Dubs now have that September steel

DUBLIN’S dominance of the Leinster football championship for the last four years hasn’t been all good.

They hadn’t reached an All-Ireland final in that time not to mind winning one, and the failure of a Leinster representative to win an All-Ireland in the last decade ensured that the ability of the province to provide (a) a serious challenger to the Dubs and (b) a winner capable of challenging for an All-Ireland, was under serious scrutiny yesterday.

The provincial final started at a frenetic pace that was to continue for the entire first half, the best 35 minutes of football played in the Championship this season. I am sure the Kildare management team emphasised the importance of a good start but unfortunately for them, the Lilies seemed powerless to prevent Dublin from storming into a six-point lead after five minutes.