Dublin playing the generation game to perfection

Time was long up on Kildare in the 70th minute but Bernard Brogan wasn’t in the mood to relent. His sprint from his full-forward berth in the direction of the Hogan Stand tunnel was noticed by Stephen Cluxton and within seconds the evergreen pair had combined to make a mark.

Introduced in the 25th minute as a black card replacement for Dean Rock, it wasn’t as if Brogan had the benefit of freshness but he couldn’t have looked more determined to finish out the game as he started it when he sent over two first-half points.

Claiming that ball just metres away from Jim Gavin, he seemed intent on showing his manager up close the folly of keeping him on the bench thus far this summer. There was a point to prove as there was to the pundits who queued to write him off following his disappointing Division 1 final performance. And then there was the fact that his direct marker, Ollie Lyons, had success in shackling him in previous outings. Not here. All five shots Brogan had at goal, he converted. For a man told he was finished, he finished everything.