Dublin 5-18
Tyrone 0-12

Paul Keane reports from Croke Park

COLM BASQUEL LED the demolition of Tyrone with 2-3 as Dublin strode confidently through to the NFL Division 1 final.

The Dubs needed to win and to record their fifth consecutive top flight win to be sure of advancing to next weekend’s final and duly delivered.

Lorcan O’Dell ran All-Star Basquel close for the Man of the Match award as he sniped 1-2 on a day when nine different players got on the scoresheet for Dublin.

Niall Scully and Cian Murphy found the net too for the All-Ireland champions who will return to Croke Park next weekend to play Derry in the Division 1 final.

There were big performances as well from Con O’Callaghan and the likes of Brian Fenton and Brian Howard while Cian O’Connor and Brian O’Leary came on in the second-half, bringing to 32 the number of different players Dessie Farrell has utilised in the campaign so far.

Tyrone rested several key players and were powerless to prevent Dublin posting a double-digits lead by half-time.

The Ulster outfit will return to duty in the provincial championship on April 21 though Dublin may collect another piece of significant silverware before they begin their Leinster campaign on April 14.

Dublin made two changes to their published lineup and three in total from the Round 6 win over Galway.

Eoin Murchan came into a defence missing John Small while O’Dell and Basquel were recalled in attack.

It was only Basquel’s second start of the campaign and he looked like a player keen to make a big point ahead of the Championship.

The Ballyboden man had 1-3 racked up by half-time with his goal arriving in the 13th minute following excellent work by Brian Fenton and Con O’Callaghan.

O’Callaghan played the final pass for Dublin’s second goal too in first-half stoppage time. That one was finished off by Scully and with a 2-11 to 0-6 interval lead, the game was already as good as up for visiting Tyrone.

Ruairi Canavan and Cathal McShane operated at the point of Tyrone’s attack but Canavan couldn’t escape Eoin Murchan to get on the scoreboard until the 50th minute.

As for McShane, he went head to head with Daire Newcomebe in an intriguing battle and slipped his man for two first-half points.

The first was set up by Niall Morgan in what amounted to another terrific assist for a Tyrone score by the experienced netminder.

Truth be told, Tyrone were much the poorer for the decision to bench Darragh Canavan, fresh off his 1-6 tally against Monaghan, Peter Harte and Padraig Hampsey.

Tyrone were clutching at straws for the most part though and struggled to stop a Dublin side that looked intent on going for the jugular when the opportunity presented itself.

Their clever use of the kick-pass, selfless support runs and sheer quality in front of the posts with half a dozen different first-half scorers allowed them to build up a huge lead.

Tyrone brought on Tarlach Quinn and Mattie Donnelly at half-time and Donnelly brought energy and greater purpose to their attack.

But the Red Hands were still overwhelmed by the ferocity of Dublin’s attack and the game was essentially put to bed in the third quarter with goals from Murphy, Basquel and O’Dell between the 46th and 50th minutes.

O’Dell had the final pass for the first two of those goals before getting on the end of a Basquel assist for Dublin’s fifth goal.

It was poetry in motion, from Dublin’s perspective at least, and they had the luxury of taking off key men like O’Callaghan, Fenton and Ciaran Kilkenny long before full-time.

Dublin scorers: Colm Basquel 2-3 (0-1 mark), Lorcan O’Dell 1-2, Con O’Callaghan 0-4 (0-1m, 0-1f), Niall Scully 1-0, Cian Murphy 1-0, Ross McGarry 0-3, Killian McGinnis 0-3, Paul Mannion 0-2, Sean MacMahon 0-1.

Tyrone scorers: Ruairi Canavan 0-4 (0-1f), Darren McCurry 0-2 (0-1f), Cathal McShane 0-2, Niall Morgan 0-2 (0-1f), Kieran McGeary 0-1, Lorcan McGarrity 0-1.

Dublin

1. Evan Comerford

3. Daire Newcombe, 4. Eoin Murchan, 2. Sean MacMahon

7. Brian Howard, 9. Tom Lahiff, 5. Cian Murphy

8. Brian Fenton, 13. Killian McGinnis

15. Niall Scully, 23. Lorcan O’Dell, 10. Ross McGarry

12. Ciaran Kilkenny, 14. Con O’Callaghan, 18. Colm Basquel

Subs

• 22. Theo Clancy for Newcombe (46)
• 24. Paul Mannion for O’Callaghan (47)
• 20. Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne for Fenton (49)
• 21. Brian O’Leary for Kilkenny (53)
• 25. Cian O’Connor for Murchan (61)
• 17. Senan Forker for Lahiff (67 – f/t, temp)

Tyrone

1. Niall Morgan

2. Conall Devlin, 3. Nathan McCarron, 4. Aidan Clarke

5. Ben Cullen, 6. Kieran McGeary, 7. Niall Devlin

8. Brian Kennedy, 9. Aodhan Donaghy

10. Joe Oguz, 11. Conor Cush, 12. Lorcan McGarrity

13. Darren McCurry, 14. Ruairi Canavan, 15. Cathal McShane

Subs

• 22. Tarlach Quinn for McCarron (h/t)
• 20. Mattie Donnelly for Cushe (h/t)
• 18. Ciaran Daly for McShane (48)
• 25. Sean O’Donnell for McGeary (52)
• 26. Tiarnan Quinn for McCurry (54)

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry).

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