JIM GAVIN FELT that Dublin had already started to turn the screw on Kerry before the red card that opened the floodgates.
The Dubs led by just two points in yesterday’s National Football League final when Aidan O’Mahony was sent off following an off-the-ball incident with Jonny Cooper.
With Kerry down to 14 men, Dublin took full advantage and romped to an 11-point win and their fourth straight league title under Gavin.
“There’s no doubt it had an impact,” the Dubs boss said after the 2-18 to 0-13 win in a sold-out Croke Park.
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“That game was as close to championship pitch as you’ll get. When you lose a man you’re immediately under stress. There are spaces being opened up that can be exploited by the opposition.”
Dublin outscored Kerry’s 14 men by 2-5 to 0-2 in the final 20 minutes, with Paul Flynn and Eric Lowndes grabbing two late goals in front of Hill 16.
O’Mahony’s red came in the middle of a 20-minute spell which saw Dublin held to just a single Dean Rock free, but Gavin believes that his side were getting on top before the incident tilted the game in their favour.
He added: “I thought we were beginning to get some control on the game at that particular point.
We had created a lot of opportunities up to that stage, didn’t execute them that well, but we were still creating them.
“I thought we were beginning to get a foothold, but there’s no doubt it did impact on Kerry’s performance.”
The win extended Dublin’s unbeaten run to a remarkable 22 games, and added a ninth piece of silverware in 10 attempts under Gavin’s stewardship.
The Dubs now have six weeks before they head to Nowlan Park to open their Leinster championship defence against Laois or Wicklow on 4 June.
And even a brilliant league four-in-a-row doesn’t compare to a single All-Ireland win in Gavin’s eyes.
“Championship is championship and league is league,” he said. “Pre-season is pre-season and there’s a definite hierarchy there.
“We look at the league as the third competition. You have the league, the provincial series, and the championship series, and that’s the way Croke Park have it laid out for us.
We’re representing our county and just want to be the best that we can be in every competition we play.
“If there are things to be won along the way, we’ll take them, but it’s all about that process of trying to be our best, and the outcome of that is the four leagues.”
Jim Gavin: Dubs were starting to take control before O'Mahony red
JIM GAVIN FELT that Dublin had already started to turn the screw on Kerry before the red card that opened the floodgates.
The Dubs led by just two points in yesterday’s National Football League final when Aidan O’Mahony was sent off following an off-the-ball incident with Jonny Cooper.
With Kerry down to 14 men, Dublin took full advantage and romped to an 11-point win and their fourth straight league title under Gavin.
“There’s no doubt it had an impact,” the Dubs boss said after the 2-18 to 0-13 win in a sold-out Croke Park.
“That game was as close to championship pitch as you’ll get. When you lose a man you’re immediately under stress. There are spaces being opened up that can be exploited by the opposition.”
Dublin outscored Kerry’s 14 men by 2-5 to 0-2 in the final 20 minutes, with Paul Flynn and Eric Lowndes grabbing two late goals in front of Hill 16.
O’Mahony’s red came in the middle of a 20-minute spell which saw Dublin held to just a single Dean Rock free, but Gavin believes that his side were getting on top before the incident tilted the game in their favour.
He added: “I thought we were beginning to get some control on the game at that particular point.
“I thought we were beginning to get a foothold, but there’s no doubt it did impact on Kerry’s performance.”
The win extended Dublin’s unbeaten run to a remarkable 22 games, and added a ninth piece of silverware in 10 attempts under Gavin’s stewardship.
The Dubs now have six weeks before they head to Nowlan Park to open their Leinster championship defence against Laois or Wicklow on 4 June.
And even a brilliant league four-in-a-row doesn’t compare to a single All-Ireland win in Gavin’s eyes.
“Championship is championship and league is league,” he said. “Pre-season is pre-season and there’s a definite hierarchy there.
“We look at the league as the third competition. You have the league, the provincial series, and the championship series, and that’s the way Croke Park have it laid out for us.
“If there are things to be won along the way, we’ll take them, but it’s all about that process of trying to be our best, and the outcome of that is the four leagues.”
A league of their own! Dublin punish 14-man Kerry to claim four-in-a-row
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Aidan O'Mahony Blue Sunday Croke Park GAA GAA 2016 Jim Gavin Dublin Kerry