Vaughan is eager to learn from past mistakes

Gavin Cummiskey talks to Dublin's Mark Vaughan ahead of Sunday's Leinster clash with Longford

There was a concern that Paul Caffrey might keep Mark Vaughan on ice for Dublin's encounter against Longford on Sunday. His ability is unquestioned but until he can consistently produce quality performances in the championship, doubts will remain about his true worth.

Vaughan's breakthrough season coincided with a somewhat premature (footballing) obituary for Jason Sherlock. The presumption being that Sherlock's time was up and Vaughan was the new darling of Hill 16. That honour instead passed over to Mossie Quinn. Sherlock ended up captaining Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Vaughan ended up in the stand.

Two long-range frees against Meath, allied by a prodigious minor career, had most people fooled. Against Wexford the house of cards flopped spectacularly when he failed to reappear for the second half.

His next championship appearance wasn't until the dying stages of the Tyrone replay. The game was dead but he still landed a looping ball into the square for the Dessie Farrell goal.

"I went out against Wexford and tried to get into it too much. I think I struggled a bit with the pace of it. It's a totally different pace than the league and I'd never played at that kind of pace before, everything was going at 90 miles an hour in the first half.

"If you come on in the second half it's probably different. The game has slowed down a bit and it's kind of a more realistic pace. That first half hour against any team it's all in."

He returned to Kilmacud Crokes to play a significant role in the Stillorgan club's march to Dublin and Leinster titles before it all came apart at the seams on a February day against Salthill-Knocknacarra. Vaughan - for the third time in two years - was sent off for an act of petulance. Nearly 21, he assures us the head is now in a better place. Accruing splinters on a bench in Croke Park gives one time to focus the mind.

"You learn when (watching other) people bottle it. You know, not being able to cope with it. You kind of learn from them in a way and you learn from the older guys."

The All-Ireland club semi-final was the last straw. "Obviously I was gutted. Coming off I was thinking even if we do win I wouldn't be playing in an All-Ireland final. What man wouldn't be gutted about getting the whole way and not being able to play in an All-Ireland final?

"Instinct, like, you know? You can't really do what I did. You have to look back and learn from your mistakes. Hopefully I can take that on board."

This assertion will be tested over the coming weeks as corner backs will be pulling, dragging, even salivating in his ear.

If not, David O'Callaghan, Bernard Brogan, Ray Cosgrove or Sherlock will gladly step in.

Dublin have a settled forward unit in four positions but God knows they could do with a regular contribution from the one-time underage soccer phenomenon, who almost single-handedly guided Blackrock College to the All-Ireland schools title in 2003.

It may be a little harsh on his former team-mates to credit Vaughan with sole responsibility for the achievement but in the Leinster final he saved two penalties in the shootout before scoring the decisive spot-kick. In the All-Ireland final he set up two and scored a screamer in a 4-1 victory over St Patrick's College, Cavan.

Soccer is finished now. An Irish under-19 trial - he was the only player involved not affiliated to a club - came to nothing so Crokes and subsequently Dublin received his full attention. Despite only taking up Gaelic football at 15, after playing soccer and rugby, it seems the sport most suited to his talents.

"I think in a way it is a sport you can kind of take your own technique to. Everyone has there own different running styles. With soccer you have to have quick feet, you have to be instinctive. Whereas Gaelic you can be a bit slower if you have the strength. If you are able to kick it a further distance you can take that extra second because you know you can deliver it."

Now all he must do is transfer club form on to the county stage. Do that and the people of Dublin will see a quality footballer reaching full potential.