Dublin respond to wake-up call

Dublin 3-12 Kerry 1-10EVERYONE SAID it would be easy, and for a while it was. When Dublin went nine points ahead in the first half, the writing was on the wall, in large capital letters, that another All-Ireland final beckoned. Instead they made it hard on themselves, hitting the snooze button, just as Kerry woke up, and while that made for an interesting second half, there was still no denying Dublin's deserved passage in the end.

It sets up a successive All-Ireland final for Dessie Farrell’s team, against old rivals Meath, who Dublin beat by 12 points in the Leinster final. They’ll start as favourites, just like they did here, although they won’t easily forget either the brief scare they endured before shutting Kerry out.

A truly blazing start took Dublin into a seven-point advantage.

Cormac Costello was on fire in every sense, while Conor Hugh bagged their first goal after just five minutes. Kerry could only make brief moves against the one-way traffic, and when Costello added a second Dublin goal on 24 minutes – swerving in from the right sideline, inside four Kerry defenders – it loomed ominous for Kerry. Moments later Gavin Burke added a point so that Dublin went 2-6 to 0-3 in front.

Fast forward to the second half, and suddenly Dublin are just two points up, 2-9 to 1-10. Cillian Fitzgerald topped off the Kerry comeback with a goal on 40 minutes, set up by Kieran Murphy, before two frees from Jack Savage closed the margin down to two. Then came a glorious chance for Kerry to go ahead, when corner forward Conor Keane raced into the Dublin goalmouth, poised to set up a goal chance, only for Dublin captain David Byrne to make the crucial interception. With that Dublin’s alarm sounded, and they responded with two quick points, plus a third goal, this one palmed in by substitute David Campbell.

So what altered Dublin’s composure? “Well, you never know with young men of this age, what’s going on in their heads,” said Farrell afterwards, suggesting Dublin perhaps thought they were home and dry. “I was worried, yeah. Thankfully we rallied it around and closed the game out.”

Farrell described Byrne’s interception as “inspirational, the moment matches are won and lost on” – but all thoughts turn to the final. Meath have come back into contention against the odds, two late goals bringing them past Mayo, and for Farrell the memory of what happened last year – when Dublin lost out to Tipperary in the final – has to be kept in check. “It’s not like you’re dealing with a senior lad where it’s the same group. Every year is different. There’s a few lads that were involved last year. But by and large it’s a new squad so last year is very much redundant in their minds.

“But I suspect there won’t be any complacency. It is difficult having beaten a team to play them again, we just need to deal with that. We’ve been carrying the favourites’ tag all summer and I’m sure the All-Ireland final will be no different. But I think our players realise in the Leinster final we caught Meath on an off day.”

Kerry manager Mickey Ned O’Sullivan seemed to have mixed feelings about the result, praising Dublin’s superiority, and yet lamenting the way his team afforded them the platform to display it. “Against this Dublin attack, you need to close down the Dublin defence,” he said, “and we tried to close down the space in front of goal, and bring back a man. It didn’t work, because we were robbing Peter to pay Paul. We didn’t have the presence up front. We changed that tactic at half-time, and got back into the game. Had we taken that goal chance late on . . . but the player opted to pass it instead of bury it. That’s decision-making, that’s what wins and losses games.

“At the same time we mustn’t take it away from Dublin. This is an exceptionally good team. They’ve have balance, physicality , and good football.

“But minor football is an apprenticeship, it’s about buying into the lifestyle, the discipline, the commitment, and this was our first taste of it. We’ve got them to September. Next year hopefully we’ll get them to the end of September.”

DUBLIN: L Molloy; E Mullan, D Byrne (capt), R McGowan; E Lowndes, C Mulally, M MacDonncha (0-1); S Cunningham, S Carthy (0-2, one 45); N Walsh, N Sculy (0-2), G Burke (0-1); C Costello (1-3, one free), C McHugh (1-2, one free), R Gaughan. Subs: S Cunningham (0-1) for Gaughan (43 mins), D Gormley for Walsh (48 mins), D Campbell (1-0) for Scully (53 mins), M Deegan for Burke (59 mins).

KERRY: G O Currain; C O Luing, G Crowley, P O'Connor; B Crowley, R Murphy (0-1), G Horan; K Murphy, J Berry; D Foran (0-1), J Savage (0-3, frees), C Fitzgerald (1-0); E O Conchuir (capt), N Sheehy (0-2, one free), C Keane (0-2). Subs: D Healy (0-1) for O Conchuir (26 mins), S Moloney for Sheehy (48 mins), G O'Sullivan for K Murphy (49 mins), G O'Shea for Foran (58 mins), E Doyle for Barry (59 mins).

Referee: F Kelly (Longford)