Another ominous signal flashed across the province last night after Dublin's latest run-out in the city. The rich are getting richer all the time. Yesterday, the All-Ireland champions posted a seemingly effortless 2-25 against brave Wexford in the breeze and sunshine in a frightening exhibition of firepower and depth.
Jim Gavin's side will be heavily endorsed to extend Dublin's dominion in the province. The county will win a ninth Leinster title in ten years if they can beat Meath on July 20th. That old derby conjures up fabulous images of town versus country. But even the most obdurate of Royal fans knows they are up against it. So it goes when the Dubs play in Croke Park nowadays.
They have become all but unassailable within Leinster but for all contenders, every Sunday outing deepens the notion that Dublin are too slick, too athletic, too focused and too good to lose these big days on Jones Road. The aura of invincibility radiates a little more strongly this morning.
Cormac Costello was asked to perform after half-time and quickly acquired a nimble 1-5 in a flawless 35 minutes. Paul Flynn, after a customary hour of understated brilliance, went flamboyant for Dublin's second goal. Michael Darragh Macauley was the most influential figure on the field. No surprises.
Truly hopeless
Wexford played with integrity here and had several keynote defensive turns, with Graeme Molloy heroic on the edge of the square. But the day turned truly hopeless for them shortly after half-time and it is doubtful that anyone in the crowd of 46,279 truly believed they could win.
“I would have hoped and encouraged our team to play with freedom but it seemed like we were shackled with anxiety and nervousness and maybe a bit of fear of the opposition,” said manager Aidan O’Brien.
“That’s what playing in Croke Park perhaps does to you. It is not so much a physical condition perhaps as a psychological one.”
That seemed fair comment. Playing in Croke Park seems to liberate this Dublin team in a way that is redolent of the Heffernan era. This was a day when the atmosphere was positively genteel: ale and cricket on the village green. Any anthemic moments in the city were reserved for Arcade Fire’s pyrotechnics out in Marlay Park last night. Croker was only in half-chorus, its regulars accustomed to now to these blazing victories.
O’Brien was impressed but not convinced beyond all doubt. “Dublin are currently the most athletic side around, probably have the strongest squad available to them. I wouldn’t back ’em to win the All-Ireland nonetheless,” he said, landing the most enigmatic remark of the day. Maybe, someone muttered, that is because the odds are so lousy.
If Dublin do prove unbeatable this summer, it won't be without a scrap from their noisy neighbours. From two o'clock, the Royal fans scattered around a disconcertingly quiet Croke Park must have felt like it was old times as their team attacked the day and Kildare with confidence and precision.
The border rivals traded point for point for the first half hour but Meath were stealing a march and raking up goal chances. Dalton McDonagh mooched and probed constantly and eventually won the penalty which Andrew Tormey banged home to leave Meath 1-9 to 0-7 at the break. Shortly after they returned, McDonagh fired a goal of his own.
Shooting exhibition
Lilywhites fans who rolled up the motorway must have scratched their heads at the distant memory of the enthralling shooting exhibition their team gave on the opening Sunday of the league in Newbridge.
They fell into a 2-10 to 0-07 black hole early in the second half here and for a few moments, with Meath appearing lean and intent on reclaiming tenants’ rights on the Jones Road, a truly humiliating afternoon was on the cards.
“Our players were shocked with the level of physicality they encountered, with the strength of Meath’s tackling,” admitted Jason Ryan afterwards.
It was when all seemed lost that Kildare finally mustered a concerted drive, with Pádraig O’Neill and Alan Smith landing fine points in the middle of a 0-8 to 0-3 rush which guided them back into the realm of respectability and, for a few minutes, contention. In the last ten minutes, the white shirts came in waves, with Tomás O’Connor, in a havoc-filled ten minute cameo, exploiting Kevin Reilly’s departure with an injury from the edge of the Meath square.
Tommy Moolick blazed a point when the moment demanded a low piledriver but Meath’s bluster deserted them during that closing period. Winners and losers alike departed the field with plenty to think about. But Meath will bring fire and iron in their third consecutive attempt to unseat Dublin in a provincial final.
Two horse
"Any time Dublin play Meath it is always a threat," said Jim Gavin, who again emphasised the collective in his post-match remarks.
“It’s a two horse race: toss a coin and pick the winner.”
Words to make them smile thinly across Sean Boylan country. It is hard to foresee even an afternoon plucked from the best days of dark Royal magic slowing this Dublin movement down to a halt .
