GAELIC GAMES: Even within the limited boundaries of challenge games there was some significant ground covered by Tommy Lyons yesterday. It wasn't just that his Dublin team comfortably beat the county's Blue Stars selection, but they did so with some impressive scores from some unfamiliar faces.
Lyons had arrived at the annual event - hosted quite lavishly this year by Thomas Davis club in Tallaght - still seeking his first win since coming in as manager last November. After just 15 minutes all six of his forwards had scored and as a contest the game was as good as over. In no way though was he about to get carried away.
"Sure it's early January," he said, "and it's nice to get out and play football because that's what it's all about. But kicking the ball over the bar in June is what's important, not in January.
"Still it was nice to see them kicking well and some players starting to believe they can kick the ball over the bar. We'd had three defeats there, and were nearly on the crest of a slump."
Helping to end that "slump" was the typically forceful game of Ciarán Whelan and Colin Moran, but in terms of scores the main players were Ray Cosgrove, James O'Connor and Eoin Bennis. Bennis was the big talking point.
Previously concentrating on soccer with UCD, Bennis was the product of one of Lyons' early trials, and though he had impressed in the pre-Christmas challenge with Antrim, no one came away from this not surprised by his potential. His 2-1 contribution tells part of the story.
"We'll be bringing him along nice and steady and see how he improves over the league. He does things naturally, but he's light and he's small and he needs to do a lot of work on his body. But you never know he might be there in June," said Lyons.
Both O'Connor, the local boy, and McNally also settled early into the challenge and their scores helped push Dublin into a 1-7 to 0-2 lead after the first quarter-hour. Darren Homan and Ken Darcy would also add scores from midfield so that for the first half Dublin were in a different class.
The Blue Stars took advantage of an ailing opposition in the closing stages to end the game within a respectable margin. Enda Crennan and Tomas Quinn showed spark but it was the old head of Jack Sheedy (1-2) who helped draw them back.
Lyons admitted his side did slacken towards the end but having trained last Thursday and on Saturday that was not unexpected. "We're at the stage where we've brought in 37 or 38 of a development squad which would include eight or nine under-21s, and we've another trial on Saturday and that will be it."
While Vinnie Murphy definitely won't figure in that final panel, it appears likely Paul Curran will: "Well he was back training with us last Thursday night and there was no issue with him at all. He'd had his Christmas turkey and felt that he'd like to play some football before he has his next turkey.
"Vinne Murphy though is no spring chicken anymore, and I suppose when he was evaluating his own position he was wondering about whether he could do the training again this year. But he has been a great servant to Dublin and we wish him well."
Lyons was equally revealing about his position on dual players, and most notably Shane Ryan - who lined out for the hurlers yesterday but up to now has also been a regular with the footballers.
"My position on that matter is still very straight in that you can't play two sports at this level. I'm interested in guys who want to play football and if Shane Ryan wants to play hurling then good luck to him and I've no problem with that. But you can't play soccer with football or rugby with football and it's the same with hurling. I'd wish any player well who declares for hurling, and I'm certainly not anti-hurling."
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P Casey, D Cahill, D Henry; B Cahill, D Magee (0-1), A Brogan; D Homan (0-1), K Darcy (0-1); J O'Connor (0-2), C Whelan (0-2), E Bennis (2-1); C Moran (0-1), R Cosgrove (0-3, one free), J McNally (0-3, one free). Subs: J Gavin (0-1) for Moran, B Murphy for Cluxton (both half-time), S Keogh for B Cahill (38 mins), D Darcy for Homan (41 mins), W Curtis for McNally (46 mins), Moran for Keogh (49 mins).
BLUE STARS: D Byrne; M Cahill, M Breathnach, R Lambe; D Ducie, P Andrews, P McCarthy (0-1); D Martin (0-1), S Walsh; E Crennan (0-3), J Madden, T Quinn (0-2); I Foley (0-1, a free), J Sheedy (1-2), J Doyle. Subs: C McCormaic for Byrne, L Eviston (0-1) for Foley, K Devine for Lambe, L Og O hEineachain (0-1) for Madden, J Owens (0-2) for Doyle (all half-time), R Brennan for McCarthy (34 mins).
Referee: S Finucane.
