REALISTICALLY AFTER 25 minutes of today’s second game in Croke Park, the match was over.
I don’t like admitting that from a Kildare point of view but Dublin gave an awesome performance and you can’t dress it up any other way.
I’ve always felt that Dublin are the one team that when they have you by the throat, they will squeeze it. They’re better at that than everyone else. If they score four goals, they’ll be hungry and want to get five.
There’s no showboating, no lack of respect to the other team. They have a system and everyone buys into that. If you weren’t a Kildare man today, you’d have to stand back and just admire them.
The heart was ruling the head a little bit before the game as you try to be positive. If Kildare could upset Dublin, it was going to take a huge performance but the concession of those early goals were killers.
The telling thing in first 20 minutes was that Jack McCaffrey tore Kildare to shreds. Ciaran Kilkenny seemed to waltz through the defence as well. You have to curtail players like that, take personal responsibility for your man and try to nullify him to some extent.
For the second Dublin goal, McCaffrey left three or four lads standing and he’d plenty options before Bernard stuck it in the net. That was a big problem for Kildare that they didn’t press Dublin high enough up the field.
Jugular
Then when Kildare did attack in droves and Dublin turned them over, they poured forward. Where other teams tap the ball over the bar, Dublin go for the jugular and that was shown in the late goals by Connolly and Bernard.
It wasn’t even the starting team, Alan Brogan came on and produced a brilliant performance as he kicked three points. That’s another plus for Dublin. Jason Ryan would have sat down to spend hours analysing Dublin but they couldn’t cope with that attacking power.
How much of a benefit is this to Dublin though? They’re now chasing a 10th Leinster title in 11 years and this issue about the lack of competitiveness keeps coming up. The structure are something we’re talking about year in year out and I believe that eventually the GAA will do something about it.
The Leinster Council won’t want to let Dublin go, they’re such an attactive proposition. But I met Pillar Caffrey before the game today and he made then point that it’s amazing how much it has changed that Dublin Kildare is no longer a standalone fixture.
It’s now part of a double-header and that’s a sign of how the relationship has gone. The talk in Kildare during the week was that we’ll do well to be within 10 points. In the end it was 19 points and the extent of Dublin’s dominance creates an issue that needs to be looked at.
Tested
It’s another game where Dublin have not truly been tested and there’s nothing they can do about that. But we still don’t know how they’ll handle it when the pressure is put on like we saw last year against Donegal.
I think probably Kerry and Donegal, and maybe to a lesser extent Mayo, are the only teams capable of putting them to the pin of their collar. We’ll have to wait for that collision but for today Dublin’s backroom team can reflect on another awesome performance.
For Kildare, it’s a tough defeat to take. We may not have beaten them but there were a few seasons, where we felt we were really competing. But there’s been a really big turnover since 2012 with only the likes of Emmett Bolton, Eamonn Callaghan, Paudie O’Neill and Eoghan O’Flaherty left.
Recovery
They’ve to dust themselves down now, it’s just six days until they’ve a trip to Tullamore to play Offaly. In one sense the players would want to get back at it as quick as possible after a defeat like that.
But in another sense it’s not good to only have it in six days time if players have picked up any knock or a dead leg. To me it just doesn’t seem right that they’ve such a short turnaround.
Westmeath revival
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything in Croke Park like today’s first game. The scale of Westmeath’s comeback was amazing. Remember Meath were brilliant in the first-half. They were really slick in attack, were full of running and pace and moved the ball very well.
Ten points up and Meath were coasting, so what happened? I felt that Tom Cribben would have told his team to forget about patterns and systems, go out and have a serious go at Meath.
Moving Kieran Martin to attack was a great move, he was phenomenal. But the way he came in along the endline to score was crazy points for Meath to give away. You could see the lift it gave the team, in defence their players were roaring them on with fists clenched. They knew they had Meath on the ropes.
