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Dubs damp squib performance
 After
the excitement of their mammoth derby games with Meath Dublin’s
Leinster semi-final with Offaly was always going to be something of an
anti-climax and so it proved.
Not for the first time the throw-in time for the clash had to be put back
by 15 minutes because fans were arriving late at GAA Headquarters. Successive
GAA Presidents have criticised Dublin supporters for this before saying
too many were waiting until the last minute before vacating public houses
in the vicinity of Croke Park.
When the game did eventually go ahead it was as flat as a poorly-pulled
pint with Offaly offering little or no resistance to Dublin’s average
attacking force.
The gap in quality between the two sides was clear from early on with
Dublin staggering into a five-point to no-score lead by the 13th minute.
Dublin’s Mossie Quinn had opened the scoring in the third minute
before Mark Vaughan, Alan Brogan, Conal Keaney and Ciaran Whelan all dissected
the posts to the delight of their home fans.
Finally Niall McNamee registered the Faithful County’s first score
in the second quarter but already Dublin manager Paul Caffrey was thinking
about the Leinster final.
As the half entered its final stages the standard of football descended
into the terribly average and if the men from the capital are to have
any hope of going all the way in 2007 they will have to make sure they
don’t repeat the performance of the last quarter of the first-half
again.
After the break it was more of the same in a forgettable clash. Even when
a goal came in the 37th minute it had ‘calamity’ written all
over it. Alan Brogan’s attempted fisted point was fumbled into the
net by Offaly full-back Joe Quinn.
Dublin went through the paces from here on in. Keaney continued to keep
the scores coming for the home side while Offaly’s Niall McNamee
acquitted himself well finishing the day with a tally of seven points.
Sadly for Pat Roe’s men though it was a one-man effort and now Offaly
go straight into the Tommy Murphy Cup missing out on a qualifier by virtue
of their National League divisional position.
And so Dublin are predictably back in another Leinster final. Whether
they face Laois or Wexford the Blues will be expected to win. Life outside
of Leinster will be much tougher for Caffrey’s men though and they’ll
have to improve significantly if they’re to keep Sam on Liffeyside
this year.
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