Dublin 2-23
Laois 0-7
DUBLIN ENCOUNTERED LITTLE resistance in the form of Laois, brushing Mike Quirke’s men aside with minimal fuss in this Leinster SFC semi-final.
Cormac Costello produced his best game for Dublin in some time, firing seven points after his 45th minute introduction for Dean Rock during the 22-point victory.
Elsewhere Brian Fenton (0-4) and Ciaran Kilkenny (1-4) did the bulk of the scoring for Dublin, with Sean Bugler also raising a green flag for the six-in-a-row chasing side.
The quality of the opposition must be taken into account but Kilkenny has started the season in fine scoring form, having posted five points against Westmeath a week earlier.
He doesn’t often get the plaudits he deserves but Niall Scully showed all his best qualities in this game. His GPS stats must regularly be up there with any player in the country and he clipped over three points to boot.
He doesn’t often grab the headlines yet in his understated way, he helps his Dublin team tick and wins countless frees with his direct running style.
Games involving Dublin and other Leinster counties tend to follow a similar trend. The can start slowly and even give up a few scoring opportunities in the early stages.
Eventually, Dublin will start to squeeze the life out of their opponents, holding the ball for long spells and creating scoring chances for their shooters. By the time they run their bench in the second-half, the only question left to answer is how much they’ll win by.
Laois didn’t set-up with a defensive system, leaving four forwards up. They hurt Dublin in the early stages when the ball went into Evan O’Carroll and Gary Walsh. O’Carroll was unlucky not to hit the net when he smashed a shot off Stephen Cluxton’s near post, while Fenton forced a good save from Niall Corbet at the far end.
Dublin were sloppy in the opening quarter. Paddy Small started off his day by shooting three wides, James McCarthy was twice dispossessed and Cluxton sent a kick-out aimed at McCarthy over the sideline.
Leading just 3-2 by the water break, eventually they found their rythym.
Sean Bugler’s 25th minute goal arrived after a slick move that started with a Con O’Callaghan mark at midfield. The ball made its way to Bugler who played a one-two with Fenton and kept going before calmly finishing past Corbet.
Dublin shot 1-4 without reply as Kilkenny, Niall Scully and Paddy Small added efforts leave them eight ahead by half-time.
When Kilkenny struck the net in the 40th minute, the game already looked beyond Laois. The Castleknock man created space with a backdoor cut and when McCarthy fisted an inviting ball over the top, Kilkenny smashed it home with on the half-volley.
From that point Dessie Farrell ran the bench to get some valuable gametime into the legs of his subs. Paul Mannion had come in for Small at the interval and he was joined on the field by Cormac Costello, Davy Byrne and Brian Howard by the second-jalf water break.
O’Callaghan pounced for a point, Fenton brought his tally to three with a nice effort off the left and then Costello converted a mark.
Costello finished the game with seven, including two marks, two frees and a 45, as Dublin cruised to victory.
Scorers for Dublin: Ciaran Kilkenny 1-4, Cormac Costello 0-7 (0-2m, 0-2f, 0-1 45), Brian Fenton 0-4, Niall Scully 0-3, Dean Rock 0-2 (0-1f, 0-1 45), Sean Bugler 1-0, Robbie McDaid, Paddy Small, Con O’Callaghan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Laois: Paul Kingston and Gary Walsh (0-1f) 0-2 each, Evan O’Carroll (0-1m), Ross Munnelly and Bryan Byrne 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
2. Mick Fitzsimons (Cuala)
3. Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)
4. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna)
5. James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams)
6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
7. Robbie McDaid (Ballyboden St Endas)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny)
9. Tom Lahiff (St Jude’s)
12. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunketts/ER)
11. Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)
10. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
13. Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
14. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala)
15. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
Subs
22. Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes) for Paddy Small (ht)
18. Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcilles) for Rock (45)
17. David Byrne (Noamh Olaf) for Lahiff (45)
19. Brian Howard (Raheny) for Bugler (52)
23. Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams) for Murchan (63)
Laois
1. Niall Corbet (Clonaslee St Manman’s)
2. Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen)
3. Mark Timmons (Graiguecullen)
4. Robert Pigott (Portarlington)
5. Sean O’Flynn (Coill na Cuirte)
6. Patrick O’Sullivan (Portarlington)
7. Eoin Buggie (Stradbally)
9. John O’Loughlin (Rosenallis)
14. Kieran Lillis (Portlaoise)
10. Gareth Dillon (Portaloise)
8. Daniel O’Reilly (Graiguecullen)
12. Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen)
11. Paul Kingston (Arles Killeen)
13. Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard)
15. Gary Walsh (Ballylinan)
Subs
17. Mark Barry (O’Dempseys) for O’Loughlin (45)
20. Michael Keogh (St Joseph’s) for Dillon (45)
19. Ross Munnelly (Arles Kilcruise) for Walsh (45)
22. Alan Farrell (Ballylinan) for Buggie (48)
21. Diarmuid Whelan (Ballyroan Abbey) for Byrne (57)
Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down)