Dublin 1-16
Derry 1-11
AS THE GAME ticked into the hour mark there was only five points in it. And yet it felt that Derry had given up hope on winning this game even before the throw-in.
There is a chance that these two could make up the sides of the league final and to date, there has been a widely-documented taxing load on the Derry players.
With four wins from four and seeking to get more minutes into fringe players, Derry manager Mickey Harte made seven changes from the team that played Galway in the last round. If you’re counting, it was nine from the team that played Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Conor Glass was left off the panel altogether as he gained some much needed rest. Padraig McGrogan came on as a half-time sub but his regular half-back partners Gareth McKinless and Conor Doherty are injured. Chrissy McKaigue endured a tough opening half before being replaced at the break.
Seven weeks until they host Donegal in the Ulster championship, Derry didn’t come with a pile of intent.
Contrast that with Dublin. Ten-point winners over Kerry last weekend they had a strong looking starting team, strengthened further by Brian Howard shunting Theo Clancy out of the starting blocks before the ball was thrown in.
Paul Mannion and Cormac Costello were added to the matchday panel at the 11th hour. But it is in the way Ciaran Kilkenny looks reborn that might please Dessie Farrell most from this game.
The visitor’s intent was clear from the off in the way they pressed, frequently placing 10 players inside the first 65 metres of the Derry half and forcing Ryan Scullion – only making his first steps in intercounty – to kick long.
From his twelve kickouts in the first half, Dublin won a third of them. Derry found the Dublin running game irresistible.
With that as a platform, they notched seven points from play in the first half, the entire half-forward line purring, Kilkenny in particular with three for himself.
As the half hour approached, Derry had only mustered up three points, all coming from Shane McGuigan free kicks, all awarded for offences upon the Slaughtneil man himself.
But when Scullion got a kickout away to Eunan Mulholland, his carry gained the territory needed. After some interplay, Cormac Murphy threaded a pass to Conor McCluskey who had a clear run on David O’Hanlon’s goal and passed it delicately to the net with his left foot.
Emmett Bradley’s point just before half time was their first from play and left the home side 1-4 to 0-9 behind at the break.
Harte made three half-time substitutions, sending on McGrogan, Eoin McEvoy and Ethan Doherty but they were outscored again.
With Dublin scores coming after patiently probing for the tiniest slivers of openings, a goal was threatened at the other end. Donncha Gilmore made a turnover deep in Derry territory and slung a long-range pass to the unmarked Shane Mc Guigan.
Dublin goalkeeper David O’Hanlon was off his line but backpedalling and facing the shot. He clawed a hand at the dropping ball and saved what might have been a crucial score.
Lachlan Murray set up McGuigan for a point to leave just two in it on 50 minutes.
Almost immediately Dublin raced upfield on a break with overlaps coming every direction. Con O’Callaghan unselfishly squared to Niall Scully to punch towards the net. Gilmore was there to knock it back out but Cormac Costello, only on the pitch a matter of seconds, gathered and found the net.
That left five in it with twenty minutes to go. But a Derry response never came. The game withered away into a nothingness. There were some gorgeous scores and the odd thing to admire. Though it all felt a bit midweek-y challenge-y match-y.
Albeit, in front of a crowd of 13,267.
As beloved as the league is, there are games that teams simply are not up for, due to any number of factors. Already, we have seen teams on away games using the trip as a championship training camp.
Round five of the league, and you suspect Derry have already turned their sights towards the threat of Donegal coming here.
Scorers for Dublin: Ciaran Kilkenny 0-4, Cormac Costello 1-0, Brian Fenton 0-3, Con O’Callaghan 0-3, (3f), Ross McGarry 0-2, Lee Gannon, Lorcan O’Dell, Sean Bugler, Paddy Small 0-1 each.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-7 (3f), Conor McCluskey 1-0, Cormac Murphy, Emmett Bradley, Paul Cassidy, Eoin McEvoy 0-1 each
Dublin
1. David O’Hanlon (Na Fianna)
2. Sean McMahon (Raheny) 18. Brian Howard (Raheny) 4. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna)
5. Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis) 6. John Small (Ballymun) 7. Lee Gannon (Whitehall)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny) 9. Peader ÓCofaigh-Byrne (Cuala)
10. Ross McGarry (Ballyboden) 11. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunketts / Eoghan Ruadh) 12. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)
13. Paddy Small (Ballymun) 14. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala) 15. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
Subs:
20. Tom Lahiff (St Judes) for ÓCofaigh-Byrne (HT)
26. Cormac Costello (Whitehall) for Paddy Small (50m)
23. Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street) for McGarry (56m)
17. Greg McEneaney (Skerries Harps) for Gannon (68m)
21. Killian McGinnis (Skerries Harps) for Scully (73m)
Derry
1. Ryan Scullion (Ballinascreen)
2. Conor McCluskey (Magherafelt) 3. Chrissy McKaigue (Slaughtneil) 4. Diarmuid Baker (Steelstown)
5. Shea Downey (St Brigid’s) 6. Donncha Gilmore (Steelstown) 7. Eunan Mulholland (Glen)
8. Emmett Bradley (Glen) 9. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil)
10. Declan Cassidy (Bellaghy) 11. Ciaran McFaul (Glen) 12. Niall Toner (Lavey)
13. Lachlan Murray (Desertmartin) 14. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil) 15. Cormac Murphy (Magherafelt)
Subs:
24. Padraig McGrogan (Newbridge) for S Downey (HT)
19. Ethan Doherty (Glen) for Mulholland (HT)
23. Eoin McEvoy (Magherafelt) for McKaigue (HT)
18. Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy) for Murphy (47m)
25. Conleith McGuckian (Glen) for Murray (59m)
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)