'Stephen Cluxton is Dublin's hammer'

August 18, 2017

Dublin's Stephen Cluxton celebrates.
©INPHO/James Crombie.

Enda McGinley has identified Stephen Cluxton as the biggest single obstacle in Tyrone's quest to reach the All-Ireland SFC final.

As far as the three-time All-Ireland winner is concerned, the legendary goalkeeper is the man that makes Dublin tick.

"In terms of kickout strategy, Mr Cluxton has essentially revolutionised both the postion and arguably the game. To use Darragh O Se's great phrase, hammer the hammer, and Stephen Cluxton is Dublin's hammer," McGinley wrote in his Irish News column.

"Being a goalie, especially with his mental strength, he is uniquely difficult to 'hammer'. His kickouts are almost impervious, but they remain the way to both unsettle him and unsettle Dublin.

"When their kickouts are upset, Dublin look a completely different team. They look vulnerable. Teams have tried a zonal approach, but Cluxton is so accurate that even a few metres of space are enough for him to pin his man, so this strategy is almost impossible to pull off.

"Similarly, with going man-to-man tight, as in a high press, the Dublin runs are so effective that, combined with Cluxton's accuracy and speed of restart, even being touch tight often isn't enough. It's also high risk as if Dublin win possession, you are more exposed at the back."


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