Gilroy looks to improve on Dublin's first outing

THE TIMES they are a-changin’ all right when Dublin stage a press conference in a fancy hotel to announce the team to play Galway in the second round of the National Football League. It sure beats ringing around for hours trying to track down the county PRO.

Manager Pat Gilroy brought along a couple of players too: new full back Denis Bastic and forward Conal Keaney, who under the current rotation policy, is handed the captain’s armband for Sunday’s trip to Pearse Stadium. There was coffee and biscuits beforehand and more than enough neatly-presented team sheets to go around.

The only problem was there wasn’t much to say about the team itself. It shows just one change from that which started against Tyrone that opening day in Croke Park – with Paul Flynn replacing Ross McConnell at midfield. That was at least an opening question.

“I think the performance the last day justified giving the guys another run-out,” started Gilroy. “It took us a while to settle into the game, but once we did I thought we played well, in the second half in particular. But it doesn’t mean we’re finished with Ross McConnell at midfield. I’d have no hesitation in putting Ross in there again. I just think Paul made a difference when he came in, so deserves his chance there.”

Gilroy did look a little more relaxed than appearances before the Tyrone game, when there was some expectation that Dublin could be well beaten. Instead the 1-18 to 1-16 defeat, even if it did see Dublin surrender a late advantage, was respectable, particularly given the early dominance of the All-Ireland champions.

“It was a great experience,” declared Gilroy. “Naturally, you always like to win the game. Especially as we got in front with only a couple of minutes to go. But generally, for our first outing, and after only being together for three weeks, it was a satisfying performance.

“But we’ve loads and loads to improve on. It’s very early days. I think the Tyrone full-forward line was exceptional on the night, but by the second half, the lads in the full-back line coped very well, tried to do the things that we were asking of them. So I was very happy with the three of them.”

In mentioning the full-back line Gilroy was clearly referring to the man seated next to him: Bastic’s first game in the number three jersey went well, all the more so given the pressure he was under.

Full back has been a problem position for Dublin in recent years, and Bastic had only been recalled to the panel, having dropped off early last year.

“I had played there at club and underage level,” he explained. “I was just delighted to get the chance, no matter what the position. It went okay, but I’ve still a lot to learn, a lot more to work on. But even when I dropped off the panel last year I hadn’t given up hope, and I think playing junior football helped.”

It was Bastic’s performances for the Dublin junior team last summer that ultimately convinced Gilroy he may be the man for full back: “I think it’s a critical position on every team. So it’s definitely an area we’ll be trying to get something that works. And we’ll work on it until we get it 100 per cent. Same with the whole central spine of the team.

“But if you’re big, and you’re quick, with good hands, and you’re good in the air and on the ground, you’ve a good chance of being a good full back. If you can read the game as well. It’s combining it all, the big with the quick, that’s often difficult. But Denis has shown he has those traits.”

The Dublin captaincy will continue to rotate for several more weeks, with Keaney taking over from David Henry: “We’re still only getting to know the guys,” explained Gilroy. “Loads of them have leadership qualities, and David did a great job the last day. But we’ve decided to give a few guys the chance, and then sometime in April pick a captain for the year. It is working well, with each of them bringing something new.”

Keaney appeared only mildly chuffed by the honour: “I’m just looking forward to it. I’d like to think I might be in with a shout for it (long term).”

Nor was he getting overly excited about his performance against Tyrone, where he scored five points: “It’s still early. It was only one performance, and will be quickly forgotten if we don’t produce it again next week. It was nice to get a bit of a performance together. It’s great at the moment. But we’re just enjoying it. Just concentrating on the league, each game as it comes.”

That means they’re concentrating on Galway – whom they last met in 2003, a drawn league game – and Gilroy knows what to expect. “Galway are an excellent team, again, a pure footballing team . . . Galway are one of the top teams out there, and that’s what we need to measure ourselves against.”

Having lost to Tyrone, and considering Galway beat Westmeath in their opener, another defeat for Dublin would leave them with some early relegation worries: “The way we’re approaching the league is to win every game, concentrate on each game as it comes,” said Gilroy.

“We’ll worry about that later on, if it does become a problem. But we’re not overly hung up on it. It’s not going to change how we prepare for the game, because we’re going out to win every game anyway. We are trying a lot of new players. Naturally, that mightn’t always work out well.”

Among the Dublin players not considered for selection through injury were Alan Brogan, Tomás Quinn and Colin Moran, with Eamonn Fennell expected to return from a knee injury soon.

DUBLIN(SF v Galway): S Cluxton; P Andrews, D Bastic, A Hubbard; B Cullen, G Brennan, B Cahill; C Whelan, P Flynn; D Henry, T Diamond, J Brogan; C Keaney, J Sherlock, B Brogan.