NEXT SUNDAY DUBLIN contest a sixth successive All-Ireland semi-final.
They’ve become mainstays on the last four stage but there are still recent days when the quarter-final proved the graveyard of Dublin’s ambitions.
2009 was their Bank Holiday Monday meltdown against Kerry. Denis Bastick had a front-row view of the carnage at full-back and the Dublin football post-mortems that ensued afterwards.
“You’re out there, trying your best, and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out,” outlines Bastick.
“You remember things like that, things that are written. Maybe I wasn’t up to scratch at that time. I just took the criticism on, and tried to learn from it.
“The press came down hard on us, they picked holes in a lot of us. Some stuff was written that time so you have to reassess yourself and get back on the wagon.
“You have your doubts and until you get over that final hurdle they are always going to be in your kind.
“It is a great place we are in right now. We have got the experience of winning. We have done it twice in recent years and we will use that the next day.”
The roof caved in on Dublin early in that 2009 clash.
“I think Tommy Walsh started, and Declan O’Sullivan came in,” recalls Bastick.
“They had their homework done, and played it out that day, and didn’t play the normal, orthodox, big man in the square.
“They changed things around and obviously that worked well. It was going great, up to the quarter-final. We hadn’t let in any goals up to that stage.
“Then the floodgates opened. Some tough memories, but we learned from it. Those battles make you stronger.
“It was challenging, not doing yourself justice, not putting in a performance.
“But I learned lessons. Kerry came in under the radar. There are no guarantees in sport.”
Dublin may have finally conquered the All-Ireland stage but Bastick has a determination to press on.
“I’ve been lucky to achieve a lot of my goals, but I;m not finished yet.
“We were disappointed last year. We set out at the start of the year and our aim was to win an All-Ireland.
“If you come out to our training sessions, you’ll see the hunger that we have there. These guys in our camp are hungry for success and a win as well.
“It’s good to have that in the locker, that experience.”
Up the Dubs
indeed…but last weeks game was like a dublin team 20 years ago. +7 victory for Cork. Cunningham needs to go.
Yep, there is something wrong in the camp.
@gold3n: Well in the game now, Nash really kept Cork in it with those saves.
Hey, listen I really hope we do well but I think we’ve taken a step back with this new managment setup. Don’t forget Cork have also been shocking over the past 18 months.
Just when we think we’re going to have a good year we lose to what was being described as the worst Dublin team of all time… More fake news…
Cork are in the same boat as us. They have struggled the past 18/24 months. Beating by a bad Wexford team last year??
Great to see our lads competing. Was expecting a hammering after last week. If it wasn’t for 2 great saves by Nash we could be well ahead.
Pa Horgan is having a shocker out there tonight.
Is this on TV?
Eir sport.
Anthony Dalys commentary is a disgrace here totally one sided.
@John Carroll: Can you blame him considering how bad Cork were?
Could have stayed in it if Pa Horgan learned how to pick up the ball in training for the penalty! Could have Used a Nash Rocket instead of a bobbly one.
@John Boyle Cork like any other county are entitled to be as good or as bad as they want over the seventhy minutes but they should like any other county be entitled to a fair non bias commentary and if Daly cant do that he should head off back to Clare and milk his cows!!!
Great win for Dublin after the poor result v tipp last week. Very poor cork side who will struggle to stay up after that performance. Great to see the dubs compete and show hunger and commitment. Something to build on. Looks like a toss up between dubs rebels and banner for the drop.