was able to put Cahill in the clear for 3-7 to 0-12. It was a perfectly-timed goal, giving Dublin enough to fuel their self-belief and eroding Cork’s capacity to recover. It did require Cluxton, whose shot stopping was typically top-class, to save from Goulding after a mistake by Seán Murray, who despite a couple of positional errors, impressed again.

Three quick frees plus an exquisite point from play from Brogan broke the back of the visitors’ challenge with 10 minutes left.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, S Murray, A Hubbard; D Lally (0-2), J McCarthy (0-1), P Casey; D Bastick (0-1), B Cahill (1-0); P Flynn, K McManamon (1-0), D Connolly (0-1); B Brogan (0-6, 0-4 frees), E O'Gara, T Quinn (1-1). Subs: D Nelson for Lally (44 mins), B Cullen (0-1) for Connolly (46 mins), A Brogan for O'Gara (56 mins), P Andrews for Quinn (62 mins), C Murphy for Flynn (66 mins).

CORK: P O'Shea; R Carey, J O'Sullivan, M Shields; C O'Driscoll, P Kissane, D O'Sullivan (0-1); A O'Connor, A Walsh (0-1); P O'Neill (0-3), P Kelly (0-3), F Goold (0-1); D O'Connor (0-2, 0-1 free), C O'Neill, D Goulding (0-5, 0-1 free, 0-1 45). Subs: N Murphy for A O'Connor (46 mins), F Lynch for O'Neill (56 mins), C Sheehan for Goold (56 mins), E Cotter for J O'Sullivan (64 mins).

Referee: D Coldrick(Meath).