RECORD BREAKERS
Dublin set new standard for the longest unbeaten run after thrashing Roscommon
RECORDS continue to fall like dominoes in front of this remarkable Dublin team who can now officially describe themselves as the toughest football team of all time to beat.
Not since March 1, 2015 has Jim Gavin’s side been beaten in the league or Championship, and while they’ve lived dangerously at times this season – drawing with Donegal, Tyrone and Kerry – moving from 34 to 35 games unbeaten, setting a new record, was never in doubt here.
The great Kerry team of 1928 to 1933, who previously held the record, have now been relieved of their title and few would hazard a guess when Dublin’s run will end.
Perhaps the record that Gavin prizes most, however, and one which has been much less heralded, is their excellent post-St Patrick’s Day form since he took over.
Gavin has been in charge since 2013 and has suffered just one defeat beyond March 17 in all that time, the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal.
It is a stunning 43-1 run which is arguably an even greater indicator that when silverware, and the summer, comes into sight, this Dublin team truly gets going.
This latest big win also leaves them alone at the top of Division 1, until this afternoon at least, and brings a fifth consecutive league title success into view with only one group game remaining, against Monaghan.Meath great Colm O’Rourke suggested before the season began that ‘no man, animal or engine’ could keep up such a win rate as Dublin without bordering on burnout and endangering their Championship chances.There seems little danger of that though with the return of Bernard Brogan against Kerry last weekend – he started for the first time this season last night – bringing to 53 the amount of players who’ve lined out for Dublin since January 1. They’ve only lost to UCD in that period, in the O’Byrne Cup, highlighting the arsenal of talent that few managers in the history of the game have ever possessed.
One player still notably absent is James McCarthy, who was named to play at wing-back but was withdrawn, presumably due to the torn calf muscle he sustained against Tyrone last month.
Even that dark cloud came with a silver lining though as Diarmuid Connolly returned to the bench, wearing McCarthy’s five, following his club commitments with St Vincent’s and came on to score a 63rd minute point. The game was long since up for Roscommon at that stage with Dublin who came bursting out of the blocks to open up an 11-point lead by half-time.
The returning Bernard Brogan looked like he’d never been away, ghosting around the forward line and picking off three early points.
Man of the Match Paul Flynn, who kicked 1-6, was excellent throughout too and capitalised on a great catch and layoff by Brogan in the 15th minute to fire Dublin’s first goal.
It put them 1-5 to 0-2 up and Roscommon already looked in serious bother. Enda Smith, Diarmuid Murtagh and Donie Smith each hit a brace of first-half points for the visitors but they were little more than brief periods of respite from the blue wave. Dublin led 1-14 to 0-6 at half-time and their complete dominance was underlined by
points for wing-back Eric Lowndes. These are difficult times for Roscommon who remain the only team in the entire country without a win in the Allianz league.
Relegation to Division 2 was all but confirmed when they lost to Monaghan last weekend though it was made official last night. Boss Kevin McStay has one game left, against Cavan next weekend, to secure a win from the campaign and take some sort of momentum into their Connacht championship preparations.
They’re clearly lacking the guile and big game experience of players like Cathal Cregg, Neil Collins, Donie Shine and David Keenan who are among a group that featured in 2016 but aren’t available now for varying reasons. Dublin will be concerned that they were opened up on
occasions at the back and Stephen Cluxton pulled off a great save to deny Shane Killoran in the secondhalf.
But it was one-way traffic for the most part and the Dublin scores continue to arrive from all angles. Flynn’s accuracy was breathtaking throughout the second-half while Connolly got a huge ovation when he came on. Conor McHugh came on and picked off three points also, though the score of the evening was McManamon’s 58th minute goal.
It was a terrific solo run in from the right wing that saw him charge past three defenders before rifling a shot into the roof of the Roscommon net.
It began a scoring burst of 1-5 without reply as Dublin showed absolutely no sympathy for Roscommon’s troubles. Dublin: S Cluxton; P McMahon, M Fitzsimons, D Daly (J McCaffrey 40); D Byrne (SB Carthy 30), C O’Sullivan (P Mannion 50), E Lowndes; B Fenton (D Connolly 44), C Reddin (MD Macauley 47); P Flynn, K McManamon, N Scully; D Rock (C McHugh 40), P Andrews, B Brogan. ScorerS: P Flynn 1-6, K McManamon 1-1, D Rock (0-2f), B Brogan, C McHugh (0-1f), P Andrews 0-3, B Fenton, N Scully, C Reddin 0-2, D Connolly, E Lowndes, SB Carthy, J McCaffrey 0-1. roScommon: D O’Malley; D Murray, J McManus, N McInerney; S McDermott (B Murtagh 52), U Harney (S Killoran h/t), R Stack; T Corcoran (C Compton h/t), T O’Rourke; G Patterson, C Devaney, E Smith; D Smith (F Cregg 53), D Murtagh (C Connolly 52), C Murtagh (N Kilroy 65). ScorerS: D Murtagh 0-3 (0-1f), E Smith, D Smith, C Murtagh (0-1f), C Connolly (0-1f) 0-2, S Killoran, N Kilroy, G Patterson 0-1. referee: C Reilly (Meath).