GAELIC GAMES:THE DECISIONS we make. Justin McNulty is perceived as a deep thinker when it comes to football matters but the rookie Laois manager opted not to share any words with the media after his team were dismantled by a cantering Dublin yesterday.
McNulty did the television interview, spoke to his players (many of whom were already on the bus and had to return to the changing room), before a terse “No, just no,” to hopeful reporters lingering near the team bus.
The progress of the National League already a distant memory, a lonely journey down a winding road awaits for Laois.
Decisions resonated for Dublin too. The substitutions made by manager Pat Gilroy seemed to redeem those made in the league final defeat to Cork (he has repeatedly took personal blame for them). Denis Bastick arrived for Barry Cahill before Eoghan O’Gara’s physicality relieved the hard-running Kevin McManamon while Ross McConnell and Declan Lally have both been straining at the leash for a good while. Tomás Quinn completed the quintet of grizzled reserves.
“It was a three-point game when we started putting guys on and they did change the course of the game,” said Gilroy. “Straight after half-time they really came at us.”
This is also true. Colm Begley, Dáithí Carroll and Ross Munnelly scores made it a two-point game by the 40th minute. Dublin’s response, with Bryan Cullen’s composure in possession significant, saw the deficit stretch back out to seven points by the 50th minute.
It helped that Bernard Brogan’s hamstrings remained elastic and elder brother Alan was in sparkling form in the less ruthless, yet equally effective, playmaker role he adopted yesterday.
Then we got all philosophical with Gilroy. Are the changes made in the white heat of battle really just dependent on a large dollop of luck? “I think the emphasis for us has been to try and get people you will be more sure of how they are going to perform. At the end of the day, you can’t dictate that.
“We left guys off the starting 15 this time who were in very good form. Apart from Ross, who is only back with us, the other four lads who came on have been playing exceptionally well for us. So we were leaving guys off who were in form so you are fairly confident when they came in they were going to do the job.
“Even the league final those fellas were playing pretty well coming into that match but in the context of the game we probably got it wrong that day.” A pause.
“I think you can blame us when it doesn’t work.”
Ger Brennan couldn’t resist: “He is lucky, yeah.” Gilroy: “I’ve no problem with that.”
A good day’s work.
Not that the occasion felt like the Dublin footballers in championship mode. The swirling rain sent many of the 41,786 crowd packing before the finish but strolling up to the stadium during the Kildare-Meath game there was a notable lack of vibrancy around the landmark pubs. Just a smattering of diehards sipping away until a few minutes before the throw-in.
Those who took the sight of blue skies last Friday morning as their cue to evacuate the metropolis did miss the returning sight of Rory O’Carroll. The Kilmacud Crokes full back should be allowed head off to France for every winter and spring. Imperious when danger seemed imminent, the calming of Donegal’s talisman Michael Murphy in last year’s under-21 All-Ireland final was no mirage.
“Generally the defence was very good,” said Gilroy. “They were getting out in front of their men. Rory was very solid. Maybe we gave away a couple more frees than we would like but it is a lot less in terms of what we were giving away last year.”
Even Brennan was trusted to see out the 70 minutes despite picking up a yellow card after some fussy refereeing by Joe McQuillan on 44 minutes.
“I thought it was a bit harsh as it was my first foul,” said the Dublin centre back.
But the real questions were for McNulty. Unfortunately the former Armagh defender decided not to face up to them, leaving Gilroy to analyse the gulf between the sides.
“I think it is the difference maybe between being in Division Two and Division One for a couple of years. I think Laois have made great strides this year already. You could see that they are physically stronger than they were in the past but the lads here (he nods at the jaded yet compact specimens of Cullen and Brennan) have maybe a bit more under their belts. You could see the difference in the second half in particular when there were 50-50 balls there. Particularly late on we were winning most of them.”
A case then of Dublin moving confidently in a direction Laois are only cottoning on to in recent times.
