'I wouldn't be all that confident of Dublin getting a win this weekend'

Diarmuid Connolly said Dublin's lack of a settled midfield and inside forward line, coupled with Westmeath's ability to put up high scores, means his county could struggle in the Leinster SFC final

Diarmuid Connolly on the Leinster SFC final between Dublin and Westmeath: "I don't think this is a foregone conclusion. This is going to be a very, very tight affair." Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Diarmuid Connolly is not confident that Dublin can beat Westmeath in Sunday's Leinster SFC final. The six-time All-Ireland winner questions whether Dublin can match Westmeath's scoring ability.

"These guys are putting up serious scores this year," said Connolly, speaking as a BOYLE Sports Gaelic games ambassador. "They hit 5-25 against Longford, 4-18 against Meath, 2-21 against Kildare. Do Dublin have the inside backs to curtail their inside forward line?
Dublin aren't matching that scoring. 

"I'm watching Dublin now, probably the last 24 months, and they're actually not bad in the tackle, they're decent in the turnover, but when they turn the ball over, how quick can they get the ball over the bar? How quick can they get a shot off at the other end? It's very slow, it's ponderous, it's methodical, and I suppose that's a mentality thing.

"They're also superb around the middle, Westmeath. Ray Connellan has been playing out of his skin this year and I don't know if Dublin have a man to match that in the middle of the field.

"Dublin have made, in the middle of the field, six or seven changes over the course of the season. Ciarán Kilkenny was there, Brian Howard was there, Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne has been there. No one has really solidified a partnership.

"Dublin don't know what they have inside. Con O'Callaghan has played feck all this year. Cormac Costello came back from injury the last day. Paddy Small has been there in the inside. This Westmeath side seem like they know what they've got. Who's playing where and how they play. 

"I don't think this is a foregone conclusion. This is going to be a very, very tight affair. If they put up a scoreline like they did, I think Dublin might struggle here. I wouldn't be all that confident of Dublin getting a win this weekend."

Former Dublin footballer Diarmuid Connolly was speaking exclusively to BOYLE Sports as their Gaelic Games ambassador.

Connolly does not foresee Con O'Callaghan lining out on Sunday. The Dublin captain has struggled with injuries recently. He played the first half against Wicklow and was named to start against Louth but was withdrawn before throw-in.

"The rumour on the street is he's not good. Hamstring, not good," said Connolly.

"It seems to me like this is a real ongoing issue and they haven't got it right."

One of the surprises in the build-up to the Leinster final has been reports of John Heslin's return to the Westmeath panel. Connolly is no stranger to a mid-season comeback. He made one in 2019, going on to feature as a half-time substitute in Dublin's All-Ireland final replay victory over Kerry. Connolly had been preparing for two months before making his return to the panel. 

"The lads had a recovery session down at Scoil Uí Chonaill on a Saturday and we'd done maybe four or five sets of mass runs, and I was leading most of them," he said.

"In my head then it meant ‘I'm up to speed here with these guys. I'm not chasing their tails really, I'm leading this thing out.’ 

"A lot of the lads wouldn't have known that I'd been training in the background, so it was more of a small brush-up meeting afterwards where I was asked to address the group.

"Basically my attitude was, ‘I'm not coming to make up the numbers here, I'm not coming to sit on the bench, I'm coming here to get a jersey to try and get on to this team and try and win my jersey back.’ 

"Some of them were pissed off at it, I get it. Some of them weren't, I get it. Most of them came up and put their arm around my shoulder and welcomed me back. It all worked out for the best."