Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IT’S THREE AND NOT SO EASY
Dubs have had their Phil of Farney as they close in on Jordan’s record
IT wasn’t such a notable achievement back then, which is why it’s news to Philip Jordan all these years later.
He was part of the last team that beat Dublin three times running across League and Championship in 2009, a feat Monaghan will bid to match at Croke Park this evening.
“I wouldn’t have been (aware),” said the former Tyrone defender. “I’ll be supporting Dublin this weekend then!”
These days, of course, Dublin playing their home League games at Croke Park has become the norm but for the 2007 and ‘09 season openers, it was a novelty before they reverted to Parnell Park.
In 2007, it was the first floodlit game at Croke Park, with the GAA eager to get in there first before the historic rugby internationals that were to come a few weeks later. A crowd of 81,678, which remains a record for the competition, turned out.
Two years later, the game was used as a launching pad for the GAA’S 125th anniversary celebrations and Stephen O’neill was in exhibition form as Tyrone won by two points.
In between, Tyrone dished out a 12-point drubbing in the 2008 All-ireland quarter-final which ended Paul Caffrey’s reign as Dublin manager. The next summer, Kerry sent them packing with 17 points to spare.
“Those games were more high profile than your normal League match as well,” Jordan (inset v Ciaran Whelan in 2008) noted. “It was close to a full house for those League games, that was a bit different as well. “When we had success, winning All-irelands, maybe the League didn’t motivate us as much in certain years but those games, it was a different kind of atmosphere.
“It was almost like a Championship kind of game for players and it gave us a bit of a lift in terms of motivation as well.
“In ‘08, certainly in that Championship match they were huge favourites.
“We played them in ‘05 in the quarter-final and Dublin were seen as a major underdog that time. It was another few years before they became serious challengers for the All-ireland.”
Prior to Monaghan’s current run against Dublin, Mayo were the last county to record consecutive victories over them in
2012
(League and Championship). They haven’t beaten them in 16 games since. Kerry haven’t done two-in-a-row against the Dubs since 2007.
Both of Monaghan’s victories in the last two years came at opportune times. In 2018, it was a dead rubber in the last round of League fixtures with Dublin already qualified for the final.
When they beat them last year in Clones, it was the opening League game and Dublin had only resumed training.
“Anyone that gets a victory in the League against Dublin, no matter what the circumstances, it’s always a big victory,” Jordan insisted. “Kerry would have been targeting beating Dublin. “I know both teams didn’t have a long preparation.
“Certainly Monaghan would be the team that would have more motivation, whether that motivation is enough to compensate for the greater quality that Dublin have compared to anyone else in the country remains to be seen.”