Ger Brennan marks Dublin return with convincing win over Cavan

BACK IN BUSINESS: Dublin manager Ger Brennan watches on during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 2B match between Cavan and Dublin at Kingspan Breffni in Cavan. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

CAVAN 0-16 DUBLIN 1-24

Ger Brennan marked his return to Dublin management duties with this workmanlike victory over Cavan in Kingspan Breffni.

In front of a 14,486 crowd, Dublin advanced to the de facto All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals with fresh injury concerns over Cormac Costello and Brian Howard. Cavan had a multitude of scoring chances but converted less than 50% of them.

After serving his 12-match ban and missing four SFC games, Brennan will have been pleased to be part of this win. Returning to goal, Evan Comerford was impressive in the second half and Lee Gannon was another notable performer.

Ballyboden St Enda’s pair Colm Basquel and Ross McGarry came off the bench to post 0-5 between them and Basquel won the 67th minute penalty when he was upended by Brian O’Connell. Captain Con O’Callaghan found the roof of the net to bring his tally to 1-8 (he would finish with 1-9).

Cavan trailed by just one at the interval but only posted four second-half points as they routinely kicked short or wide much to the disappointment of their home support.

Blue was the colour in sun-soaked Cavan town and would have been the feeling for Dublin 20 minutes in as they lost Costello to injury. The Whitehall Colmcilles man had a leg strapped, took a knock and was replaced by Basquel.

It brought to three the number of changes made to the Dublin starting line-up – Gannon and Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne were introduced from the off for Eoin Kennedy and Seán Bugler.

Cavan themselves made a trio of alterations but it was two of the men named originally that were starring in the opening stages. By the 18th minute, Emmanuel Shehu and Gerard Smith each had a brace of points in their accounts.

The teams were level five times in the first half. Dublin led by two in the 20th minute only to be hit by successive Louth two-pointers down their left wing, where they were enjoying themselves a lot.

Dublin's Colm Basquel in action against Brían O'Connell of Cavan. Pic: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

They still racked up seven wides by the break, though, and O’Callaghan raised an orange flag of his own to tie up the half once more.

O’Callaghan accumulated seven points by the break but his best score was followed by three Cavan scores. The intent of the home side was exemplified by a tremendous spoil by captain Ciarán Brady on Ciarán Kilkenny.

That hat-trick was followed by a similar amount by Dublin to round out the half and led by one, 0-13 to 0-12. O’Callaghan pointed from play and a free prior to Lee Gannon becoming the fourth Dublin player to fist over a point.

Scorers for Cavan: P. Lynch (0-5, 1 tp, 1 free); E. Shehu, G. Smith (0-3 each); Conor Brady (tp), T. Madden (1 free) (0-2 each); D. Lovett (0-1).

Scorers for Dublin: C. O’Callaghan (1-9, 1-0 pen, 1 tp, 2 frees); R. McGarry, P. Small (0-3 each); C. Costello (1 free); L. Gannon, C. Basquel (0-2 each); C. McMorrow, N. Scully, S. Guiden (0-1 each).

CAVAN: L. Brady; J. Tynan, B. O’Connell, N. Carolan; G. Smith, J. McLoughlin, T. Madden; Conor Brady, P. Meade; Ciarán Brady (c), B. Donnelly, E. Shehu; R. Donohue, P. Lynch, D. Lovett.

Subs: O. Brady for P. Donnelly (43); D. McVeety for R. Donohoe (52); Cormac Brady for J. Tynan (61); C. Madden for D. Lovett, R. Tobin for J. McLoughlin (both 65).

DUBLIN: E. Comerford; S. MacMahon, T. Clancy, D. Byrne; C. McMorrow, N. Doran, L. Gannon; B. Howard, P. Ó Cofaigh-Byrne; G. McEneaney, N. Scully, C. Kilkenny; P. Small, C. Costello, C. O’Callaghan (c).

Subs: C. Basquel for C. Costello (inj 20); R. McGarry for G. McEneaney (40); E. Kennedy for B. Howard (inj 49); S. Guiden for P. Small (63); T. Deering for L. Gannon (67).

Referee: L. Devenney (Mayo).