Allianz Football League Division One

DUBLIN 2-14 ROSCOMMON 1-12

By Kevin Egan at Dr Hyde Park

Like a breakfast full of slow-release carbohydrates, Roscommon’s performance didn’t give Anthony Cunningham the quick hit of two league points that their supporters might have craved, but as the season continues they could yet draw nourishment from the manner in which they competed with the All-Ireland champions at Dr. Hyde Park.

Dublin boss Jim Gavin peppered his team with a healthy sprinkling of younger members of his panel and he’ll come away knowing that his charges were given a genuine test of their credentials in this encounter, coming away with very mixed grades in the first half before they suffocated the life out of the local challenge after half time.

If one player could be used to illustrate why Dublin came away with their aspirations of reaching another league final intact, it was wing forward Niall Scully. In the third minute of the game, he collected a pass from Brian Fenton and fizzed a shot on goal at pace, fractionally too high to draw a save out of Colm Lavin.

Nearly 64 minutes later, Scully added his second point of the tie, again fired over. As he wheeled around back to his position, the Templeogue Synge Street man was still full of running, appearing every bit as fresh as he was when he opened the scoring.

Roscommon, by contrast, were a spent force at that stage. They emptied their tank getting back level in the latter stages of the first half, and trying to keep the relentless waves of pressure from Dublin at bay after half time.

But while the distance they still have to travel was clear to see in the latter stages, the journey that they’ve already completed was evident throughout the remainder of the tie.

Croke Park is a far more unforgiving environment than their own home field in Roscommon town, but last year’s Super 8 tie between the two sides looked like teams operating in entirely different spheres.

Dublin hit the ground running in unforgiving conditions and still couldn’t shake off their opponents. Scully fired the opener, Paddy Andrews kicked over a mark and Colm Basquel split the posts from the left wing, but every time Roscommon replied in kind.

Then the Boys in blue gave themselves some breathing room, first with a couple of points and then with a first time goal from Con O’Callaghan, fly-hacked to the net when Dean Rock held off the challenge of Conor Daly to break the ball into the path of his colleague.

The sides traded scores up until the half hour mark, Conor Cox scoring the pick of the points with a majestic score from distance, but then the temperature in the Hyde rose a few degrees as the home side drew level by the interval.

A high, hanging short from Donie Smith fell short, and Cathal Cregg read the break perfectly to snaffle possession in behind the jumping players and blast the ball to the net. Paddy Andrews replied with a great score off the next possession, but as the sense of hope and belief among he home side started to rise, Cox, Ronan Daly and then Enda Smith pointed to send the sides into the dressing rooms tied up at 1-9 each.

When David Murray and Cox scored again in the first 90 second of the second half, the atmosphere was electric – but Dublin set about doing what champions do, and they gradually took control of the game, suffocating the life out of Roscommon, one kickout at a time. They pushed up on the Connacht county and with Darren Gavin putting in a superb shift under the dropping ball, the flow of attacking play became one way.

With just over 15 minutes to play, Dean Rock pounced on a loose ball in a crowded goalmouth, picking out the bottom corner of the net to give Dublin a lead they never relinquished.

Roscommon were held for 30 minutes without a score, and without a shot on goal, and while some inaccuracy on the part of the champions will no doubt feature prominently in the Dublin management meetings as they review this game – they shot seven second half wides – points from Rock, Scully and Gavin were enough to see Dublin over the line.     

Scorers for Dublin: Dean Rock 1-5 (4fs, 145), Con O’Callaghan 1-1, Paddy Andrew 0-3 (1m), Niall Scully 0-2, Cian O’Connor, Darren Gavin, and Colm Basquel 0-1 each.

Scorers for Roscommon: Conor Cox 0-4 (1f), Cathal Cregg 1-0, Colm Lavin (45), David Murray, Ronan Daly, Niall Kilroy, Donie Smith, Enda Smith, Ciaran Lennon (m), and Aonghus Lyons 0-1 each.                   

DUBLIN: Stephen Cluxton; Jonny Cooper, David Byrne, Andrew McGowan; Jack McCaffrey, Cian O’Sullivan, Cian O’Connor; Darren Gavin, Brian Fenton; Niall Scully, Con O’Callaghan, Colm Basquel; Cormac Costello, Dean Rock, Paddy Andrews.

Subs: Robert McDaid for McCaffrey (9), Paul Mannion for Costello (45), Paul Flynn for Basquel (52), Brian Howard for McGowan (52), Michael Darragh Macauley for Fenton (70+2).  

ROSCOMMON: Colm Lavin; Gary Patterson, Conor Daly, David Murray; Conor Devaney, Niall Daly, Ronan Daly; Tadhg O’Rourke, Shane Killoran; Niall Kilroy, Donie Smith, Enda Smith; Ciaran Lennon, Conor Cox, Cathal Cregg.

Subs: Colin Compton for E Smith (52), Sean Mullooly for Kilroy (52), Aonghus Lyons for Cregg (57), Conor Hussey for Killoran (59), Hubert Darcy for D Smith (64).

REFEREE: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry).