Carroll makes it safe as Dublin win relegation dog-fight with Laois

Dublin 3-13 Laois 1-10

The press-box still more populated than the entire uncovered stand side of Dr Cullen Park in Carlow on Saturday.

He wore no colours, nothing to identify his county loyalty but didn’t need to. Every time he raised his voice in exhortation, which was often, his first two words were almost always the same. “C’mon Dublin.” Those lonely exhortations told, exactly, not just the story of this game, but of the desperation behind it.

Up to a few weeks ago, Dublin and Laois were still competing with the hurling elite for a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, but, unlike their football counterparts, theirs was always a forlorn hope.

Before a ball was pucked in this season’s championship, this, the relegation dog-fight, was going to be their destiny. Dublin had finished bottom of their qualifying group in the All-Ireland series, Laois had finished second from bottom in theirs; this meeting, their second in the 2005 championship, was almost pre-ordained. The story wouldn’t be about winners, and winning, it would be about losers fighting like hell to avoid another loss.

The winner would be finished hurling for this year, the loser would have one more round to play. In the natural way of sport, however, of life generally, not too many would be interested, a reality acknowledged afterwards by forlorn Laois manager Paudie Butler.

“This is not a championship match, really, it’s a relegation battle, which is always a private affair for teams, isn’t it? No-one else really cares, only the teams playing.”

And so he stood, a lone voice, loud and desperate, echoing around a near-empty ground. Through the first half he was relatively quiet, as Dublin, playing with purpose and control against a Laois side that looked listless, built a 1-8 to 0-3 lead by the break, their goal coming from a well-struck David Curtin sideline.

In the second half, however, he became far more animated as Laois, aided in no small measure by Dublin errors, began to come into the game.

In the eight minute of that half, Laois were back in the hunt after a goal by corner-forward Phillip Russell. “For God’s sake, put it over,” he pleaded with sub Carl Meehan, after over-elaboration had just cost Dublin at least two scores. Carl obliged.

Three minutes later, the first notes of desperation. “C’mon Dublin, put them away,” as Laois came back to within six points. Were they about to be caught? “Dublin ball, Dublin ball,” he pleaded in the 53rd minute, after the referee had changed the linesman’s mind. Joe Young hit the resultant line ball over the Dublin crossbar, from all of 45m out right (a feat he would repeat just four minutes later), cutting the deficit to a nervous five points.

“Ah Dublin, you’re giving it away,” he wailed in the 55th minute, as the Dublin defence fluffed its lines yet again, giving Laois another unearned scoring opportunity.

Two minutes later, even worse. “Jaysus, what a ball,” he snorted, a Dub defender sending an atrocious clearance straight to an unmarked Derek O’Reilly, the Laois wing-back gratefully returning the gift straight over the bar.

With five points between them, Laois with the aid of the breeze, the final ten minutes would be fairly frantic. “C’mon Dublin, keep going”; “C’mon Dublin, fight for it.” He could be heard around the ground, across the pitch. The players responded. “Bit of holding there ref”, clearly heard on and off the pitch; heeded too by Brian White, who blew a slightly late whistle, Laois corner-back John Cullen blatantly holding onto Dublin’s Emmet Carroll.

“Tap it over,” he advised sharpshooter David Curtin from the resultant free, who did his best, but David’s tap from all of 45m fell short, was grabbed on the goal-line by Laois full-back Pakie Cuddy. It should have been a clearance, but, no. “Yeeaagh,” the cry, as corner-forward Emmet Carroll pounced on the blockdown, batted in the final Dublin goal, confirming the win.

It didn’t register on the GAA Richter scale this weekend, but be certain, this win meant a lot, even if it was only to a few. “Cherish this, lads,” roared Dublin corner-back Gerald O’Meara, “we’re walking into a winning dressing-room, at last.”

Scorers: Dublin: D. Curtin 1-8 (1-0 s/l, 0-3 frees, 0-2 65’s, 0-1 pen); E. Carroll 1-0; K. Flynn 1-0; D. Sweeney 0-2; D. Russell, C. Meehan, L. Ryan, 0-1 each.

Laois: J. Young 0-7 (0-4 frees, 0-2 s/l); P. Russell 1-1; S. Dwyer, M. McEvoy, 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: G. Maguire; G. O’Meara, S. Hiney, J. Cullen; D. O’Reilly, R. Fallon, G. Bennett; D. Sweeney, M. Carton; E. Moran, D. Russell, T. Moore; E. Carroll, D. Curtin, K. Flynn. Subs: C. Meehan (Carton 16); L. Ryan (Moran 23).

LAOIS: K. Galvin; B. Campion, P. Cuddy, M. McEvoy; C. Healy, J. Walsh, S. Dwyer; J. Walsh, J. Young; J. Rowney, T. Fitzgerald, E. Meagher; P. Russell, M. Rooney, D. Culleton. Subs: C. Brophy (Rooney 48); P. Mahon (Meagher 52); A. Delaney (Walsh 67); D. Walsh (Campion 68); C. Clear (Russell 70).

Referee: B. White (Tipperary).