Poor, beleaguered Dubliners have become all too familiar with false dawns. But do they ever learn? Not likely. They flocked to Parnell Park yesterday, like lemmings drawn to a cliff edge, only to discover that the new management regime had inherited many of the team's old failings as unheralded Monaghan comprehensively played them off the pitch.
Dublin manager Tommy Carr had spent the winter months using the O'Byrne Cup and the training ground to mould his own imprint. Yesterday's recommencement of the Church & General National Football League was supposed to be the real starting point. It went horribly wrong. And the manager candidly admitted afterwards: "That was a bad start, not a positive one at all. It's disappointing. We didn't go out to play like that or get that sort of result. I suppose we're now talking about Division Three football (next season)."
If Dublin were poor, especially in the first half, when they seemed to lack the required aggression and directness, then Monaghan were the opposite. Sharp and purposeful, they did most of their good work in the first 30 minutes to establish a 2-8 to 0-5 half-time lead. It would be easy to put Dublin's lethargy down to a heavy physical training programme. However, most other teams are similarly deployed at this time of year - and, for Dublin fans in the 8,000 plus crowd, there were a number of worrying areas. The attack lacked real penetration and, when it became obvious with 15 minutes remaining that a goal was essential, there was never even a hint that Dublin could orchestrate it. In defence, the question-marks over the full-back line resurfaced (although Jonathon McGee worked pretty effectively), while Dublin players' were invariably second to breaking ball around the middle of the field.
Indeed, Monaghan did almost as they pleased at times and their first goal, in the eighth minute, set them on course for a deserved win.
That opening goal was scored by Darren Swift, who enjoyed a profitable afternoon. He may be some inches shorter in height and have less bulk than Paddy Christie, but he somehow managed to knock his marker to the ground, claim a ball he had no right to win, and finish off by side-stepping goalkeeper David Byrne and putting the ball into the net at the church end.
It prompted a purple patch for Monaghan, who added on four successive points to jump into a 1-6 to 0-2 lead. The trend had been set, and their second goal - again expertly taken two minutes before the break - confirmed they were en route to victory. John Conlon instigated the move in his own half-back line, gave the ball to centre-half forward Mark Daly and he, in turn, gave a majestic pass to centrefielder Cyril Ronaghan who had ventured forward. Ronaghan's finish would have been greedily claimed by any forward in the country. With a nine points cushion at the break, Monaghan only had to show discipline in defence in the second half to secure victory. Much of the flowing movement that was evident in the first half was missing, but the manner in which they closed down Dublin's attackers and forced the home team into sometimes futile long-range efforts was extremely effective. Ironically, Monaghan had completed all of their scoring by the 49th minute (at which stage they led 2-12 to 0-7) and, although Dublin did mount a late fightback with five unanswered points, the best being one from an acute angle by Dublin's new captain Dessie Farrell, it was all too little, too late.
While Dublin can now, at best, secure a place in Division Two next season (although they require to beat Tyrone and Kerry in their final two matches to do so), Monaghan's sights are set on a place in the knockout stages. "We're looking towards the play-offs," said manager Eamon McEneaney, "if we can come here and win, we can win anywhere." Football is a game of confidence and Monaghan have that in abundance. Dublin, it seems, are still searching.
Monaghan: J O'Connor; E Murphy, D Duffy, N Marron; G McGurk, S Mullen, J Conlon (0-1); P McShane, C Ronaghan (1-0); S McGinnity (0-1), M Daly (0-2), K Hughes (0-1, free); D Smyth (0-3, two frees), D McKernan (0-3), D Swift (1-1). Sub: N McGennis for McGurk (58 mins).
Dublin: D Byrne; P Christie, D Harrington, J McGee; K Barr, I Robertson, (0-1), E Heery; C Whelan (0-2), D Homan; P Ward, D Farrell (0-1), D Darcy (0-4, one free); C O'Hare (0-2, frees), J Gavin (0-2, one free), D O'Brien. Subs: B Stynes for Ward (20 mins), E Sheehy for O`Brien (38 mins), M Deegan for O`Hare (45 mins).
Referee - M Curley (Galway).
