Wrap up:
A disappointing end to the season for Louth, who have been a breath of fresh air in this championship. They never got going at Croke Park this afternoon. It’s an easy excuse, but they had to be still suffering from the events of a fortnight ago. There’s plenty of potential in their squad and with Peter Fitzpatrick providing a steady pair of hands at the helm, they will be a force to be reckoned with again next year.
Dublin seem to be getting better by the day, but they are far from the finished article. Eoghan O’Gara has shown himself to be a real alternative to the threat of the Brogans up front and they seem a lot closer to the more compact and organised side that Pat Gilroy has long desired. They also have some real quality performers on the bench. On the negative side, they are far too wasteful up front and not always economical in possession. In any case they’ll make difficult opponents for whoever they run into in the quarter-finals.
Not the classic we had hoped for at Croke Park, but Pat Gilroy and the Dublin faithful won’t be too bothered.
Full Time: Dublin 2-14 – 0-13 Louth
All over at Croke Park.
Paddy Keenan and Bernard Brogan swap points from play with the Louth players just waiting for Pat McEnaney to put them out of their misery.
David Brady opts for Bryan Cullen as man of the match today, just pipping goalscorer Eoghan O’Gara to the award. Cullen has been superb in a Brian Dooher or Paul Galvin like-role for the Dubs.
Another high profile substitute for Dublin, Mossy Quinn, makes his mark with a well struck long range free. There will be serious competition for places in the Dublin panel ahead of the quarter-finals next weekend.
Declan Byrne with yet another point for Louth, his second after coming off the bench. At least the scoreboard is starting to look respectable.
Straight away, Derek Maguire pops over another for the men in Red. Eight points adrift now but just over six minutes left.
Paddy Keenan is not giving up for Louth and having hit the post a couple of minutes ago, he lands his first point of the game after a typical lung bursting run. Too little too late for the Wee County I’m afraid.
After a series of fumbles from Adrian Reid, Pady Keenan and Bryan Cullen, Cullen nips in and fires over a beauty with the outside of the boot from the right wing, his third of the day from play.
Dublin substitute Paul Flynn ambles up the field unchallenged and pops over a point from 35 yards. He could have been out for a Sunday stroll such was the lack of pressure applied on him. Dublin now nine ahead and cruising.
Bernard Brogan with a close range free for Dublin after Conal Keaney is handtripped perilously close to the penalty area. McEnaney awards a free and Brogan makes no mistake. A goal there and Dublin were out of sight.
Shane Lennon gets his first of the day, fisting over a high delivery from Adrian Reid as Louth start to go long and direct.
First Conal Keaney, now Eamon Fennell comes on as Pat Gilroy showcases the talent Dublin have in reserve. Ross McConnell makes way for the man with no club.
Once again, Dublin’s response is instant as Eoghan O’Gara fires over. That’s 2-1 for the full forward today.
Big call by Peter Fitzpatrick who takes off freetaker and midfielder Brian White and puts Ronan Carroll on instead. Carroll makes an instant impact, earning a close range free which Darren Clarke converts. The gap is back to seven points, but Louth will need at least one goal if they are to stand any chance.
Shane Lennon fouled and for some reason Brian White tries to take it quickly and an easy chance is gone. Ross McConnell races up the other end and taps over a point with the left boot. Needless two point swing for Louth then when they were beginning to gather momentum.
Conal Keaney in for Dublin instead of David Henry. Cluxton misses a chance for his third point and this game doesn’t look wrapped up for the Dubs all of a sudden.
Yet another score for Louth from Andy McDonnell who holds his head in his hands because there was a goal on. The Louth fans have found their voice at long last.
Another Louth substitute Darren Clarke, robs Michael Dara McCauley in front of goal and knocks over another point for Louth.
Byrne’s score is immediately cancelled out by a point at the other end from Ger Brennan venturing up from the back.
Substitute Declan Byrne with, amazingly, Louth’s first score from play with 38 minutes on the clock. At least they’re making a fist of it in the second half.
Better from Louth. Paddy Keenan wins a fine ball at midfield and sends it fast and direct into Shane Lennon whose first-time effort rebounds off the post and is cleared to safety by the Dublin defence.
The second half is underway…
Studio Sounds:
Senan Connell and Peter Canavan in the TV3 studio have been impressed with Dublin’s hunger and work rate and have waxed lyrical about the contributions of Dublin’s lesser lights. Liam Hayes ridicules the contribution of Louth keeper’ Neil Gallagher for getting caught in possession and failing to alter his kick out strategy. In fairness to Gallagher, there’s not a man in red that can be proud of their performance in the opening half.
First half thoughts:
Well one thing is clear. Despite utterances to the contrary, Louth have not recovered at all from the mental scars carried from the defeat to Meath a fortnight ago. They simply haven’t turned up and in fairness to Dublin, they smelled their vulnerability a mile off. To be honest, they should be further in front having registered nine wides aswell as 2-6.
Eoghan O’Gara has been the main man up front, Bernard Brogan has been anonymous while Alan has a mixed bag. The Dubs totally dominant in the middle third while not giving Louth a sniff up front. Hard to see anything but a comfortable win for the Dubs at this stage.
