Homan puts Dublin rumours to bed

DUBLIN midfielder Darren Homan has jumped to Tommy Lyons’ defence in the wake of last week’s heavy defeat to Mayo and has called on the players to stand up and be counted against Kerry in Parnell Park on Sunday.

The Dublin manager was booed from the pitch in Castlebar after the county went down to their most abject defeat in recent times. The five days since have seen any amount of theories emerging on why a team that could grind out a spirited win against the All-Ireland champions could sink without trace one week later.

Homan, for one, is sick of the armchair experts' views. "The preparation for the Tyrone game was exactly the same as the preparation for the Mayo game," the Round Towers midfielder pointed out yesterday. "People were talking about travelling the night before and sleeping in different beds in hotels and the effect that might have had on players, or would it be better to travel on the day? That's bull***t.