LEINSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL/Dublin 2-16 Wexford 0-15 AET:BE CAREFUL what you wish for.
During the week Dublin manager Pat Gilroy had expressed relative indifference to the prospect of knocking off a sixth provincial title on the spin. For the first three-quarters of yesterday’s GAA Leinster football quarter-final his players were fully backing him up.
It may have ended in sizeable exhalations of relief for the champions but they trailed for the vast majority of normal playing time, by the end of which they were reduced to 13 men and can count themselves blessed beyond measure to have survived.
By the 47th minute outsiders Wexford had stacked up a seven-point lead and looked unstoppable. Almost.
In the period after half-time although Dublin’s ineptitude assumed operatic dimensions, the challengers didn’t seize the opportunity as wholeheartedly as they should have and eventually their tentative attitude to a first win over Dublin in over 50 years slowed them.
It took extra-time but as soon as they were caught by Dublin with little more than 10 minutes left, the momentum had drained from the challengers.
They resisted sufficiently to tie the match by the end of normal time and could even have won but they lacked conviction.
Manager Jason Ryan said afterwards his team had failed to grasp the opportunity and it was hard to argue with that understated view.
From the start they exposed almost all of Dublin’s positive assumptions based on a heartening league campaign – albeit they are the only county in Division One’s top three still in the provincial championships.
Ryan complained about the delayed start after extra-time in the early matches but his team started far the more convincingly.
Soundly beaten at centrefield, where Eric Bradley pillaged ball, the champions watched as their much vaunted defensive system proved as effective as the Maginot Line and for a team emphasising deep cover and counter-attack, they proved sadly inadequate when it came to the clinical conversion of chances.
Wexford cashed in on desperate defending, kicking six of their eight first-half points from dead-ball awards, mostly for fouls punished by Matty Forde’s flawless free-taking but also a well-potted 45 by the excellent Redmond Barry when Michael Fitzsimons, one of the few true success stories for Dublin, blocked Shane Roche.
Dublin’s league stock quickly turned into an asset bubble. Cian O’Sullivan had to leave after five minutes because of the hamstring strain that had troubled him in the lead-up. But his departure can hardly explain the disorganisation at the back. In conventional terms the full-back line did well, limiting their highly-rated opponents to a point each from play. There was, however, too much fouling and too little direction.
Eamonn Fennell had done enough during the league to suggest he could provide a championship platform but was called in after just 20 minutes, although he did return to play a part in extra-time.
In attack, Bernard Brogan took a while to kick-start his one-man scoring assault and along the way to a match-settling 2-4 managed seven wides, including two frees in the first half that seemed to substantiate the alarm sweeping through the Hill, as Graeme Molloy handled him authoritatively in the opening phases.
Shots went wide, others dropped short and passes into the forwards went astray, as the team stuttered to a 0-2 to 0-8 half-time deficit.
Wexford extended their lead in the third quarter and in what looked emblematic of Dublin’s meltdown, Bernard Brogan hit a ballooning wide with his left foot, as brother Alan raced towards goal looking for a pass.
Half-time replacement Eoghan O’Gara used his physicality to some effect but also hit a bad wide. He was, however, instrumental in setting up a point for Bernard Brogan in the 53rd minute, which came as part of a significant sequence that saw Dublin pull back four points in five minutes.
The real game-changer came in the 58th minute when trailing 0-7 to 10, and just after seeing Denis Bastic sent off for knocking over Barry, Dublin plundered the first goal.
Niall Corkery, who was solid at centrefield after being switched there, moved the ball to Conal Keaney, whose influence grew dramatically from the final quarter on and he picked out Bernard Brogan, whose shot was parried by Anthony Masterson but flew into the net.
Dublin should have closed out the match but Roche restored Wexford’s lead, only for Keaney to kick two good points.
O’Gara, already yellow-carded, risked dismissal with late fouls and conceded the free that allowed Forde equalise.
By the full-time whistle Dublin were down to 13, as Ger Brennan had been sent off for a second yellow, so extra-time brought the relief of them being restored to a full complement.
Effectively Dublin shut down the contest in the third minute of extra-time when Bernard Brogan reacted to a rebound from replacement Tom Quinn’s shot and rifled the ball into the Wexford net.
Further points left the champions five up at the midway point, 2-11 to 0-12, and although Wexford plugged away, they never looked like bridging the gap.
They now head for London in the qualifiers. Dublin’s road will also be long, trailing as it does through the debris of all those hopes pieced together during the spring.
DUBLIN: 1. S Cluxton; 2. M Fitzsimons, 3. R O’Carroll, 4. P McMahon; 7. B Cahill, 6. C O’Sullivan, 5. D Bastic; 8. E Fennell, 9. R McConnell; 10. N Corkery, 11. D Henry, 12. P Flynn (0-1); 13. C Keaney (0-3, one free), 14. B Brogan (2-4, point from free), 15. K McManamon. Subs: 17. G Brennan for O’Sullivan (5 mins), 25. A Brogan (0-2) for Fennell (21 mins), 26. E O’Gara for McManamon (half-time), 23. M McAuley for Henry (44 mins). Extra-time: 24. B Cullen (0-1) for Bastic and 30, T Quinn (0-4, one free) for Brennan, 8. E Fennell for Corkery (76 mins), 19. K Nolan (0-1) for Flynn (80 mins), 27. P Andrews for B Brogan (90 mins). Yellow cards: Fennell (15 mins), Brennan (20 and 72 mins), Keaney (33 mins), O’Gara (37 mins), McConnell (65 mins), Cahill (68 mins), Nolan (88 mins). Red cards: Bastic (57 mins), Brennan (72 mins).
WEXFORD: 1. A Masterson: 2. J Wadding, 3. G Molloy, 4. B Malone; 12. A Flynn (0-1), 6. D Murphy, 7. A Doyle; 8. D Waters, 9. E Bradley (0-1); 10. S Roche (0-2), 15. M Forde (0-7, six frees), 5. C Morris; 13. C Lyng (0-1), 11. R Barry (0-2, 45 and free), 14. PJ Banville (0-1). Subs: 27. D Fogarty for Waters (49 mins), 22. A Morrissey for Doyle (56 mins), 21. B Doyle for Bradley (extra-time), 19. C Byrne for Malone, 23. B Brosnan for Morris (both 80 mins). Yellow cards: Murphy (39 mins), Malone (48 mins), Wadding (91 mins)
Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh).
