A case of Dubs against duds

ANOTHER weekend passes and, with it, another slice of hope that someone, somewhere, sometime may actually give this Dublin team a serious test as they chase a fourth Leinster title in a row.

Westmeath’s stuttering win over Offaly on Saturday night was worrying enough but the ease with which Louth were eventually rolled over yesterday adds to the sense of gloom in the largest of the four green fields.

The pity is that the champions looked vulnerable to a serious examination yesterday hitting eight first half wides and struggling to cast aside the effects of the competitive hiatus since the NFL.