Meath had a couple of big chances to get scores to settle them but took really bad options. I think the loss of Graham Reilly was a telling factor, they needed someone to take that ball at pace and have the experience to do the right thing. His black card was a big setback.
I really liked the creativity that Westmeath showed in the second-half. John Heslin was outstanding, he’s just a really good footballer and to hit 1-9 is phenomenal stuff in a Leinster semi-final.
We’ve know he’s a player of huge ability for some time. His scoring feats have been superb for some time, the 2-16 he hit against Garrycastle in a club game a few years ago was proof of that.
Underdog
It was a brilliant underdog story, the type the championship story needed. 22 championship games against Meath brought 22 losses. Westmeath were always the bridesmaids, never the bride and missed glorious chances like in 2003 when Dessie Dolan’s late free went wide.
From a neutral point of view, it was a brilliant occasion to witness. I know Tom Cribben personally and his selector John Doran, two Kildare men. I’m delighted for them, they’re hugely passionate and they’ll enjoy this success.
Setback
The Meath players and management are going to have to deal with a lot of negative talk around the county now. This is a big setback and recovery won’t be easy. Mick O’Dowd and Trevor Giles need to get the team together and embrace the qualifiers.
They’ll feel sory for themselves for day or two but that must then be parked park that as they try to drive forward. We spent a good bit of time in the qualifiers with Kildare and the key is to focus the minds. That needs to be done quickly if Meath are to get their season back on track.
they’re unbelievable but the inability of other teams to compete makes it pretty tough to sit through. the Meath Westmeath game was a much better spectacle.
Wait until they meet a decent side.they were shown up last year and it’ll happen again this year.a team full of posers
Maybe the last 20 mins of Meath v Westmeath but the first half was woeful stuff,
Balls over the sideline and players missing from 20 yards,
The frees that Meath forward missed was shocking in first half.
Oh Alan your dislike of Dublin is comical at this stage. Did you get lost in da big schmoke once or something?
They could well come up short again this year, most teams do. The reality is theres very little between the top 4-6 teams, but the gap to the rest seems bigger then before.
Extremely talented posers though Alan.
I don’t dislike Dublin at all Shane I’m just saying the score board flatters them against a bad side.A leinster title is almost a given every year.how do you think they’d manage in the ulster championship where there’s is some real competition
Alan. ulster. ha. that is all
Who knocked dublin out last year and what Provence where they from?
keep it going al.you might even convince yourself …
Can you not answer my question?
Alan,you are clearly a wind up merchant . There is a fact for ya . prob best to crawl back under the wind up merchant rock .
You don’t dislike them? … But you called them posers? … They’re one of the top teams in the country, who play an attacking style of football, so when they have a team on the ropes they build an impressive score. This May or may not win the all Ireland but not sure what your issue is but they come across as a pretty decent bunch of lads I’d have thought.
Yea I called them posers.id call some of my best mates posers too who are fond of themselves.I’m sure you have mates that are fond of the mirror too Shane.or maybe by your defensive attitude you’re one those posers I’m talking about
trolling doesn’t get you mates al.
I’m not trolling
clearly you are because if you had a breeze what you are talking about you wouldn’t be calling a panel with the strength and depth of Dublin’s where they’re are bodies climbing over themselves for positions as posers. “Alan”
Wouldn’t put my mortgage on it. They are an excellent outfit but all to often we watched their unbeatable tag being wrestled from them. For their sake the most important thing is to keep those feet firmly on the ground, they have all the talent in the world but you have to have the head with that or you will get rattled
2 all Ireland’s in 4 years.. Not bad for a bunch of posers..
Well…with a population of 1.2m to choose from….yeah…..you are going to get choaked!
Haven’t heard that one before! Yeah everyone in Dublin is mad into the GAA alright…..
