DUBLIN UP THE ANTE
Groundhog Day for Galway as Blues overcome a slow start to secure win
THEY celebrated the 133rd Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania yesterday with thousands turning out at Gobbler’s Knob for the creature’s annual forecast.
‘A beautiful spring it shall be’ was the official declaration after the groundhog – Punxsutawney Phil – emerged from his burrow without casting any shadow.
The Galway footballers are surely coming to the same understanding of Groundhog Day as Bill Murray’s TV weatherman in the comedy movie. Caught in a time loop, Murray is forced to relive the same day over and over. The Tribesmen’s plight is similar – four times now in the last 12 months, they have tried, and failed, to beat this Dublin team.
Three of those meetings have come in the National League. They drew in Salthill last March but lost the League decider weeks later and were defeated by Dublin again in the All-Ireland semi-finals before returning to Croke Park last night with revenge on their minds.
Yet, unlike the groundhog, they were left deep in shadow again as Dublin, a little like their previous game at Croke Park last September, overcame a shaky start before securing the win in front of 14,502.
By doing so, they allowed supporters to file last weekend’s opening round defeat to Monaghan to a folder marked ‘forgotten’.
This was a lot more like the Dublin we’ve come to know with Footballer of the Year Brian Fenton lording the midfield and the trio of Paul Mannion, Cormac Costello and Dean Rock leading the attack.
True to the pattern of past DublinGalway battles, Dublin sized up their prey before swallowing them whole, outscoring Kevin Walsh’s Connacht champions by 1-7 to just 0-2 in the second half.
Galway beat Cavan on the opening day, and were also without their Corofin players last night, meaning they have room to maneouvre in Division 1. Still, they would have liked to give Dublin something to think about for the season ahead.
Dublin hadn’t previously experienced back-to-back defeats in the League or Championship under Gavin, a remarkable run of form stretching out over 92 games since the beginning of 2013.
It was a record they were keen to protect though Galway made life difficult initially and it wasn’t until the 30th minute that Dublin took the lead.
Up to then, they’d had their work cut out to contain a Galway side impressively led by Cillian McDaid and Peter Cooke.
The duo scored two points each with McDaid, who left AFL side Carlton last autumn, influential.
It took a terrific block from Jonny Cooper to deny the former Galway Under 21 star on another occasion while Fenton put in a huge challenge to force Johnny Duane into a wide. It wasn’t until the 11th minute that Dublin scored their first point, a Mannion beauty from the left-wing. It seemed to ignite the holders because Sean Bugler, a debutant in the lineup alongside young Kilmacud Crokes defender Liam Flatman, split the posts soon after followed by a point from Rock. Suddenly Dublin were up and running and they twice drew level before taking a narrow 0-6 to 0-5 lead into the interval. Costello thought he’d scored his third point just before the break but his effort was confirmed as a wide by Hawk-Eye. The Whitehall attacker, frustratingly limited to an impact sub role last summer, was terrific in the second half and finished with six points.
Rock and Mannion dovetailed superbly, too, as Dublin took their game up a notch and Galway, without McDaid who was withdrawn at half-time, were painfully unable to keep pace.
Barry McHugh’s 46th minute point for Galway left just two between them but was the visitors’ last score until Johnny Heaney pointed 24 minutes later.
By that stage Dublin were home and hosed having reeled off 1-5 without reply to well and truly secure their first League points of 2019.
Rock’s goal came when he seized on a Paul Flynn point attempt that dropped short and beat Galway goalie Maghnus Breathnach at his near post with a clever finish.
Gavin took the opportunity to run in more greenhorns with Darren Gavin, another former U21 talent, coming on for his League debut while Conor McHugh came on late for Mannion.
By that stage, Costello was enjoying the freedom of Croke Park with the son of county CEO John helping himself to a half dozen by full-time. They came from a variety of positions and angles with the last one arriving following an advanced mark in the Galway defence. Dublin: E Comerford; E Lowndes, M Fitzsimons, L Flatman; E Murchan, J Cooper, J Small (J McCaffrey 60); J McCarthy (D Gavin 61), B Fenton; N Scully, C Costello, S Bugler (P Flynn 55); R Basquel (B Howard 48), P Mannion (C McHugh 66), D Rock. Scorers: D Rock 1-5 (2f), C Costello 0-6 (1m), P Mannion 0-2, Sean Bugler, N Scully (1m) 0-1. Yellow card: P Flynn 66 Wides: 8 GalWaY: M Breathnach; G Bradshaw, S Kelly, E Kerin; G O’Donnell, SA O Ceallaigh, J Heaney; K Duggan, T Flynn; C McDaid (B McHugh h/t), J Duane, P Cooke (G Armstrong 62); P Cunningham (D Cummins 61), C D’Arcy (F Cooney 60), S Walsh. Scorers: P Cooke, C McDaid 0-2, J Heaney, B McHugh (1f), S Walsh (1f) 0-1. Yellow card: S Kelly 64 Wides: 5 Referee: C Branagan (Down).