Half Time: Dublin 2-6 – 0-3 Louth
White with another after Adrian Reid is cruelly taken down by Cahill. Cahill gets a yellow, Louth get a point and Pat McEnaney blows it up for half time.
Brian White with another free for Louth. That’s two points in 35 minutes for Louth, a pathetic return.
That could well be it. Eoghan O’Gara with his second and it was way too easy. It was O’Gara again that did the damage, winning the ball and brushing the full-back aside as if he wasn’t there. Even though he was stumbling he had the presence of mind to drop kick the ball under Neil Gallagher’s legs and into the net.
GOAL Dublin!!! Eoghan O’Gara
The Dublin players, in fairness to them are working ferociously to win possession in midfield and defence. Louth, as David Brady on TV3 points out need to deliver faster and more accurate ball if they are to get into this game.
Another fine score from Bryan Cullen and Dublin ease into an eight point lead.
Still only one point on the board for Louth after Brian White blazes a long range effort well wide from a free. The midfielder raises his hands in the air and berates his forwards for a lack of options.
Stephen Cluxton comes up from the back once more to lob a 45′ over the bar. It is a damning indictment of Louth that Cluxton has been busier in the Dublin attack than in defence.
Bryan Cullen shows his more illustrious teammates how it’s done and glides an effort over the bar effortlessly. The Dubs six points to the good once again.
O’Gara, though, is one tricky customer. Very similar to Kieran Donaghy in stature but not nearly as polished as the Kerryman. A lot of potential there if Gilroy could harness it properly.
The Dubs should nearly be home and hosed at this stage. Eoghan O’Gara the latest to waste an easy chance, fisting wide when it seemed easier to score. Eight wides from Dublin so far and they could come back to haunt them in the end.
Dublin now guilty of over-elaboration. Bernard Brogan with a relatively easy opportunity from a 30 yard free but instead takes it short to brother Alan. Alan gives it to David Henry who drops it short. Alan eventually gathers the rebound but baloons it wide from close range. The Dubs still five in front and well on top.
Louth finally hit the target, Brian White tapping over a close range free. Hopefully that will wake them up a bit.
The Louth defence seem to want all day on the ball. John O’Brien the latest culprit, hanging on to the ball for an age and robbed by Niall Corkery. O’Brien fouls and gives Dublin an easy free from 20 yards out, but amazingly, Bernard Brogan flashes it wide.
It just goes from bad to worse for Louth. O’Gara runs straight at the Louth defence, easily breaking a number of tackles and shooting weakly towards goal. A stray hand took it past Gallagher but it’s the least that Dublin and O’Gara deserve. If Louth don’t get their act together quickly, this game could be over by half-time.
GOAL Dublin!!! Eoghan O’Gara
Neil Gallagher loses the head in the Louth goal trying to carry the ball out of defence. Bernard Brogan nips into nick it away from him and Gallagher drags him down clumsily. Yellow card for Gallagher and a point for Dublin from Brogan’s subsequent easy free.
Adrian Hoey in for Louth already as a temporary replacement for wing-forward Adrian Reid.
Louth are their own worst enemies at this stage. They’ve given the ball away at least three times coming out of their own defence. Peter Fitzpatrick must be tearing his hear out.
Alan Brogan with Dublin’s second wide following a stray effort from Bernard earlier on, Louth yet to get a shot away in anger.
All Dublin so far. Louth struggling to make any impact, particularly at midfield, probably their strongest area of the pitch.
Alan Brogan quickly follows Cluxton’s score with the first of the game from play. Centre half back Michael Fanning is dropping back in front of Bernard Brogan, but they can’t afford to take their eyes off Alan for a second.
The first score of the game is from Dublin goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton who caresses a 45′ over the bar.
We’re underway at headquarters.
Almost ready to go at Croke Park, the sun is shining and there’s barely a breeze to speak of.
Would it be patronising to suggest that the whole country are rooting for Louth on the back of what happened against Meath? Probably. But that was always going to be the case considering that the Dubs are the opposition. Louth have had a week longer than Monaghan to recover but the Farney men showed in their performance against Kildare just how hard it is to bounce back instantly from a demoralising defeat.
1641:
Kildare with a four point victory over Monaghan at Croke Park that was a lot handier than the four point margin would suggest. Really disappointing end to what looked like a promising campaign for Banty McEnaney and co.
Bernard Brogan scored 0-9 against Armagh last weekend so Louth don’t have to look too far to identify the most serious threat. But will it be a case of forewarned is forearmed? The Wee County backs did a fine job of bottling up Meath’s much-vaunted forward line two weeks ago (illegal injury-time goals notwithstanding) so it might not be a major surprise if they manage to do likewise against the Brogans et al this afternoon.
In case you missed the team announcements on Thursday night/Friday morning, Dublin are unchanged while Louth manager Peter Fitzpatrick has given his son Stephen the nod at left half back ahead of Ronan Greene.
Louth: N Gallagher; E McAuley, D Finnegan, J O’Brien; R Finnegan, M Fanning, S Fitzpatrick; P Keenan, B White; A Reed, A McDonnell, B Brennan; C Judge, S Lennon, JP Rooney.
Dublin: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, R O’Carroll, P McMahon; K Nolan, G Brennan, B Cahill; R McConnell, MD McAuley; N Corkery, A Brogan, B Cullen; D Henry, E O’Gara, B Brogan.
