Top five Leinster final talking points
Dublin needed to do something different after a frustrating first half. The longer Westmeath stayed in the game, the more dangerous they would become. Just ask Meath.
So the champions pushed up aggressively on the Westmeath kick-out and gained an immediate dividend. Now, having struggled to get behind the opposition cover, they were gaining possession in more advanced positions and creating opportunities as a result.
Two goals in 27 seconds put the game to bed but unusually, that seemed to be enough for Dublin and they didn’t show the same aggression for the remainder of the game.
There is another more serious problem that isn’t new to the Dubs though and which Gavin clearly hasn’t found a solution to yet.
Dublin really don’t like coming up against a well-stocked defence. They don’t know how to address it. This is a major concern because they should have plenty of experience, having struggled against the ploy so often over the past three seasons.
It’s strange to be critical of a team that has won by 13 points but you cannot believe Dublin accept such a performance is good enough to win an All-Ireland.
Neither Donegal nor Kerry will be so easily brushed aside in the physical contests, or be ground down.
Mayo or Cork would fancy their chances too on this evidence.
Westmeath were content to give Dublin the ball around 40m out because they would not give up goals. What’s more, the Dubs’ choice of options and shooting from distance was extremely poor, by their high standards.
They failed to get runners going, moving in ones rather than the twos and threes that Donegal in particular specialise in. And remember, Westmeath were only working on this approach for two weeks.
Of course, some credit should be handed out too.
After five minutes, Dublin had 1-3 on the board against Longford and were 1-5 clear by the time their opponents got off the mark. With 17 minutes elapsed of their semi-final against Kildare, they led 2-7 to 0-2.
Westmeath got this game’s first score and coughed up only one goal chance in the opening half, when Ciarán Kilkenny powered just over in the 29th minute. Their cover was breached only twice in that first period.
When Dublin finally got a few points on the board and looked like pulling away, the Lakesiders kicked a couple of late points to trail by just four at the break.
They were sucker-punched sickeningly with those two goals inside half a minute. The fact the expected landslide didn’t materialise subsequently is of huge credit to them.
Some will crib that they didn’t show more ambition when falling behind but this wasn’t the end of the championship and pragmatism should trump fanciful notions.
They have come out of this game with morale unaffected and maybe even strengthened.
Speaking of cribbin’…
The cult of the manager is an irritant, not least to most managers. Sometimes you have strong personalities like Jim McGuinness and Kieran McGeeney who seem to overshadow everything, whether they like it or not. The fact is that there are many facets of a coaching set-up now responsible for the overall package.
But people want someone to take all the credit. And as there can only be one winner, they really want someone to take all the blame.
A little over 12 months ago, Tom Cribbin was being pilloried by keyboard warriors in Kildare after his U21 side were beaten by Offaly. His previous record at county and club level counted for nought. Now, you wonder. In this black-and-white world, is he an imbecile or a genius?
When he took over at Westmeath, they hadn’t won a game since May 2013. Beating DCU in the O’Byrne Cup second round ended a 15-match losing sequence.
They went all-guns blazing against Meath, recognising their neighbour’s defensive frailties, but despite only having a fortnight to prepare, changed their set-up completely. They couldn’t get the attacking side of the structure right but it is clear that the players believe in their leader — and his overall backroom team.
The popular belief is that the rest of Leinster apart from Dublin are useless. The league is presented as Exhibit A, the regular beatings handed out by the Dubs is Exhibit B and registering a second provincial five-in-a-row in 11 years the coup de grace as Exhibit C.
It does accentuate the folly of the provincial championships being linked to the All-Ireland series but that’s another debate.
Dublin have not dominated at underage level to anything like the degree they are doing at senior. What’s more, they have doled out heavy beatings to most teams in the country, apart from the top three or four. Ask Cork about them.
There is no doubt that there has been a lapse in standards.
Kildare are in a transitional phase, while Meath and Laois are paying the price for underage failure. Leinster Council are said to be in discussions with the relevant ‘stakeholders’. But really, it’s just about getting your own house in order.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
