1. History in the making for Dublin
It was a procession, let’s be fair, as Dublin stormed to a sixth successive Leinster senior football title this afternoon.
The numbers don’t make for good reading if you’re a provincial rival as Dublin have now won 11 of the last 12 Leinster crowns.
It’s the first time they’ve done six-in-a-row since the 1974-79 vintage and on the evidence we’ve seen this summer, they won’t be stopped next year either.
Dublin lined out without three of last year’s All-Ireland winning defence – Rory O’Carroll, Jack McCaffrey and James McCarthy – but they still beat Westmeath by two points more than 12 months ago.
Now, the challenge for Dublin is to land back-to-back All-Ireland crowns and if they do it, they’ll become the first county since Kerry in 2006/2007 to achieve that feat.
2. Cluxton’s 12 not out
Remarkably, Stephen Cluxton collected his 12th Leinster senior football championship medal at Croke Park this afternoon.
The first of those was achieved back in 2002, when the Dubs edged out Kildare in the provincial decider by just two points.
Since then, Cluxton emerged as arguably Gaelic Football’s single-most revolutionary figure, as his kick-outs became increasingly pivotal to how Dublin went about their business, and continue to do so.
In an era of sky-high achievement, Cluxton’s consistency shines like a beacon and he’s seen off all-comers to hang onto the number 1 shirt.
Today, he lifted the Delaney Cup for the fourth time as captain.
3. Westmeath go after Connolly
Was this an orchestrated attempt by Westmeath to get under Diarmuid Connolly’s skin?
Manager Tom Cribbin seemed to indicate as much as a post-match press conference but Connolly’s reaction to James Dolan’s hair-ruffle was over-the-top.
Dubs boss Jim Gavin may have a quiet word in Connolly’s ear because the St Vincent’s star will be a marked man in the All-Ireland series.
There’s no doubting Connolly’s class but he can fly off the handle and it’s a situation that opposition teams will look to exploit.
Connolly fouled Dolan initially before the Westmeath player offered him a gentle reminder that he had won that joust as the pair trotted back into position.
Perhaps Connolly’s reaction was an indication of Dublin’s frustration in the first half as Westmeath operated with two sweepers and limited the winners to just seven points before the break.
4. Hope for the rest?
Westmeath provided evidence in the first half that Dublin can be shut down with effective defending.
Operating with Francis Boyle and Callum McCormack as sweepers, they performed heroics to keep the score down in the first half.
But Jim Gavin’s tactical nous prevailed in the second period as he withdrew a defender, Eric Lowndes, and brought on an attacker, Paddy Andrews.
Dublin matched up to Westmeath’s massed ranks by operating with seven forwards in the second half.
It took a while but the floodgates eventually opened and Dublin cruised to victory, with Bernard Brogan and Kevin McManamon grabbing late goals.
5. Shocking injury blow for Ray Connellan
Spare a thought for Ray Connellan this evening, as he undergoes scans on a suspected ankle fracture.
The Athlone man has impressed top brass at AFL outfit St Kilda but he now faces an extended spell on the sidelines and this injury could put the kaibosh on any proposed move.
Connellan went down at the end of the first half and despite a couple of aborted attempts to play on, he left the field on a stretcher and in visible distress.
Connellan is one of Westmeath’s brightest young talents who will now miss out on the remainder of the Lake County’s championship campaign.
But on a personal level, it could be a fatal blow to his hopes of making it as a professional star Down Under.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
