Allianz Football League Division One South

** DUBLIN 1-22 ROSCOMMON 0-16**

** Kevin Egan at Dr. Hyde Park**

They weren’t as devastating as Kerry or Mayo, but Dublin joined the list of winning counties after the first round of games in the Allianz Football League after a remarkable game this afternoon at Dr. Hyde Park.

Roscommon competed very well with the All-Ireland champions in several facets of play but couldn’t overcome the concession of three penalties, two of which also resulted in black cards.

It’s a measure of where Dublin are at that Roscommon did so much right in this game and still things played out as they did. Donie Smith and Ciaráin Murtagh were particularly accurate with their chances and in general, the Roscommon forward line offered a threat. Eddie Nolan, who came of age in the club championship last year, gave away his first possession but showed great maturity to shake off that minor setback and go on to play a key grafting role in the midfield sector, while on the defensive side of things, Roscommon curtailed both Ciarán Kilkenny and Con O’Callaghan to a considerable degree – albeit Kilkenny came to the fore at the end of the game, tacking on three late points when tired legs meant that there was more space to be found.

When it comes to the All-Ireland champions however, keeping them out is often not dis-similar to keeping out flood water. Any little crack with result in infiltration, and ultimately, destruction. Cormac Costello was the man who did most of the damage, both from dead balls and from general play, but his fellow corner forward Paddy Small was also hard to contain and his contribution was far greater than his final tally of 0-2 might suggest.

Roscommon started with a slight breeze at their backs and long range scores from Smith and Murtagh edged them 0-3 to 0-2 in front, but one or two errors proved costly. Missed passes from Nolan and Feargal Lennon led to Dublin scores, and 0-4 each suddenly turned into 0-7 to 0-4 in Dublin’s favour.

Just before the water break, referee Derek O’Mahoney then gave a first hand demonstration of the new black card rule when he penalised Brian Stack for pulling back Paddy Small as the Ballymun man looked to drive in on goal, meaning that a sin bin and a penalty was awarded.

Cormac Costello sent Colm Lavin the wrong way from the spot kick, and while Roscommon came through the next ten minutes relatively intact, the impact of the dismissal was to take a toll later as they were burning through a lot more energy to keep the ship afloat.

1-12 to 0-9 at half-time, with Dublin kicking one solitary wide in first half stoppage time, illustrated how ruthless the boys in blue could be with little more than an even share of possession. A second penalty and black card, this time shown to Feargal Lennon, saw a rare reprieve go Roscommon’s way – Costello’s penalty crashed back into play off the post and was cleared.

Again, Roscommon made their way through the ten minutes of being outnumbered without sustaining any meaningful damage. Ciaráin Murtagh kicked some great scored, assisted in a couple of instances by Enda Smith who was coming into the game, while all around the middle third, Roscommon matched their opponents for work rate and intensity, particularly when contested possessions were there to be won.

With 15 minutes to play Murtagh pointed a free to make it 1-14 to 0-12, and they were back up to their full complement, but the exertions of the game up to that point started to take a toll. Feeling they needed a goal, Roscommon pushed up to try and create a chance to test Michael Shiel, but couldn’t quite break through, and breakaway scores started to follow at the other end. Costello, Kilkenny and Brian Fenton all posted scores to widen the gap, and the prospect of Dublin’s first away league win by a double-figure margin since 2015 looked real when Niall Daly was penalised for a foot block deep into stoppage time, and Cormac Costello stood over his third penalty of the game.

Dublin didn’t need a second goal at that stage however, and Costello was happy just to fire it over and leave the final margin at nine – enough to suggest that the All-Ireland champions are in good shape in advance of what will be a momentous clash with Kerry next week, but also to ensure that Roscommon will feel that they have something positive to build on in advance of what will be an equally important contest against Galway in Salthill.

Scorers for Dublin: Cormac Costello 1-13 (0-8f, 1-1 pens, 0-1m), Ciarán Kilkenny 0-4 (0-1m), Paddy Small 0-2, Dara Mullin, Tom Lahiff, Brian Fenton 0-1 each.  

Scorers for Roscommon: Donie Smith (0-5f) & Ciaráin Murtagh (0-2f) 0-6 each, Diarmuid Murtagh, Enda Smith, Niall Daly & Eddie Nolan 0-1 each.  

DUBLIN: Michael Shiel; Seán McMahon, David Byrne, Eoin Murchan; James McCarthy, John Small, Robert McDaid; Brian Fenton, Tom Lahiff; Niall Scully, Con O’Callaghan, Dara Mullin; Paddy Small, Cormac Costello, Ciarán Kilkenny.

Subs: Mick Fitzsimons for McMahon (50), Colm Basquel for Mullin (50), Conor McHugh for Small (57), Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne for Lahiff (57), Eric Lowdnes for McCarthy (65), Ryan Basquel for O’Callaghan (65), Philip McMahon for Murchan (69).

ROSCOMMON: Colm Lavin; David Murray, Gary Patterson, Feargal Lennon; Conor Hussey, Niall Daly, Brian Stack; Eddie Nolan, Shane Killoran; Niall Kilroy, Cathal Cregg, Enda Smith; Donie Smith, Diarmuid Murtagh, Ciaráin Murtagh.

Subs: Conor Devaney for Kilroy (half-time), Cian McKeon for Cregg (41), Conor Daly for Stack (45), Conor Cox for Diarmuid Murtagh (50), David Neary for Feargal Lennon (50), Hubert Darcy for Killoran (57), Richard Hughes for Conor Daly (63).

Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary)