WE WERE LIVE from Croke Park where Dublin were hot favourites to book their place in the All-Ireland football semi-finals. Could Fermanagh cause one of the great GAA upsets?
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Good afternoon and welcome back to Croke Park where the dust is still settling on that remarkable first quarter-final between Kerry and Kildare.
Now it’s time for the second part of our double-header — will Dublin have it just as easy against Fermanagh?
Throw-in is at 4pm. The teams are just getting set for the pre-match parade.
TEAM NEWS: Two late change for the Dubs — Denis Bastick starts ahead of Michael Darragh Macauley in midfield, and Paddy Andrews is in at full-forward in place of Kevin McManamon.
Fermanagh line out as named.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
2. Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)
3. Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes)
4. Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
5. James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams)
6. Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes)
7. Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny)
18. Denis Bastick (Tempelogue Synge St)
10. Paul Flynn (Fingallians)
11. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)
12. Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincents)
13. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
17. Paddy Andrews (St Brigid’s)
15. Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh)
Fermanagh
1. Thomas Treacy (Devenish)
2. Mickey Jones (Derrygonnelly)
3. Marty O’Brien (Devenish)
4. Niall Cassidy (Roslea)
5. Declan McCusker (St Joseph’s)
6. Ryan McCluskey (Enniskillen Gaels)
7. James McMahon (Roslea)
8. Eoin Donnelly (c, An Cuach)
9. Richard O’Callaghan (Enniskillen Gaels)
10. Barry Mulrone (Devenish)
11. Ryan Jones (Derrygonnelly)
12. Ruairi Corrigan (Kinawley)
13. Paul McCusker (St Joseph’s)
14. Sean Quigley (Roslea)
15. Tomás Corrigan (Kinawley)
THROW IN: We’re underway with the Dubs attacking the Hill 16 end in the first half.
2 mins – Tomás Corrigan has a chance for the game’s first score but his free drops left and wide.
3 mins – Corrigan looks set to be a bit of a handful for the Dublin defence as expected. He launches another shot high into the air but it drops short to Cluxton.
5 mins – No scores yet but Fermanagh will certainly be encouraged the amount of possession they’ve seen in these opening few minutes.
6 mins – Paul McCusker tries his luck from the right but he skews it right and wide. That’s Fermanagh’s third wide already — Dublin haven’t even had a shot!
6 mins — Dublin 0-1 Fermanagh 0-0: They have now — Paddy Andrews kicks the game’s opening score.
7 mins — Dublin 0-1 Fermanagh 0-1: An almighty roar goes up around Croke Park as Sean Quigley breaks in from the left and fists over a point.
8 mins — Dublin 0-2 Fermanagh 0-1: Patient play by Dublin and Ciaran Kilkenny pops over the point.
Paddy Andrews and Fermanagh corner-back Niall Cassidy both need attention following a hefty collision but they’ll both be ok to continue.
10 mins — Dublin 0-3 Fermanagh 0-1: Magnificent ball by Brian Fenton who arrows a kick over the Fermanagh full-back line and into the arms of Bernard Brogan. He sidesteps the tackle and points.
12 mins — Dublin 0-4 Fermanagh 0-1: Jonny Cooper blasts up the field and Sean Quigley makes absolutely no effort to track his marker. Cooper looks for the one-two with Ciaran Kilkenny, but Kilkenny doesn’t see him continue his run. He kicks the point but it could have been a goal chance instead.
GOAL FOR DUBLIN! Dublin 1-4 Fermanagh 0-1 (Brogan, 13′) Bernard Brogan smashes in the game’s opening goal but he owes Jack McCaffrey massive thanks. The Fermanagh full-back line pushes up a bit to far and McCaffrey pings a long pass over their heads with devastating accuracy. Brogan makes no mistake with the finish.
16 mins — Dublin 1-4 Fermanagh 0-2: Tomás Corrigan points a free to cut the gap to five.
19 mins — Dublin 1-5 Fermanagh 0-2: Diarmuid Connolly makes football look very easy some times. He curls over a beautiful point from all of 40 yards.
20 mins — Dublin 1-5 Fermanagh 0-3: Stephen Cluxton gives the ball straight to Ryan McCluskey and he gives it to Tomás Corrigan who turns possession into a point.
Fermanagh are getting plenty of joy in midfield, if not on the scoreboard.
23 mins — Dublin 1-6 Fermanagh 0-3: So simple for Dublin. O’Sullivan’s long ball is tapped down by Andrews and Brogan points.
They’re not exactly dominating but this is still very comfortable for the Dubs.
26 mins — Dublin 1-6 Fermanagh 0-4: Fermanagh wing-forward Barry Mulrone fires over a point.
27 mins — Dublin 1-7 Fermanagh 0-4: Fermanagh have plenty of green jerseys behind the ball but Kilkenny steadies himself 40 metres out and splits the posts.
28 mins — Dublin 1-7 Fermanagh 0-5: Pete McGrath’s side won’t go quietly. Barry Mulrone breaks free down the right and points.
29 mins — Dublin 1-8 Fermanagh 0-5: Again, Fermanagh can’t cope with the pace of Dublin’s attacks. Kilkenny — who has been magnificent so far — gives it to Brogan who points off his left.
30 mins — Dublin 1-9 Fermanagh 0-5: Dublin aren’t finding it too difficult to work scoring chances. McMahon and Connolly combine before Rock points his first of the afternoon.
33 mins – Richard O’Callaghan kicks another Fermanagh wide. I think that’s seven so far for them.
34 mins — Dublin 1-11 Fermanagh 0-5: Diarmuid Connolly has kicked a magnificent point here. He sold Marty O’Brien with a dummy solo and then effortlessly curled the ball over the bar. He’s too good, really.
Paul Flynn fists over another and Dublin are starting to pull clear.
34 mins — Dublin 1-12 Fermanagh 0-5: They lead by 10 points now. Bernard Brogan is off balance but it hardly matters — he still points.
35+1 mins — Dublin 1-12 Fermanagh 0-6: Lovely score by Sean Quigley, his second of the day.
35+2 mins — Dublin 1-13 Fermanagh 0-6: Route one for Dublin but it pays dividends. Jack McCaffrey zips the ball up to Rock who leaps, claims, turns and points.
HALF TIME: Dublin 1-13 Fermanagh 0-6
Back in five.
TWO CHANGES FOR THE DUBS: Macauley and McManamon on; Bastick and Kilkenny make way.
SECOND HALF: We’re back underway.
36 mins — Dublin 1-13 Fermanagh 0-7: Fermanagh win the throw-in, and then a free, and Quigley points it. Great start.
37 mins — Dublin 1-14 Fermanagh 0-7: Rock points a 45 — that’s Dublin’s first score from a placed ball today.
39 mins — Dublin 1-15 Fermanagh 0-7: Easy for Dublin as Paddy Andrews saunters past Marty O’Brien and points.
40 mins – Great chance for a second Dublin goal but Dean Rock is denied by James McMahon who scrambles across and blocks his shot on the line.
45 mins — Dublin 1-17 Fermanagh 0-7: Rock floats over another free, and then kicks another point a couple of moments later.
47 mins — Dublin 1-18 Fermanagh 0-8: Quigley kicks another score for Fermanagh but Dublin respond immediately as Cooper does the hard work before laying it off to Andrews to score.
49 mins — Dublin 1-18 Fermanagh 0-9: Sean Quigley squirts a low free over the bar despite the combined efforts of Stephen Cluxton and Cian O’Sullivan.
51 mins – It’s the same old story for the Dubs who have the game comfortably won with 20 minutes to play. They lead by 11 now and there’s no real urgency to the game, as you’d expect.
53 mins — Dublin 1-19 Fermanagh 0-9: Alan Brogan breaks forward, passes it to MacAuley, and he sets up Bernard Brogan who points to take his tally to 1-5.
57 mins — Dublin 1-19 Fermanagh 0-10: As far as Fermanagh attacks are concerned, Sean Quigley is running the show. He sells Cian O’Sullivan a neat dummy and points into the Hill for his sixth of the afternoon.
58 mins — Dublin 1-20 Fermanagh 0-10: Make that 1-6 for Bernard Brogan following some good running by Michael Fitzsimons.
59 mins — Dublin 1-20 Fermanagh 0-11: Another Quigley free. The Hill give him the authentic experience and boo him even though the game is pretty much done and dusted.
60 mins — Dublin 1-21 Fermanagh 0-11: Brian Fenton swerves a point over off the outside of his boot. Lovely.
GOAL FOR FERMANAGH! Dublin 1-21 Fermanagh 1-11
This will go down as one of the more bizarre goals ever seen in Croke Park. Stephen Cluxton catches the ball under his bar, Sean Quigley bundles him backwards over the line… and the referee gives a goal rather than a free out.
I’ll need to see that one again.
GOAL FOR DUBLIN! Dublin 2-22 Fermanagh 1-12 (Flynn, 65′)
Rock and Mulrone trade points before Dublin hit back with a goal. They break in numbers and the finish is simple for Paul Flynn who palms the ball into the net.
66 mins — Dublin 2-22 Fermanagh 1-13: Conall Jones kicks another Fermanagh point and their fans are celebrating every point like it is the winner!
68 mins — Dublin 2-22 Fermanagh 1-14: Another magnificent score from Conall Jones from out on the Hogan Stand side. They’ve put in a serious shift this afternoon, backed by some noisy support.
70 mins -- There’ll be two additional minutes. Quigley has a chance to cut the gap to 10 but drags his free wide.
GOAL FOR FERMANAGH! Dublin 2-22 Fermanagh 2-14 (Corrigan, 70+1′)
Calamity for Dublin as they concede a second goal with some Keystone Cops defending. Jack McCaffrey puts in a magnificent block but Stephen Cluxton and Michael Fitzsimons get in each other’s way as they try to clear the danger and Tomás Corrigan taps into an empty net.
There’s only eight in it now!
70+2 mins — Dublin 2-23 Fermanagh 2-15: Rock and Quigley trade points and that’s that.
FULL TIME: Dublin 2-23 Fermanagh 2-15
So that’s it. Dublin join Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-finals after a win that was more comfortable than the eight-point margin suggests.
Credit to Fermanagh who came to play and kept coming forward in search of scores until the very end.
The difference in class was all too obvious though, and Dublin will be back here in four weeks’ time to face either Mayo or Donegal.
That’s all for now but we’ll have plenty more reaction and analysis over the course of the evening.
Thanks for reading.
