WON FROM ONE
Dubs claim the first silverware on offer this season but emerging talents most pleasing thing for boss Farrell
DESSIE FARRELL said the O’byrne Cup was all about uncovering fresh options after guiding Dublin to their first title since 2017.
Farrell handed game time to 40 different Dubs in total in January, Castleknock’s Robert Shaw the latest to make his debut.
Sean Bugler proved to be the gamebreaker with the fifth minute goal that gave the favourites a vital cushion throughout at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Captain Ciaran Kilkenny and talisman midfielder Brian Fenton were terrific too as the Leinster title holders dug deep to see off a determined Laois. Dublin lost experienced centre-back John Small before
half-time following an off the ball incident which left Evan O’carroll requiring treatment.
The scores were tied at that stage and Laois were still level with 47 minutes played but Dublin produced their best play in the final 20 minutes or so.
They outscored Billy Sheehan’s side by 0-8 to 0-3 in that period with rookies Lee Gannon and Ross Mcgarry chipping in ahead of next Saturday’s League opener with Armagh at Croke Park.
Boss Farrell said: “One of the challenges we discovered from last year is just about the pipeline and bringing players through.
“It’s a number of years now since we had a significant cohort of players come through the ranks. I think 2017 was the last batch and that’s five years so it’s a long time to go without one or two players stepping up and making a real contribution. That’s what this process was about for us.” DUBLIN: M Shiel; L Gannon (0-1, 1m), D Byrne, E Murchan; T Lahiff (0-01), J Small, K Kennedy; B Fenton (0-2), C Mccormack; R Mcgarry (0-2), C Kilkenny (0-2), S Bugler (1-0); C Costello (0-2, 1f), H Ladd (0-1), A Byrne (0-2). Subs: N Scully for Ladd h/t, L O’dell for Mccormack 52, W Egan for Mcgarry 58, K Mcginnis for Costello 69, R Shaw for Byrne 72. LAOIS: D Bolger (0-1, 1 45); J Kelly, T Collins, A Mohan; S O’flynn, J O’loughlin, C Fennessy; K Lillis, J Finn; B Byrne, E Lowry, C Murphy; M Barry (0-4, 3f), E O’carroll (0-3), S Moore (0-2, 2f). Subs: G Walsh (0-1) for O’carroll 32-34, blood, D O’reilly for Murphy 50, D Kavanagh for O’flynn 54, Walsh for Moore 57, B Daly for Finn 60, C Doyle for Fennessy 69, P Dunne for Lillis 69, D Doyle for Byrne 70. REF: C Reilly (Meath).