Cullen: Dubs’ need all round improvement

DUBLIN will need to improve in every line of the field when they meet Meath in Sunday’s Leinster SFC quarter-final replay, according to centre-back Bryan Cullen.

Paul Caffrey’s side never trailed their neighbours in the drawn encounter two weeks ago and twice led by five points but the centre-half back is adamant that the report card reads ‘must do better’.

“An interesting statistic from the game was that we had a very poor return from kickouts, ours and theirs,” he pointed out. “They have two very big men in the middle of the park so it was hard to get the ball in to Darren (Magee) and Whelo (Ciaran Whelan). It’s up to the half-forwards and half-backs to give them a dig out.

“If we can improve the percentage of balls won from kickouts and tag on a couple of more scores when they are there it should go a long way to securing a victory.”

Though it took a late Cian Ward sideline to ensure a second take, Meath could argue that they were unfortunate Graham Geraghty’s goal was disallowed while Alan Brogan’s was given the green light.

“If it wasn’t for Alan’s goal just before half-time there wouldn’t have been anything in it and that would gave been a poor reflection on the amount of possession that we had,” said Cullen.

The draw gave further credence to the theory that Dublin are unable to close the door on teams when they hold the whip hand but the eight-week layoff the Capital side endured before the game should also be entered as evidence in any case against them.

Paul Caffrey’s team started the season slowly last year too, eking out a narrow victory against Longford in Pearse Park before decimating the next three Leinster teams who threatened to block their path. Cullen is hoping for a similar storyline.

“I would like to think so but I wouldn’t be so naive to think that just because we have played a game now we will be okay the next day. We do realise that there are certain things that have to be addressed. Playing another 70 minutes of football isn’t going to automatically address them.”

Their saunter through the province didn’t help them when push came to shove against Mayo in August but Cullen admits the winner of Sunday’s game will be well set up to “have a good crack at Leinster”.

Dublin’s meetings with Tyrone and Mayo have been some of the most entertaining matches of recent seasons and, if the draw with Meath fell short of those classics, it wasn’t by much.

“The further you go on in the championship the more intense is gets. The Mayo and Tyrone games would have been played on very sunny days as well so the pace of the (Meath) game was probably that bit quicker based on the conditions. For our first outing of the championships it was as tough and as intense as you could expect, really.”

It was the proverbial baptism of fire for Ross McConnell and Diarmuid Connolly who both made their championship bows in a game which pales in comparison only to the All-Ireland itself for Dubs’.

Connolly finished the tie scoreless while McConnell had to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings in more ways than one at full-back.

“I thought they acquitted themselves well,” said Cullen. “If you look at Ross, he has probably played most of his football at midfield but he was asked to do a job at the back and he’s done it well.

“Diarmuid Connolly is a talented fella. It was a difficult game for him to come in to but Diarmuid has the confidence and all the football in the world so I would have no worries about him.”