Yeah, we know it’s all down to population. That’s why China and India are such powerhouses in soccer… Population is only a small part of it. The real reason is a combination of factors, such as Dublin’s small geographic size (enabling better centralisation of developmental resources), funding, good management, effective marketing to prospective new players, etc. I’m a Meathman, but even I can see that the setup in Dublin is far more efficient and far less parochial and political. Plus, if population really was the reason, then Cork would always win Munster and Antrim would always win Ulster…
Brian China and India are not kingpins at football because the vast
majority of Indians and Chinese are not interested in football.
FIFA haven’t invested 2/3 of their football promotion runs in either country .
everyone in kidare is mad into the gaa too.
donegal 5 Ulster finals in a row where is the competition there if there monaghan that’s it.
you have a fantastic ability to collect red thumbs o9celts.
Alan since 2010 monaghan have reached 4, Ulster finals and donegal have reached 5 so the competition in Ulster is a myth so pack that shite in Goodman.
This is one thing I like about them. If the smell blood…they go for it. Love seeing that in a team.
Pains me to say it but the Dubs look phenomenal to be fair. yes Kildare were their usual shocking selves but Dublin blew them off the pitch within 10 minutes. winning can only breath confidence and this team have it in abundance with a gent of a manager. Saying all that…. Rebels Abu ; )
I doubt they’ll get a chance to squeeze Kerry throats in the same way….
exactly,and playing these games against poor opposition could cost them,their a serious team but their not going to play any decent team until the knockout stage.leinster football is in serious trouble,turning into a non event when Dublin are playing
Dublin looked unbeatable but as many commentators have mentioned their opponents so far are not real contenders. The Dubs can be beaten but when they are firing on all cylinders it will take something special to beat them. That probably means Kerry. I hope they are on a path where they both can meet in the final. That could be a seismic clash.
agreed but I think a dublin donegal rematch would be equally fascinating though probably a completely different type of game
Is it such a good thing? Kerry never get out of third gear until after Munster.. Then there’s the usual they’re too old story by the media and then they go on to win the all Ireland. You could say Dublin have almost always done the exact opposite over the last decade apart from the years they won it.
Top team.even when wexford had a good football team we couldn’t break through with them in our way.can only beat what’s in front of you,fair play dubs
Alan b , what does b stand for, admire a great team when you see them..
Offaly will beat Kildare next Saturday in the qualifiers
As a Kildare man that was really tough to watch very poor!!but Dublin very incredible all over the pitch especially the half back n half forward lines.but My major worry outside of Kildare is the fact that the only teams we really talk about winning Sam and has been d same for the past few years are Dublin Kerry Mayo and Donegal.the gaa are at a crossroads now change it or risk losing a raft of county teams and a footballing generation.the top tier are miles ahead it’s becoming like the Premier league only a few teams with a really chance of winning d big one.
they are a serious team and the league final against albeit a poor cork team showed they are capable of beating anyone. credit where credit is due. a strong football squad just like the kerry of the 2000′s.
I’d question Dublin backs don’t think there good enough
Good enough to win 3 more games?
Will need o’carroll back and on form, probably need bastic back also. The standard is going to jump considerably with each game from now on.
Just back from holidays in Morocco. This morning on the way to Marrakech airport on the side of the road I saw a bottle with Meath written on it. So that’s where their bottle went!
it’s such an awful sport
Thanks for your valued input. Just an idea but maybe save your comments for an article about a sport you don’t find ‘awful’?
Rarely such a pointless comment, well done you
did I say that out loud
Your such an awful moan. Go watch UFC or some other great ‘sport’
UFC is not a sport, it’s an organisation. Ah sure feck it lets just criticise another sport even though I’ve no clue about it…duh
they just ripped of soccer from the English.
Your Twitter pic shows that your going bald; that is also awful as is your haircut
Will ye stop, you think that’s bad you wanna check out my 1/2 inch penis
you’d have to fabciy Dublin for the All Ireland.
fancy *
Bully boy team, will cower back into their corner like they always do when they meet the big boys.
Ah Rochelle is back. That’s my comedy entertainment sorted for the Championship!
no score ?