baire (Galway) - Posts: 1818 - 14/07/2019 22:09:21    2211051

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 14/07/2019 23:24:54    2211093

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 15/07/2019 07:30:53    2211129

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 15/07/2019 08:12:02    2211138

avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1974 - 15/07/2019 09:01:18    2211159

Well now back to feeling human today, a beautiful sunny evening in Drumcondra was a tempter to far not to get well inebriated as we welcomed Munsters finest to the home of Dublin football.

Drumcondra was nice and tidy as the sun beamed down a fair crowd but not an uncomfortable one that you get at semi or a final.

We certainly for value for money. Dublin started with MDM coming in for Jamsie, while Cork had all the names that have gotten them back to the top football.

In the first ten mins Cork came massively out of the traps and went at Dublin in a way i probably haven't seen since the Kerry game in 2013. They made some serious hay as they tested our central Chanel and in all honesty probably took us a bit by surprise. The quality on show was class, both in running directly, movement and quality in finishing. Cork have some serious footballers with their tails up and Hurley, Kerrigan, Deane and Sean Whilly are making any county team in the country. Dublins central chanel and back line struggled hugely and Cork brought a tempo early doors that got Dublin on the hop.

Dublin looked a bit jaded early doors doing the perfunctory stuff at a pace. Jack looked bored after going 5 down and decided to put on the after burners and ran the length of the field to stick one in the back on the net. In full flow the man just cant be caught. That seemed to signal the rest of the Dublin team that their was a game on and Fenton and Brian Howard decided to play a bit. Dublin turned the screw, but Cork refused to let the head drop and we wit for tat in the last quarter, Dublin just slightly edging it as we headed for half time. As everyone was looking forward to the water break, Dublin just upped ever so slightly and went in and got the safety goal before half time, which must have been massively deflating for Cork.

It turned out they needed as Cork came out of the traps determined to give us a rattle in the second half and had the best of third quarter as Dublin just about managed to keep them at arms length heading into the final quarter by about 5 points or so, Via Cluxton needing to pull off minimum three excellent saves to deny goal scoring chances.

With the game young in the last quarter Dublin, tested tired legs and worked an excellent team goal to finish the game as a contest. The cork keeper made a horrible mistake and we were in for another. The bench was emptied as the audition process for starting spot as more goals and points rained in with lads with a point to prove. We eventually ran out comfortably hitting a score in the young 30's and if you are posting that in an All Ireland quarter against cork you are doing well.

In analysis Cork were excellent, really a credit to their county and the spirit of playing an open and expansive game. based on Saturday they will cause both Roscommon and Tyrone problems and am happy to have gotten two points out of the game. they are on the way back and no mistake, some great work being dont there.

As for Dublin we were cleaned out in midfield for me, until half way through the second half before Howard went to support Fenton, MDM bring a lot of energy but we loose something in fielding without Jamsie in there. Howard was immense though, hard to believe he is so young, very close to my man of the match.

Thought we also looked weak defensively through the central channel and struggled with Corks running game. That said we were committing bodies forward from our backs and we took a number of risks. But i thought we were caught ball watching more then once. Davy Byrne and Mick Fitzsimons didn't have good games for me Fitzer in particular. I think we may see a reshuffle at the back for the next game.

Elsewise Ciaran Kilkenny is having a quiet year by his own lofty standards seems a default now that teams are man marking him, Cormac as well was very quiet and is surely for the chop the next game with Deano coming on the second game running like a man possessed racking up scores.

On the positive, Jack, Howard, Fenton, Jonny Small and the breakout for me of the year King Con were all superb and really tipped the game in our favor these lads are now the leader of the team. of course Cluxton was immense even with his kick out squeezed, he saved three minimum nailed on goals.

Was a great game for us at Championship pitch and will bring us on a lot.

We have a lot of players to come back in next day and i expect changes, great to see Jonny Cooper back and Jamsie.

We go again and welcome the Rossies to the home of Dublin football for the main event next Saturday night. Cant wait.

Happy Diarmuid Connolly Day everyone. ;)

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 15/07/2019 10:28:21    2211220

Gator (Monaghan) - Posts: 238 - 15/07/2019 11:35:23    2211261

Well i suppose Eoin Cadogan will revert back to the footballers now in his quest for glory. How often has he done this reverting from one code to the other, desperate for another all ireland medal.

bobkat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 17 - 15/07/2019 12:17:46    2211290

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 15/07/2019 12:31:21    2211300

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 15/07/2019 12:51:18    2211314

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 15/07/2019 13:15:57    2211331

offyertrolley (Leitrim) - Posts: 141 - 15/07/2019 13:40:36    2211349

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 15/07/2019 13:49:59    2211353

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 15/07/2019 13:59:26    2211359

avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1974 - 15/07/2019 14:14:20    2211368

Although I do think Dublin should be playing only 1 game at Croke Park, I think people need to get some facts right about this 'Neutral Venue' issue. The 2nd round of games is not deemed a neutral venue game per se, it is a Croke Park fixture. Obviously, there is a bit of unfairness when you consider Dublin play nearly all their games there.
But under the current context, even if Dublin were to play in Parnell Park for their home game, they would still play their next game at Croke Park.
What Donegal should have been proposing at congress was the removal of Dublin from the list of participants in the Croke Park fixture or remove Croke Park as a list of grounds where round 2 games can be played altogether.
Either way, the games are going ahead, so people talking about how unfair it is are simply whinging for the sake of it.

For the record, I think they should have removed Croke Park from the neutral venue list. Let random games play all over the country, in mostly unused grounds from this side of the summer, boosting local economies and bringing the big games around the country in the middle of the summer would have made things much more interesting.

Imagine Donegal and Kerry, Tyrone and Cork in Thurles, Meath and Mayo in Clones, Dublin and Roscommon in Limerick

keithlemon (Australia) - Posts: 920 - 15/07/2019 15:27:13    2211405

The pop concert by west life? no idea who they are apparently stopped the Dubs from scoring against Cork, could west life play again the evening before the final or have a ploughing competition in HQ or something.

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1197 - 15/07/2019 17:58:07    2211490

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 15/07/2019 20:08:54    2211569

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 15/07/2019 22:25:05    2211650

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1358 - 18/07/2019 20:24:51    2212909