It's a sign of the times when Dublin are the ones recording big, surreal wins in the league while Kildare are apparently content to dawdle along. Yesterday's Church & General NFL quarter-final between the Leinster rivals followed the same script as the Cork-Derry curtain-raiser: occasional impressive flurries qualified by the indifference of the opposition.
The atmosphere of unreality had obviously been in the air earlier in the day because a pitiful crowd of 20,923 was as big an attendance as the two matches could muster despite Dublin and Kildare having commanded crowds of 60,000 at both of their championship encounters last June.
Dublin featured some good forward work and accurate point-taking but those virtues have been on occasional show throughout the campaign. The problem areas remain. At the back, they were penetrated too easily and although Paddy Christie had a fine match at corner back and Shane Ryan was competent at full back, the overall impression was less than watertight.
Centrefield didn't earn any ribbons either with Niall Buckley perhaps predictably the best player in the area even though high catches were rare enough.
Kildare know that the psychological whip-hand gained by beating their old tormentors in last year's championship hasn't been dissipated by a half-hearted league display. The Leinster champions were under-strength and didn't look particularly motivated.
Worryingly for Dublin, Kildare did manage to make an impact any time they tipped the accelerator but the winners responded well to both of the goals conceded in the second half.
Neither would it have taken much imagination to see that goals tally doubled had Dermot Earley and Karl O'Dwyer gone for the kill in the second and 28th minutes rather than settling for points.
O'Dwyer was also straight on goal in the 21st minute but Ian Robertson nipped in to clear.
Three frees from Declan Darcy established a 0-3 to 0-2 lead for Dublin by the 10th minute. It was a solid afternoon's work by the centre forward. As well as giving the runaround to Glen Ryan who was back after a long lay-off with injury, Darcy kicked accurately for seven points, five frees and only one wide.
In general play he was industrious and got back for a clever interception in the 52nd minute when Declan Kerrigan threatened a run on goal - although the knock-back to David Byrne ended painfully for the Dublin goalkeeper who as he took the ball was caught late by the incoming Kerrigan.
The defining score of the match was Dublin's 12th-minute goal. Ray Cosgrove, Paul Curran and Ciaran Whelan combined with Whelan dropping a cross into the square. Des Farrell and Enda Sheehy arrived at much the same time with Farrell getting the vital touch into the net.
Leading 1-3 to 0-2, Dublin were to outscore their opponents 0-7 to 0-2 in the second quarter with five points coming in the last five minutes of the half. This was Dublin's attack at its best.
Darcy, Farrell, Keith Galvin (a late replacement for the injured Tomo Lynch), Brian Stynes and Cosgrove all took good scores from play and the interval score of 1-10 to 0-4 left little to play for in the second half.
Dublin took up where they left off and extended the lead with a succession of points but Kildare revived slightly at the start of the final quarter.
Ironically, part of the responsibility lay with Stynes and Paul Curran whose craft and experience were obvious, central influences on the team.
Both succumbed to the temptation to throw the ball around in defence in the 46th minute. Eventually Curran was forced into a hurried clearance which went straight back to Kildare. The return ball created awful difficulties for Paddy Moran and Christie who lost possession to Cathal Sheridan who was then taken down for a penalty.
Even Byrne who has looked very composed in the Dublin goal in recent matches had little chance with Buckley's expertly-dispatched kick which cut the margin to seven points.
Darcy sending over a 50th-minute free and the only significant action of the remaining 10 minutes saw Kildare's corner back Ken Doyle sent off for a second bookable offence in the 56th minute.
Earley got in for a last-minute goal which if it did nothing meaningful to the result, did show up Dublin's defence in less than flattering light. The winners face Armagh in a fortnight.
DUBLIN: D Byrne; P Moran, S Ryan, P Christie; P Curran (0-1), I Robertson, K Galvin (0-1); C Whelan (0-1), E Sheehy; J Gavin (0-3, one free), D Darcy (0-7, five frees), B Stynes (0-2); R Cosgrove (0-1), D Farrell (capt; 1-1), N O'Donoghue. Subs: J Sherlock for O'Donoghue (44 mins); C Moran for Gavin (58 mins); B O'Brien for Farrell (59 mins).
KILDARE: E Murphy; E Mulhall, R Quinn, K Doyle; A Rainbow, G Ryan, D Maher; N Buckley (1-2, goal from penalty and one point from a free), M Lynch; E McCormack, D Kerrigan (capt), D Earley (1-1); P Gravin, K O'Dwyer (0-1), C Sheridan (0-1, a free). Subs: P Brennan (0-3, two frees) for Gravin (20 mins); J Whelan for McCormack (half-time).
Referee: M Curley (Galway).
