All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Dubs quality tells against plucky Ernemen

August 02, 2015

Dublin's Dean Rock with Mickey Jones of Fermanagh during the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final.
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy.

Dublin progressed to the last four with a routine 2-23 to 2-15 victory over Fermanagh at Croke Park.

The winners, whose goals were scored in either half by Bernard Brogan and Paul Flynn, were far from their best and will have to up the ante when they meet Mayo or Donegal on August 30th.

Fermanagh fought hard but never looked like springing a surprise. They trailed by 13 points ten minutes into the second half and put some respectability on the scoreboard late on when Dublin's concentration drifted.

With Brogan firing 1-4, the winners led by 1-13 to 0-6 at the break, all of those scores coming from play. Fermanagh opted to play against the stiff breeze but were left reeling when the former Footballer of the Year stuck the ball in their net in the 13th minute.

Paddy Andrews - a late addition to the Dublin starting XV - opened the scoring at the end of his side's first attack in the sixth minute and Sean Quigley and Ciaran Kilkenny swapped fisted points before a trademark Brogan point made it 0-3 to 0-1 after ten minutes.

Kilkenny pointed his second and Brogan bagged his goal after gathering Jack McCaffrey's inch-perfect kick-pass. Diarmuid Connolly cancelled out a Tomas Corrigan free and Brogan replied to a Corrigan point from play.

Barry Mulrone swapped points with Kilkenny and Brogan; Dean Rock slotted the point that left seven between them after half an hour, 1-9 to 0-5.

Quickfire points from Connolly, Paul Flynn and Brogan stretched the gap to ten and there was an exchange between Quigley and Rock before the short whistle sounded with ten points separating the teams.

Quigley (free) opened the second-half scoring but Rock (3) and Andrews replied as the gap grew to 13 with 45 minutes played. Quigley brought his second-half tally to 0-3, with Andrews on target in between. The gap was twelve as we passed the three-quarters stage.

Brogan and Brian Fenton cancelled out further Quigley points before the visiting full forward shoved Cluxton over the line for an unlikely and unusual Fermanagh goal. Rock and Mulrone traded points and Dublin registered their second goal when Flynn palmed the ball to an empty net after Rock provided the pass.

The losers responded with a brace from substitute Conal Jones and Corrigan supplied their second goal on the stroke of 70 minutes after some dreadful Dublin defending. Man of the Match Rock and Quigley traded late frees as Jim Gavin's men moved closer to Sam Maguire glory and the northerners left with heads held high.

Dublin - S Cluxton; J Cooper, R O'Carroll, P McMahon; J McCarthy, C O'Sullivan, J McCaffrey; B Fenton (0-1), D Bastick; P Flynn (1-1), C Kilkenny (0-3), D Connolly (0-2); D Rock (0-7, 2f, 1'45), P Andrews (0-3), B Brogan (1-6). Subs: M D Macauley for D Bastick, K McManamon for C Kilkenny, A Brogan for D Connolly, M Fitzsimons for J Cooper, J Small for J McCarthy, C Costello for P Andrews.

Fermanagh - T Treacy; M Jones, M O'Brien, N Cassidy; D McCusker, R McCluskey, J McMahon; E Donnelly, R O'Callaghan; B Mulrone (0-3), R Jones, R Corrigan; P McCusker, S Quigley (1-8, 0-4f), T Corrigan (1-2, 0-1f). Subs: D Kelly for P McCusker, C Jones (0-2) for D McCusker, T Daly for R Jones, D Kille for R Corrigan.

Referee - P O'Sullivan.


Most Read Stories