Dublin 2-11 Monaghan 1-9:AS USUAL, Pat Gilroy seemed composed. Dublin had just cantered past a 14-man, error-prone Monaghan with enough panache to paper over obvious flaws in their shooting return to maintain an unbeaten record in Division One of the National Football League on Saturday night.
When asked about the development of a new style, Gilroy dampened the mood by referring to last year’s malfunctions. Then, like every manager in March, he played the straight bat of it just being league football, despite the encouraging momentum that is building around his renovation process.
“We kept our shape a bit better,” said the Dublin manager. “At times we still ended up falling back but we had a lot of chances that we could have converted, but we were much happier with the performance. It was a lot better than the last few.”
Events got under way on the pitch just before throw-in with a light moment from eccentric Monaghan racing trainer Oliver Brady who, surrounded by photographers, discarded his overcoat, suit jacket and shirt . . . before donning the new county jersey.
Eamon Fennell looked keen. Maybe he isn't getting enough club football. When Amhrán na bhFiannneared its crescendo, Fennell broke from the Dublin huddle, glanced back to encourage his team-mates and strolled menacingly towards halfway.
He hurled his sizeable, yet slimming, frame around until Darren Magee came in for the last quarter. It will take a particularly brave opponent to challenge Fennell head-on this season. Better off waiting for him to land as the mark, on this evidence, has not really taken off.
Monaghan are ideal opponents to gauge where you are at pre-championship. Séamus McEneaney’s boys come with certain guarantees. They will hit hard and regularly. They may even steal enough possession to generate a hot streak for Tommy Freeman.
The Magheracloone All Star had a rare, forgettable evening but still delivered an electrifying goal at the perfect moment.
Five minutes into the second half with Monaghan trailing by three points, Dessie Mone needlessly got sent off for careering into Alan Hubbard. Mone is a fine defender but he was already skating on cracked ice after an altercation with Paul Flynn.
McEneaney was slightly aggrieved that Flynn was not already gone having awkwardly collided with Paul Finlay just seconds after Maurice Deegan flashed himself and Mone a yellow approaching half-time.
“In fairness Maurice Deegan had quite a good game and I couldn’t single out anything that cost us the game. Possibly he (Flynn) deserved a second booking but that’s for someone else to judge,” said McEneaney.
His sideline reaction at the time told us more.
Anyway, Mone walked on 40 minutes, but before Dublin could expose the obvious space through the middle Freeman struck a clean shot in off the post and past Stephen Cluxton to level matters.
Suddenly alert, Freeman dashed onto Cluxton’s poor kick-out to feed Rory Woods whose point put Monaghan ahead.
Considering they lost Dermot McArdle and Vinnie Corey to injury early on, this was turning into a special night for Brady and the visiting supporters. Magee calmed matters with a point before a Dublin goal deflated any ideas of an upset. A quick free by Magee found Ross McConnell who shipped it on to Bernard Brogan before Kevin McMenamon found the net – no easy task mind, considering the impressive reflexes of goalkeeper Shane Duffy.
Brogan’s tally was 1-6 – including an 11th-minute soccer-style goal that extinguished a lively opening salvo from Monaghan – but there is plenty more to come from the man. There will need to be.
Dublin are different now. The faces are less familiar and they have adopted a distinct, high-tempo style. But old habits die hard. There is still a chronic problem gathering scores with Hubbard the only other forward to register a point. Brogan can always catch fire but this Dublin team created a surfeit of chances.
They shot 10 wides, to Monaghan’s 12. A few goal chances also went a-begging. The problem of overelaboration persists.
“In every game we have got good work rate, we made a lot of mistakes,” added Gilroy. “We had two or three goal chances where we just over-passed the ball. But it is March and fellas are going to make those mistakes . . .”
There is an interesting meeting with Cork up next that will tell more about this impressive league form but Dublin’s main concern is what appears to be an injury suffered by captain Paul Griffin – which may keep him on the sidelines for the next few weeks – after Finlay fell heavily on his knee while claiming a mark.
DUBLIN:S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, Rory O'Carroll, P McMahon; J McCarthy, C O'Sullivan, G Brennan; E Fennell (0-1), R McConnell (0-1); A Hubbard (0-1), M McAuley, P Flynn; D Henry, B Brogan (1-6, three frees), K McMenamon (1-0). Subs: P Griffin for J McCarthy (ht B McMenamon (0-1) for Henry (46 mins), D Magee (0-1) for Fennell (47 mins), H Gill for P Griffin (48), K Bonner for P Flynn (64).
MONAGHAN:S Duffy; C Greenan, D McArdle, C Walshe; C McManus (0-3, three frees), D Mone, N McAdam; D Clerkin, D Hughes (0-1); K Hughes, P Finlay (0-1, free), S Gollogly; H McElroy (0-2), V Corey, T Freeman (1-0). Subs: M McNally for D McArdle (2 mins), R Woods (0-2) for V Corey (29 mins), F Caulfield for H McElroy (58), M McElroy for K Hughes (67 mins), D Malone for N McAdam (68 mins).
Referee:M Deegan (Laois).
