“It means a lot for us to win the Delaney Cup,” said Stephen Cluxton, his hand on the trophy as Hill 16 shouted their acclaim. No doubt it means a lot, but Dublin winning Leinster titles has become so routine that it is rendered almost meaningless to those outside their bubble.
Yesterday was a seventh provincial championship in a row and, but for a freak burst of Meath goals in 2010, they would be undefeated in Leinster since 2004. It is quite the empire that Jim Gavin and, before him, Pat Gilroy and Paul Caffrey have built.
As the county that competed most keenly with Dublin at under-age level in recent years — and won three of the past five Leinster minor titles — Kildare have been anointed as most likely to challenge the capital’s dominance. Yesterday’s evidence shows that they are still a distance from being able to look their neighbour in the eye, but they can at least claim that their arc is pointing in the right direction.
Two years ago, when this pair last met in the championship, Dublin smashed in five goals and won by 19 points. Yesterday the difference was nine points. If Kildare are seeking positives, they will point to the conditioning and spirit that allowed them to take the fight to Dublin, right to the finish, and score a late consolation goal from Paddy Brophy.
Overall, though, they will have plenty of regrets. High on Kildare’s to-do list for the next time time they face Dublin will be to avoid conceding early goals. For the underdogs to have a realistic chance they needed to stay within striking range of Dublin until the final 10 minutes or so. Yet by the 11th minute Kildare were eight points down after Dean Rock and James McCarthy raised green flags in quick succession. McCarthy’s effort in particular was executed with a nonchalance and ruthlessness with which few sides are capable. After an interchange with the excellent Con O’Callaghan, the wing back could have clipped over an easy point but instead he took on the defence and drove low past Mark
Donnell-an.
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It took Kildare until the 20th minute to hit their second point of the game. This score, through Cathal McNally, actually sparked Kildare’s best spell. They outscored Dublin by nine points to four from the 20th minute to half-time, largely as a result of Dublin resting on their oars after a dominant first quarter and Kildare running at the opposition defence with greater conviction. The most noteworthy score of this period was an effort from Daniel Flynn in which he carried the ball 50 metres along the sideline before curling over on the run.
Kildare made it to half-time only four points adrift and needed to maintain their impetus, yet Dublin recognised this and points from O’Callaghan, Paddy Andrews and Bernard Brogan with only Niall Kelly scoring in return helped to edge them back to a two-goal lead by the 40th minute.
Then came Kildare’s big chance to test Dublin’s nerve. David Slattery made inroads into the Dublin defence with a determined run, drew the cover and released Flynn into space with only Cluxton to beat. The attacker had time to pick his spot but he lacked poise and drove straight at the goalkeeper.
Dublin then rattled off three points on the bounce to build a nine-point lead that never looked under threat.
As usual they had star performers all over the pitch, and up front there was an emphatic statement that when one great player reaches the twilight of his career, another of equal stature is ready to fill the jersey. Bernard Brogan came on after 24 minutes when Rock was shown a black card. The decorated forward looked sharp and anxious to make the most of his opportunity and he chipped in five points from play. He also showed that he is still more than capable of winning 50-50 ball sent his way in an almost flawless display. Con O’Callaghan, who has graduated to the starting line-up this season at Brogan’s expense gave a scoring masterclass and finished the game with 12 points, six of them from frees. Ciaran Kilkenny was typically influential and, in the half-back line, Jack McCaffrey showed glimpses of his best form.
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Kildare had strong performances too. Kevin Feely, the former Charlton Athletic footballer, was the game’s stand-out midfielder. Keith Cribbin punched holes in Dublin’s line with his runs from deep. Their captain, Eoin Doyle, defied medical advice to start the game with a heavily strapped — and broken — thumb. He provided leadership from the No 6 position, and is as important to his side as he is courageous. Up front Slattery was a defiant force with his tireless resolve to run at the Dublin defence.
The main suitors to Dublin’s AllIreland title will have taken note that, as in the league final, when teams run at them with vigour and in numbers they do not like it. Kerry, Tyrone and Mayo will feel that they have the wherewithal to exploit this potential weakness.
Yet Dublin, you feel, are closing in on a third Sam Maguire in a row to go with their seventh consecutive provincial crown. They have such talent that they can concede 20 points and still win with three goals to spare. It will take an extraordinary effort to stop them.
Dublin: S Cluxton; P McMahon, C O’Sullivan, M Fitzsimons; E Lowndes, J Small, J McCaffrey; J McCarthy (1-0), B Fenton; C O’Callaghan (0-12, 0-6f), C Kilkenny (0-2), N Scully; P Mannion (0-1), P Andrews (0-1), D Rock (1-0). Substitutions: B Brogan (0-5) for Rock (24 min, black card), S Carthy (0-1) for Scully (47), D Daly for McMahon (48), K McManamon for Andrews (51), D Byrne for O’Sullivan (58), B Howard (0-1) for Fenton (67).
Kildare: M Donnellan; M O’Grady, O Lyons, D Hyland; K Cribbin (0-1), E Doyle, J Byrne (0-1); K Feely (0-5, 0-4f), T Moolick; D Slattery (0-1), N Kelly (0-1), F Conway; C McNally (0-2), D Flynn (0-2), P Brophy (1-3, 0-1f). Substitutions: P Cribbin for Conway (44), F Dowling (0-1) for Moolick (49), P Kelly for Doyle (52), B McCormack for McNally (57), E Bolton for Byrne (63), E Callaghan for Feely (64, black card).
Referee: A Nolan. Attendance: 66,734.