1. Dublin show the killer instinct of champions
Nobody wins 10 provincial titles in 11 years without facing some questions along the way and for 39 minutes today, Westmeath threatened to cause a most unlikely shock.
They arrived in Croke Park determined to stand their ground but Dublin snuffed out their challenge with a 60-second blitz that was as cruel as it was ruthless.
Westmeath — and most of the 48,000 in attendance — were still digesting Bernard Brogan’s goal when Jack McCaffrey burst through to score another before the second half was five minutes old.
It was the ultimate sucker-punch, stopping Westmeath dead in their tracks, and the game quickly petered out after that point. Dublin’s grip on Leinster remains as tight as ever.
2. Westmeath show how to frustrate the Dubs…
The freewheeling Dubs haven’t always had it their own way this season — the narrow league wins over Derry and Monaghan spring to mind as two examples — and in the first half, Westmeath executed their containment plan to near perfection.
Their natural game is a much more attacking one but Tom Cribbin knew the folly of playing 15-on-15 and trying to out-football arguably the best football side in the country.
Instead they set out to defend in numbers, dropping 13 players behind the ball when Dublin were in possession and leaving John Heslin and Shane Dempsey alone inside.
It paid dividends. With determined and disciplined pressing they held Dublin to eight points in the first half, and the four they trailed by at the break was considerably closer than either Longford (12) or Kildare (13) managed.
3. But Dublin expose the flaw in their plan
The trouble with playing 13 men behind the ball is that scoring chances at the other end are few and far between, and Westmeath were nowhere near as clinical as they needed to be when they found themselves in Dublin territory.
Despite the best efforts of their support runners, Heslin and Dempsey were swallowed up by the Dublin defence in that first half. When Westmeath did get shots away, they were from distance and under pressure, and too often dropped short into Stephen Cluxton’s grasp.
Credit to Dublin who defended resolutely. They will be pleased to have limited Westmeath to just six points in 70 minutes, four from play and two frees.
4. Room for improvement
The last 30 minutes were largely a non-event but while the game was in the melting pot, Dublin showed plenty of signs of strain. A lot of that was caused by Westmeath pressure but Jim Gavin won’t have to look far to find areas of improvement.
The first half was pockmarked with basic errors — misplaced handpasses, careless wides, and a general lack of fluidity in attack. Nobody was immune: Paul Flynn, Bernard Brogan, Dean Rock and Ciaran Kilkenny all contributed uncharacteristic blips.
They can take solace from the fact that they put up 2-16 without ever really gelling in attack but tougher tests await them later in the summer.
5. The next episode
Dublin’s win wasn’t quite the procession that some expected before throw-in, but they will surely benefit having faced their first mini-test of the summer. They now have three weeks to prepare for an All-Ireland quarter-final and nothing from today’s game will change the fact that they are heavy favourites to lift Sam for a third time in five seasons.
For Westmeath a Round 4 qualifier awaits and, with it, a shot at a place in the last eight. Their tactics will surely depend on the opposition but in the second half against Meath, and the first half today, they showed what they are capable of at both ends of the pitch.
They deserve to be respected.
3 18 from open play with 14 different scorers. Very impressive.
Manus breathnach must have done nothing all day only kick the ball out
Were there any backs playing?