Bonner questions Dublin's subs

August 29, 2014

Dublin's Dean Rock celebrates. INPHO

Declan Bonner has questioned whether Dublin's much-vaunted substitutes could make an impact coming into a tight game.

So far this season, the players coming off the bench for the defending All-Ireland champions have looked hugely impressive but 1992 All-Ireland winner Bonner - who manages the Donegal minor team against the Dubs in Sunday's curtain-raiser - points out that they weren't under any pressure: 

"People say Dublin have a strong squad and no doubt they have, and Cormac Costello, Dean Rock and these guys are outstanding players who would make their place on any other senior county team around the country," he points out in The Irish Daily Mirror.

"But they have come into matches with 15, 20 minutes to go when the team is already up six or seven points.

"It's very easy tagging on three or four points at that stage, but it would be very interesting to see if they come into a match when there's one or two points in it and let's see then what they're made of in that last 15, 20 minutes."

Bonner adds that if it's a tight game his money would be on the Ulster champions, who are ranked at 8/1 outsiders:

"The bookies have to make their call on it and the way Dublin are playing, that's the way they see it and they can't see anything other than a landslide Dublin victory.

"Dublin are favourites, they've been the best team in the country by a mile this year, but teams have shown them far too much respect. They've let Dublin play, they've given them the ball basically.

"Jim [McGuinness] will come, and there will be questions asked of Dublin - and it will be interesting to see if they can come up with the answers.

"If it's tight with 10, 15 minutes to go, I would be putting my money down on Donegal. Donegal mentally will be the stronger side going into that last 10 minutes."


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