GAELIC GAMES:A JANUARY outing that felt every inch of it at Dr Cullen Park yesterday. Dublin creaked and groaned as All-Ireland champions are entitled to do on their first afternoon back and it even looked for a time as though the winter's hibernation might have gummed up their systems just enough to leave a win on the table for Carlow.
But in the final reckoning, a game that had been all square with 15 minutes left turned out to be a shooting session for the Dublin forwards; one that Pat Gilroy admitted afterwards was probably badly needed.
They came close to winning by double scores in the end – 0-17 to 0-10 – and the outcome shamed neither side. Truth to tell, it was hard to imagine such a gaudy margin carrying the day when Carlow corner forward Daniel St Ledger swung over a fine point to make it 0-9 apiece on 54 minutes. But from there to the end, it was back to brass tacks as Dublin stretched their legs and ran over, around and away from Carlow. Points came in clusters and the home side had no meaningful say in the matter.
“We introduced some fresh legs for the last 20 minutes and they made a difference,” said Gilroy. “We had traded point for point for the first 15 minutes of the second half but after that we seemed to pull away. Carlow had put in a great effort and they showed what they can do with some great points. So that was a good run-out for us, for the first real game of the new year.”
As O’Byrne Cup fare goes, this was more than reasonable. A clear day and a decent pitch meant there was nothing in the conditions to draw the game into quicksand and the encounter was to the credit of both teams. Dublin went ahead early but thanks in the main to the phenomenal efforts of Brendan Murphy and the rangy St Ledger, Carlow wormed their way back into matters by strong-arming the exchanges either side of half-time.
Against plenty of opponents, their surge to draw level might have carried with it the momentum to filch a victory. But not against All-Ireland champions, not when Gilroy was able to casually toss Mossy Quinn on to the pitch and watch as he scuttled around and helped himself to five points, all but one from play. Carlow will have days when pure fight and chutzpah will haul them across the line – they could very well even have them this year. But the gulf was too wide here.
“That’s the big area that we have to address,” said Carlow manager Luke Dempsey afterwards. “Whether it’s Dublin we’re playing or a Division Four team. When we go level with a team, we have to learn not to capitulate and not make our own mistakes. The panel Dublin have and the size of squad they can bring in was shown there.
“They were able to bring Mossy Quinn in and he kicked points from everywhere. They used their vast experience, their physique and the huge confidence they have as All-Ireland champions to pull away and win easily in the end. But it will be good for our lads to see that as a Division Four county, every time you make a mistake it will be punished against a Division One outfit.”
As for Gilroy, this was a pit stop and no more. The real work to get his players ready for the year will be done on weekday mornings while the city sleeps, not in front of supporters and press. Indeed, those mornings are starting an hour earlier this year than last, with the Dublin panel in boots and bibs by 5.30am these days.
“It’s great!” laughed Gilroy “Ah look, it’s only for a couple of weeks that we’ll be doing that. It means they’re not out every night of the week and the lads appreciate that. It means they’re fresh as can be after it and they can get work done. A lot of them are studying at the moment so it helps them. We’ll only do it for January. Loads of people do it though. Swimmers do it all the time, other sports people too. So it’s no big deal.”
Bet it doesn’t feel like no big deal when that 5am alarm goes off.
