Leinster SFC final: Dublin 1-19 Louth 2-12
Dublin won, which is nothing new in claiming a 63rd Leinster Senior Football Championship title and 14th in a row, but the closeness of the margin – as Louth stubbornly executed a well-constructed game plan until tired minds and legs gave out in the final quarter – provided food for thought as Dessie Farrell’s side move out of the provinces and into the All-Ireland qualifying group series.
In last year’s final, Dublin gave Louth a 21-point hammering and, perhaps, the one-sided nature of that match and the sense of a one-sided repeat partly explained the poor attendance of 23,113 (almost half the number of a year ago). Those who bothered to pass through the turnstiles, though, got a decently competitive game that only swung truly Dublin’s way when Con O’Callaghan’s goal in the 54th minute created breathing room in ensuring the Delaney Cup wouldn’t be travelling anywhere else any time soon.
Still, the four points winning margin was the tightest since Dublin’s win over Meath back in 2012 and the first time since 2017 that it was in single digits.
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But was the outcome ever really in doubt? Probably not.
Although Louth had the temerity to lead by one point, 0-7 to 0-6 at the break, Dublin – who had found it difficult to break through Louth’s packed defence, which worked intelligently and diligently, with Donal McKenny especially making a nuisance of himself in sticking to Paul Mannion as if locked by superglue – used the interval to figure out the puzzle.
Dublin kicked six wides in that first-half, to Louth’s one. Only Brian Fenton seemed to know the way, showing up his forwards with three well-kicked points from either foot. Louth’s shooting efficiency was superior to the champions, and Conor Grimes – who would finish the day with four points from play – was especially impressive while Sam Mulroy’s free-taking from distance was a sight to behold.
On the reset, Dublin – who needed several sharp reminders from referee Noel Mooney’s whistle to vacate the dressingroom – brought greater urgency. Where it had taken them almost two minutes to get a sniff of the ball from the first-half throw-in won and retained by Louth, Dublin claimed the ball from the off at the start of the second-half, patiently retained possession and waited until Mannion kicked over the equalising point 90 seconds later.
Dublin had moved two points clear when Louth offered a reminder of intent. Mulroy – half-falling, half-diving in his gymnastic attempt to gain possession – brilliantly managed to flick the ball on to Ciarán Keenan and he brilliantly dispatched the ball to the Dublin net, the first goal conceded by Stephen Cluxton in this year’s championship. Louth back up by one point.
Within a minute O’Callaghan’s left boot drew the sides level and the sides played nip and tuck for the next while before, suddenly, there was no nipping and tucking. Nobody could ever accuse Niall McDonell of rushing to take his kickouts but they had been consistently strong and solid until the 54th minute when one mistake was harshly penalised. With the Dubs on Hill 16 in his ears, his kick went straight to substitute Jack McCaffrey and before McDonnell knew it he was picked the ball out of the net after O’Callaghan received the pass and finished with aplomb. Finally, daylight.
Dublin had control and a succession of points – Paddy Small arriving to help Cormac Costello and O’Callaghan – moved them into a seven points lead with the game moving into stoppage time. And, to Louth’s credit, after Mick Fitzsimons was pilfered near the sideline, was rewarded when Mulroy set up wing back Craig Lennon for a fisted goal with the defending in front of him not going down well at all with Cluxton.
Still, onwards out of the province and to the next stage of the All-Ireland for both teams.
“The more competitive games you can get, and obviously come out the right end of it, the stronger you’re going to be for that,” said Dublin boss Farrell. “We’re looking forward to the qualifiers now. Again, a step-up in class coming, I would have thought. So, you know, we’re on a voyage of sorts, and each step of the journey you have to be making progress and you have to be getting better.”
They know the drill better than anyone. The gears will need to start shifting up, and they most likely will.
Dublin: S Cluxton; S Bugler (0-1), M Fitzsimons, E Murchan; T Lahiff (0-1), J Small, C Murphy; B Fenton (0-3), J McCarthy; C Costello (0-6, four frees), C Kilkenny (0-1), N Scully; P Mannion (0-1), C O’Callaghan (1-4), C Basquel (0-1). Subs: J McCaffrey for Scully (48 mins), P Small (0-1) for Basquel (48 mins), B Howard for Lahiff (63 mins), R McGarry for Bugler (63 mins), K McGinnis for Mannion (70 mins).
Louth: N McDonnell; D McKenny, D Corcoran, P Lynch; C McKeever, A Williams, C Lennon (1-0); T Durnin (0-1), B Duffy; N Sharkey, C Keenan (1-0), C Grimes (0-4); L Grey, S Mulroy (0-6, five frees), C Downey (0-1). Subs: D Campbell for Sharkey (48 mins), C Early for Williams (55 mins), C Byrne for Durnin (58 mins), R Burns for Keenan (58 mins), L Jackson for Grey (64 mins).
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)
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