Dublin rediscover winning formula

Dublin 3-9

“Well, you all came down here for a funeral, did you lads?” he smiled. “I bet there wasn’t half as many here last week to write Sean Boylan’s obituary.”

Although officially, there was only 18,881 in the old ground, those that weren’t stuck in traffic outside Kells made their voice heard.

They crackled into spontaneous renditions of Molly Malone, they jeered the Toaiseach, there was even a couple of streakers among their number.

And they watched the gradual re-birth of their football team. The Dublin team was kept under lock and key until moments before throw-in. Dessie

Farrell was brought back to inject the experience and poise their attack obviously lacked against Laois, Shane Ryan retreated to his natural home in the half-back line, the old-fashioned midfield work-horse Darren Homan was drafted in.

All three changes made a significant difference. On the ball, Farrell was majestic, scoring one goal and creating another.

What Farrell showed was in these days of endurance and fitness dictators, a footballing brain is still the most effective tool.

He took his goal with the natural instinct of a striker, and was clever in picking out a better positioned Jason Sherlock for Dublin’s third goal. They were the killer scores.

Both came at a time when Derry were exerting control over the match and burrowing a path back into it. Dessie’s strike, in the 27th minute, was especially important.

Although Dublin were two points up, 0-4 to 0-2, Derry were dominating. Had the Ulster side another forward other than Geoffrey McGonigle, there would be another inquest in the capital this week.

A mix-up in the Derry defence led to the ball breaking free to Farrell, who drove it past Micheal Conlon.

It was the game’s first score since the 13th minute and ripped the heart from Derry. Senan Connell’s goal just before the interval - a superb team effort that started with Paul Griffin, one of the stars of the afternoon, blocking down Paddy Bradley’s goal-bound drive, Ryan bursting forward with the ball.

Alan Brogan laying it off for Connell to finish astutely - took any fight out of the Ulster team. It was 2-4 to 0-5 at the break. Some doubts were ringing hallow.

“This was an easy enough gig for us,” Lyons said afterwards. “And we didn’t get involved in that whole media thing. We couldn’t. Everyone has a living to make and nobody makes a living out of this. We just asked fellas to look themselves in the mirror.

"We didn’t talk about the Laois game in the past two weeks. What we talked about instead was what we wanted out of this season.”

Mind you, this wasn’t classic stuff. Before Farrell steadied the ship, Dublin forwards adopted a policy of shoot on sight and racked up a number of wides.

Derry could have made more hay, but for starters, Enda Muldoon was deployed as a third midfielder in the first half, wandering around the half-back line like a little boy lost.

Mickey Moran insisted on not moving Muldoon until the second half.

Afterwards, the articulate McGonigle made his views known. “It’s not just about me. It’s about the team. I got my chance and thankfully, I justified being selected somewhat.

"But that doesn’t hide the disappointment. Nobody is saying much in there. But we are a young team and we will be back, no question about that.

“It was just stupid defensive mistakes that cost us, but we are not going to blame the defence. They have been carrying us all year and carrying us for a long time.

"Everyone has their bad days. It was up to others to stand up and be counted out there and there just wasn’t enough ball coming into the square for us.

"In the first half, the lads were sending high balls that were dropping awkwardly and that didn’t work. In the second half, the supply improved a little.

"Moving Enda alongside me helped, but we didn’t take the chances we got. Dublin did.”

Dublin scorers: J Sherlock (1-3), D Farrell, S Connell (1-1 each); R Cosgrove (0-2, 1 free), C Whelan, D Homan (0-1 each)

Derry scorers: : P Bradley (1-2, 1 free), G McGonagle (0-3), D. Crozier, E. Muldoon, A. Tohill, P. O’Kane (0-1 each)

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Henry, P Christie, P Griffin, S Ryan, J Magee, C Moran; D Homan, C Whelan; J McNally, D Farrell, S Connell, A Brogan, R Cosgrove, T Mulligan.

Subs: D. Magee for Mulligan (h-t), J. Sherlock for McNally (42 mins), C. Goggins for Henry (48 mins), T. Quinn for Cosgrove (61 mins), B. Cullen for Farrell (67 mins).

DERRY: M Conlon, K McGuckin, N McCusker, SM Lockhart, G Doherty, P McFlynn, D Crozier; A Tohill, F Doherty; M Harney, D Dougan, J McBride, P bradley, G McGonagle, E Muldoon Subs P O’Kane for G Doherty(h-t), K McCloy for McCusker(h-t), C Gilligan for Dougan(50 mins), F Glackin for McBride(55 mins), J Gray for Harney( 61 mins)

Referee: B. White (Wexford).