Dubs building consistency, says Rock after routine win over Louth

Dublin were without someone of their key players in Portlaoise. 

RESPECT: Dublin stand-in manager Dean Rock, left, and Louth manager Gavin Devlin after the game. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Dublin 0-20 Louth 0-10 

The post from Louth's official X account after Saturday evening's double scores defeat in Portlaoise praised 'an awesome Dublin' team.

Dublin impressed, for sure, raising their game to a gallop after a pedestrian performance in Aughrim to return to the Leinster SFC final. But awesome?

That's a stretch considering they didn't even have captain Con O'Callaghan, former All-Star forward Colm Basquel or experienced defender Eoin Murchan, as well as a handful of others capable of adding real value to their lineup.

It was only last Wednesday, as it happens, that Murchan himself told the media that 'all are fit and ready to rock' when asked specifically about the injuries suffered by himself, King Con and Basquel in the narrow win over Wicklow.

All's fair in love and Championship football, of course.

"Everyone is doing their best to get the lads on the pitch," said stand-in Dublin manager Dean Rock, eyeing the May 17 Leinster decider. "As a player, you're always trying to maybe force it to come back that little bit sooner but the reality now with the GAA season is the condensed nature of games, the fact that if you get an injury you're under big pressure to go from game to game.

"But the (injured) lads are in a really good position, in terms of the lads put in a great performance today that gives all them other fellas an opportunity in two weeks to get back."

Does Rock think they'll all make it?

"They're doing their best," he shrugged, offering no more guarantees than that.

Dublin have at least got Theo Clancy back, the Kilmacud Crokes defender starting against Louth and making his first appearance since last June's loss to Tyrone.

Cormac Costello looks to be back to his best too. His 0-10 haul was along similar lines to the 1-12 he struck on the same pitch against the same opposition in the same competition in 2019. Dublin were four-in-a-row All-Ireland champions at the time. Now they're, well, it remains to be seen what exactly this current group is capable of but after relegation from Division 1, and the near miss in Aughrim, this was much better.

"We huffed and puffed at different stages throughout the National League but we're starting to develop a little bit more consistency," said Rock, who acknowledged Wicklow should have beaten them. "I think Wicklow probably lost that game, as opposed to us winning it."

At least Wicklow gave it a go and pushed Dublin all the way. Louth can hardly say the same. The holders, chasing a first Championship win over Dublin since 1973, underperformed wildly. Dara McDonnell and perhaps Dermot Campbell enhanced their reputations but few others did. They were consistently caught on kick-outs, looked tense throughout, forced shots that weren't on, leading to 13 wides and many more kicks that dropped short, and never looked at ease.

Dublin led by just two at half time but that was more down to them wasting decent chances - Paddy Small fired a goal chance wide after a turnover on Niall McDonnell's kick-out - than anything Louth did.

"We were two down and not playing great," acknowledged Louth manager Gavin Devlin. "We came out in the second half and threw the kitchen sink at it but unfortunately didn't get going at all."

Why?

"That's the first time we've come up against a Division 1 team this year, the physicality, the strength and the power," offered Devlin, in part explanation. "And look, we never said we were the finished product at any stage of the season, and we're certainly not. So it's a work in progress."

Charlie McMorrow, Nathan Doran and Eoin Kennedy, making just their second Championship starts, looked more comfortable than in Aughrim. Niall Scully looked comfortable as a team leader, as did the returning Ciarán Kilkenny. And Costello displayed his keen edge and rapier instincts with seven points from play. Dublin reeled off nine points in a row between the 45th and 65th minutes and Costello scored seven of those, Small the other two. It was only Costello's second start this year.

"He got a couple of injuries throughout the National League," said Rock. "But he's got himself in really good shape in recent weeks and put his hand up and rewarded the team with his scoring exploits."

Dublin scorers: C Costello (0-10, 1 tp, 3 frees); P Small (0-4, 1 free); C McMorrow (0-2); N Doran, N Scully, B Howard, L Breathnach (0-1 each).

Louth scorers: S Mulroy (0-3, 2 45s); R Burns (1 tp), D McDonnell (0-2 each); C Grimes, E Carolan, K McArdle (0-1 each).

Dublin: E Comerford; D Byrne, T Clancy, N Doran; S MacMahon, C McMorrow, E Kennedy; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, B Howard; S Bugler, N Scully, C Kilkenny; P Small, K McGinnis, C Costello.

Subs: T Lahiff for McMorrow (55); L Breathnach for Small (61); C Murphy for Kilkenny (70).

Louth: N McDonnell; E Carolan, D Campbell, D McKenny; T McDonnell, D McDonnell, C Lennon; J Maguire, C Early; P Mathews, S Mulroy, C Grimes; C Downey, C McCaul, R Burns.

Subs: K McArdle for McCaul (h/t); T Durnin for Grimes (41); C McKeever for Maguire (49); L Grey for T McDonnell (55).

Ref: B Griffin (Kerry).