Once again, Dublin’s fast start left their opponents with a mountain to climb and effectively killed off the game in the first half.
Bernard Brogan’s smart finish on 13 minutes ended any hopes that Fermanagh might cause a shock and with Dublin leading by 10 points at the break, the Ernemen had little more than pride to drive them on in the second period.
Jim Gavin will find plenty of areas of improvement before Dublin return here in four weeks for their semi-final, but their progress was already secure before the bulk of those mistakes crept in.
2. Fermanagh’s fighting spirit pays off
Three times already this summer, teams have come to Croke Park and wilted in the face of Dublin pressure.
It is to Fermanagh’s credit that they continued to carry the fight to their opponents and it paid off. Sean Quigley kicked points into Hill 16 with relish as Fermanagh scored 2-9 in the second half, outscoring the Dubs by two.
Dublin did ease off in the last 10 minutes but in their first championship meeting, Fermanagh turned in a performance full of character that will surely stand them in good stead next season.
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Tomás Corrigan leads the Fermanagh players in thanking their support. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
3. Dubs forwards send out a message
Much has been made of the strength in depth at Jim Gavin’s disposal, particularly in terms of attacking talent, but the six forwards who started this afternoon showed that they won’t be dislodged without a fight.
Paul Flynn, Ciaran Kilkenny, Diarmuid Connolly, Dean Rock, Paddy Andrews and Bernard Brogan had all scored from play within the opening 30 minutes and they went on to combine for 2-22 of the Dubs’ 2-23 total (Brian Fenton was the only other player to register a score.)
Bernard Brogan watches his shot. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Kevin McManamon, Alan Brogan and Cormac Costello got a chance to impress from the bench in the second half but couldn’t find a way through as Fermanagh rallied.
Will this settle the debate about Gavin’s strongest attack?
4. The referee finds himself in the spotlight
Fermanagh’s first goal is one which will be replayed for years to come — and you can hardly blame the Dubs if they take issue with referee Pádraig O’Sullivan’s decision.
Damien Kelly’s long ball dropped into Stephen Cluxton’s hands before Sean Quigley shoved the Dubs’ keeper back over the line. It looked to be a definite free-out but O’Sullivan consulted with his umpire and awarded a controversial goal.
It didn’t have any significant bearing on the result, but that will hardly soothe the Dubs’ anger after a game which saw the final free count stand at 21-4 in Fermanagh’s favour.
Sean Quigley shoves Stephen Cluxton into his goal. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
5. Can Dublin take it to the next level?
For the first time this summer, Dublin were faced with a team who turned in a 70-minute performance rather than mentally checking out in the final quarter.
That is about as close as they have come to a test in their four championship outings so far.
To date they have played four opponents, all of whom were either in Division 3 this season or will be next year, and beat them by a combined 67 points.
Their next test will be significantly more difficult with either Mayo or Donegal lying in wait in the semi-finals.
All summer it has been argued that Dublin’s easy ride will be their Achilles’ heel when faced with a true test. We’ll see if that’s the case on 30 August.
5 talking points as Dublin book their place in the All-Ireland semis
1. Dublin get the job done quickly
Once again, Dublin’s fast start left their opponents with a mountain to climb and effectively killed off the game in the first half.
Bernard Brogan’s smart finish on 13 minutes ended any hopes that Fermanagh might cause a shock and with Dublin leading by 10 points at the break, the Ernemen had little more than pride to drive them on in the second period.
Jim Gavin will find plenty of areas of improvement before Dublin return here in four weeks for their semi-final, but their progress was already secure before the bulk of those mistakes crept in.
2. Fermanagh’s fighting spirit pays off
Three times already this summer, teams have come to Croke Park and wilted in the face of Dublin pressure.
It is to Fermanagh’s credit that they continued to carry the fight to their opponents and it paid off. Sean Quigley kicked points into Hill 16 with relish as Fermanagh scored 2-9 in the second half, outscoring the Dubs by two.
Dublin did ease off in the last 10 minutes but in their first championship meeting, Fermanagh turned in a performance full of character that will surely stand them in good stead next season.
3. Dubs forwards send out a message
Much has been made of the strength in depth at Jim Gavin’s disposal, particularly in terms of attacking talent, but the six forwards who started this afternoon showed that they won’t be dislodged without a fight.
Paul Flynn, Ciaran Kilkenny, Diarmuid Connolly, Dean Rock, Paddy Andrews and Bernard Brogan had all scored from play within the opening 30 minutes and they went on to combine for 2-22 of the Dubs’ 2-23 total (Brian Fenton was the only other player to register a score.)
Kevin McManamon, Alan Brogan and Cormac Costello got a chance to impress from the bench in the second half but couldn’t find a way through as Fermanagh rallied.
Will this settle the debate about Gavin’s strongest attack?
4. The referee finds himself in the spotlight
Fermanagh’s first goal is one which will be replayed for years to come — and you can hardly blame the Dubs if they take issue with referee Pádraig O’Sullivan’s decision.
Damien Kelly’s long ball dropped into Stephen Cluxton’s hands before Sean Quigley shoved the Dubs’ keeper back over the line. It looked to be a definite free-out but O’Sullivan consulted with his umpire and awarded a controversial goal.
It didn’t have any significant bearing on the result, but that will hardly soothe the Dubs’ anger after a game which saw the final free count stand at 21-4 in Fermanagh’s favour.
5. Can Dublin take it to the next level?
For the first time this summer, Dublin were faced with a team who turned in a 70-minute performance rather than mentally checking out in the final quarter.
That is about as close as they have come to a test in their four championship outings so far.
To date they have played four opponents, all of whom were either in Division 3 this season or will be next year, and beat them by a combined 67 points.
Their next test will be significantly more difficult with either Mayo or Donegal lying in wait in the semi-finals.
All summer it has been argued that Dublin’s easy ride will be their Achilles’ heel when faced with a true test. We’ll see if that’s the case on 30 August.
Fermanagh scored one of the most bizarre goals you’ll see against Dublin
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Analysis GAA GAA 2015 Dublin Fermanagh