All-Ireland SFC: Dublin 0-22 Derry 0-20
The Dublin and Derry players remained on the Páirc Esler pitch with supporters long after the final whistle of this All-Ireland SFC round-robin fixture. For Dublin, it was a case of job done. For Derry, it marked the end of the road.
The sides served up a thrilling encounter in Newry but ultimately Dublin just had a little more class, a little more desire.
Nobody exemplified that more than Ciarán Kilkenny. Just four weeks after delivering a masterclass against Galway, the Castleknock man heaved Dublin up on his shoulders on Saturday evening and carried them back to Croke Park next weekend.
Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne shouldered some of that burden with Kilkenny, the Cuala midfielder producing his best ever performance in a Dublin jersey. The duo were immense on kick-outs, the ball seemingly drawn to them like a magnet to a fridge.
There were periods when Derry just couldn’t get out beyond the middle of the field because either Kilkenny or Ó Cofaigh Byrne repeatedly won the restarts.
“He was a real warrior tonight,” said Dessie Farrell of Kilkenny afterwards.
“To be fair to him, I think he might have had only one bad game this year so far. So he’s definitely been leading the charge and showing great leadership, particularly when so many lads have gone who have the knowledge and the experience and the game IQ. He’s really stepped up.”
As a team, they all did. Dublin registered 18 wides in their defeat to Armagh last time out. Here, they kicked just seven
“You don’t become a bad footballer overnight or for some reason you don’t unlearn how to kick a ball over the bar,” said Farrell. “There were definitely issues we needed to address but building confidence is important as well and we were well primed for today, we knew what was at stake, so delighted with the lads, the effort and the composure they showed at different stages.”
From the first throw-in Dublin looked on it. Ó Cofaigh Byrne outjumped Conor Glass for the throw-in and immediately fed Con O’Callaghan – who had started on the sideline as the nominal second midfidler and immediately raced towards acres of unoccupied lush green grass to fist over the game’s opening score after only 13 seconds.
It was a set-play Dublin reproduced at the start of the second half as well. Derry knew it was coming but were powerless to prevent O’Callaghan and Ó Cofaigh Byrne combining again. O’Callaghan had missed the Armagh match because of a hamstring injury and was initially named on the bench for this encounter. However, he lined out from the start and came through the entire 70 minutes.
“You’re never sure, you know, and we toyed with the idea maybe of holding him and keeping him for impact,” admitted Farrell on whether to start his captain.
“But the risk with a player who’s been injured and keeping him is that you use a sub and then he goes down and you have to use another sub, so we said we’d go with Con from the start and we’re just delighted he was able to get through the game.
“We weren’t in a position to take him off and give him some time and rest at the end unfortunately but he got through it and seems to be out the other side of it which is great.”
The first half was a titanic battle. Dublin tore through Derry in a whirlwind start that left the 12,342 in attendance fearing a one-sided affair. They led 0-4 to no score after only two minutes and 23 seconds of play.
Apart from Derry goalkeeper Ben McKinless – who was a late starting addition after Odhran Lynch picked up a quad injury at training on Thursday night – no Derry player had managed to get their hands on the ball during that time. The Ulster side looked in real trouble.
But Glass – who delivered yet another tour de force – steadied the sinking ship with a point in the sixth minute and Derry started to get to grips with Dublin.
Shane McGuigan was faultless in front of the posts for Derry in the first half and he kicked three two-pointers, all from placed balls. The second of those pushed Derry 0-7 to 0-6 in front in the 17th minute but Dublin were back level soon after courtesy of a Cormac Costello free.
It was frenetic stuff, Kilkenny popping out of rucks with the ball from among a forest of Derry bodies, Ó Cofaigh Byrne lording the skies, Glass bursting his way through Dublin tackles like a hammer through a paper bag.
The last play of the first half came after the hooter, McGuigan kicking over a two-pointer to send the sides in level, 0-13 apiece.
But Dublin made their move in the third quarter. It started with O’Callaghan’s point after 18 seconds of the restart and when he whipped over another score in the 50th minute the Dubs were 0-20 to 0-15 ahead. Derry never got back level.
Brendan Rogers, who spent the game marking O’Callaghan, made a surge up the field just after the hour mark and found himself in a goalscoring position, only for his shot to drag wide of Stephen Cluxton’s far post.
Derry, who have not won a game all season, emptied themselves in search of an equaliser but they never got any closer than within two.
“It’s another tough one to take,” lamented Derry manager Paddy Tally. “Coming out the wrong side of another tight game.
“We were pretty good for most of the match. We had a poor start but then by half-time we looked really back in it. There was a crucial time in that second half where Dublin got out to four, or maybe up to five points.
“We missed a couple of opportunities, we missed a goal chance but we can have no real complaints, the players played as well as they possibly could. That was a serious game of football.”
Dublin finish second in the group and so will have a home preliminary quarter-final against one of the third placed teams. The draw takes place on Monday morning.
“Compared to what I saw from Dublin (against Armagh) they’re like a different team today,” added Tally.
“Dublin are still a very powerful team and they’re going to be there at thereabouts for the rest of the season.”
Same as it ever is.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton (0-1-0, 1tpf); S MacMahon, T Clancy, D Byrne; B Howard, J Small (0-0-1), L Gannon (0-0-2); P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, K McGinnis (0-0-3); C Kilkenny (0-0-1), S Bugler (0-0-2), N Scully; P Small (0-0-2), C O’Callaghan (0-0-5), C Costello (0-1-2, 1tpf, 1f).
Subs: E Murchan for McGinnis, C Murphy for Clancy (both 49 mins); R McGarry for Scully (54); T Lahiff for Gannon (60); N Doran for P Small (68).
DERRY: B McKinless; D Baker, B Rogers (0-0-1), E McEvoy; P McGurk, C Doherty, P McGrogan; C Glass (0-0-2), D Higgins; N Loughlin (0-0-2, 1m), P Cassidy (0-0-1), C McFaul; S McGuigan (0-3-4, 3tpf, 3f), N Toner (0-0-1), E Doherty (0-0-3).
Subs: L Murray for Toner (45 mins); C McCluskey for McGurk (51); R Mullholland for McFaul (59); R Forbes for Cassidy (62); C McMonagle for Loughlin (68).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
