Leinster SF Quarter-finals/ Kilmacud Crokes 1-14 St. Peter's 0-3: There once was a footballer named Ray Cosgrove. Scored 6-23 as Dublin reached the dizzy height of an All-Ireland semi-final in the summer of 2002. Then he was gone.
Okay, not completely, but as far the national consciousness goes he was no longer on the radar. Pillar Caffrey reckoned he was good enough to keep in the Dublin panel, but not good enough for a single second of championship football this year.
Even when things were at their grimmest, the veteran Dessie Farrell was the preferred option.
It seemed like Cosgrove was going through the motions of a career in terminal decline. A pub quiz in 20 years' would ask about the player who never reignited after winning an All Star.
Scrap all that, because yesterday Cosgrove kicked 1-10 to dismiss the desperately poor Meath representatives and set up a Leinster club semi-final against the Offaly champions, Rhode, next Sunday in Parnell Park.
People who've been following Crokes' recent progress will have noticed the slow burn that is the return of Cosgrove to old form. Five points in the county-final victory over Na Fianna gave warning of what was coming.
What makes the performance particularly noteworthy though is the added pressure heaped on his shoulders last week by the loss of regular free-takers Mark Vaughan (suspended) and Mick O'Keeffe (hamstrung).
Cosgrove hadn't been kicking frees regularly for club or county for three years. He knocked five dead balls over from all angles, using both feet as well.
The goal he punched past Johnny O'Connor on 16 minutes effectively stopped the St Peter's challenge stone dead. It was a decent ball in from Kevin O'Carroll that was allowed hop over three players before Cosgrove finished. Right time, right place is never a matter of luck.
"Ray has been superb all year for the club," said manager Nicky McGrath. "His attitude, application, everything. He's flawless.
"You don't mark Ray Cosgrove by what he scores, you mark him by what he works at. All year his workrate around the field has been enormous and that's a great credit to him."
Niall Corkery, normally a fridge player but full of physical intent here in a deserved start, and an equally rejuvenated Liam McBarron, clipped over two more scores.
Another seven strikes from Cosgrove, including three of the highest calibre, gave the watching Dublin manager the ideal pre-season selection problem. Caffrey won't complain as the consensus is Dublin need at least one more scoring forward.
The much-anticipated midfield duel between Meath regular Nigel Crawford and Darren Magee never actually materialised because St Peter's couldn't put three passes together, while Crokes simply ignored the middle third of the field.
This was also a disastrous afternoon for Dunboyne full forward and former Crokes stalwart Robbie Brennan, who was disgusted with manager Dermot Morris for pulling him ashore early in the second half.
With eight points in it at the turn, 1-6 to 0-1, the second half was farcical stuff but the Crokes players continued to do their jobs. The home team eventually rediscovered some pride and attempted to apply some make-up to an ugly-looking scoreboard, but they made a mess of that with sloppy shooting.
Eventually Crawford landed a long-ranger, the response being a highly amused cheer from the natives, before Ger Robinson's second free of the day.
Still, if this is all Meath football has to offer then the new county manager, Eamon Barry, has a worrying opening season ahead.
It was like watching the International Rules series all over again, without the violence, mind. That's not Crokes' style. Too many footballers to go with a ravenous appetite.
"Now that we are here, we are representing our club but also Dublin so we have to try and do that in a positive manner," added McGrath. "The players want to do well and as long as they have that attitude God knows where we'll end up but at least we'll try."
If Vaughan returns from suspension in the same form he showed over the last two months and Cosgrove maintains his newly rediscovered magic - and factor in the teak-tough defending by Ciarán Kelleher at corner back and Johnny Magee in a holding midfield role - then Rhode could be swept aside.
The road to March opens up thereafter. It may be winter but matters get real serious now.
ST PETER'S DUNBOYNE: J O'Connor; B Waters, D Sweeney, P Byrne; C Clarke, Dave Gallagher, T O'Connor; N Crawford (0-1), S McGearail; Denis Gallagher (capt), C O'Donoghue, A O'Connor; G Robinson (0-2, 2f), R Brennan, S Moran. Substitutes: G O'Toole for P Byrne (19 mins), G Waters for R Brennan (37 mins), A McEntee for S Moran (38 mins), C Brennan for Denis Gallagher (43 mins), A Dowdall for David Gallagher (54).
KILMACUD CROKES: D Nelligan; C Kelleher (capt), C Flanagan, N McGrath; B McGrath, L Óg Ó hÉineacháin, P Griffin; D Magee, J Magee; L McBarron (0-2), N Corkery (0-1), R Cosgrove (1-10, 5f); K O'Carroll (0-1), M Davoran, P Burke. Substitutes: B Phelan for J Magee, F Armstrong for M Davoran (both 42 mins), D Walsh for C Kelleher, D Maher for N McGrath (both 52 mins), M O'Keeffe for R Cosgrove (57 mins).
Referee: E Murtagh (Longford).
