Gilroy: Don’t blame Dubs for maximising Croke Park effect

The look on Pat Gilroy’s face says it all — what can he do about it?

He leans towards admitting Dublin are at an advantage playing their Leinster and All-Ireland games at Croke Park.

All going well for them, they won’t leave Jones’s Road this year, but is that his or Dublin’s fault? He argues no.

“I suppose if you look at last year we lost one game and that was in Croke Park [Division 1 final v Cork]. We won all our games that were away from home last year.

“It’s where all the big games are played. Most other counties that you hear from are delighted to get some games at Croke Park.

“It’s, as I say, where the big games are played so playing there more often has to be a positive for us. I think it’s a great place to play football.

“Is it an advantage? It’s not our decision to put all those games there so if it is an advantage we’ll take it.”

The point about Dublin’s advantage in playing so much at Croke Park was raised by Wexford defender Aindreas Doyle earlier this week.

Eleven of their 14 league and championship games were staged there last season. Gilroy indulges in a little flippancy in highlighting the financial benefits garnered by both the GAA and the Leinster Council in Croke Park hosting Dublin games.

“We could look at it another way and feel sorry that we never get home advantage. We’re not allowed play in Parnell Park any more.

“We have to put up with the hassle of playing in Croke Park. You could look at it that way that we’re being used by the association to make money.

“I think it makes sense to have the games there if you’re going to have a decent crowd. If it is going to be over 20,000 well it makes sense for it to be there.

“But the league matches in particular it’s a real positive for us that younger guys get a taster of Croke Park, the big-game pressure. The league matches in particular are very positive for us. I think it’s positive then for the association to have a bit of profile during that time when there’s not a lot going on.”

As much as Gilroy wants nothing more than a win against Wexford on Sunday, he knows a defeat wouldn’t be the end of the world.

As he explained: “In one sense, if you look at it brutally, you would be better off nearly losing on Sunday because of the way the matches fall because you get a nice run of matches.

“But you never know what you are going to meet in the qualifiers so obviously you want to go out and win it.”

Gilroy’s Dublin have felt Wexford’s breath on their neck twice, bringing them to extra-time in 2010 and then leading up until the 50th minute.

The manager recounts his side as being particularly sluggish last year.

“They had a good plan and they had a good plan to contain certain aspects of our game. We kind of played into that a fair bit in the first-half.

“We didn’t provide options for Bernard [Brogan] particularly, who was getting bottled up a fair bit.

“I think we got a bit of fortune in the second half. We had started to up it for three or four minutes before that goal went in.”

For a Division 3 team as they were this year before gaining promotion, Gilroy has been impressed by the size and the quality of the Wexford forward line.

“Wexford are very good, their plan against us over the last number of years has been smart. They’re also very well conditioned.

“They physically are at the right standard, particularly from a strength perspective so they don’t fall away.

“They’re well able to muscle and harry. I think that’s a key attribute that they have and then they have good scoring forwards so any one of their six can get scores for you.

“They’re always going to present a really difficult challenge, not just for us, but you just look at their performance against Cork in the championship a couple of years ago, they really put it up to the big teams.”

Gilroy has gone with the same team that started the emphatic win over Louth last day out, although he admitted leaving out Cian O’Sullivan and Michael Darragh Macauley was difficult.

Paul Brogan is his only injury worry after picking up a thigh injury in a recent club game.