The first round of the All-Ireland SFC saw Dublin, the reigning champions, against Roscommon. Unexpectedly, Dublin found themselves needing to bring on their star players earlier in the game than usual. Only 52 minutes into the match, Dublin brought on Seán Bugler, Jack McCaffrey, Colm Basquel, and Paddy Small, all of whom are known for their speed and ability to break through defenses.
Dublin, however, seemed uninspired, primarily due to the lackluster support they received from what seemed to be a mere 15,000 spectators. This number was significantly less than what they drew for the equivalent match during the previous year. Many fans might have made the right choice by choosing to watch from the comfort of their own homes, as the game was quite uneventful until the last moments when Dublin finally picked up their game.
Starting from the 55th minute, they managed to score 2-4 without any answer from Roscommon. The goal scorers were Basquel in the 66th minute and leading scorer Con O’Callaghan in the 70th minute. Ironically, the 12-point winning margin didn’t do justice to the spirited performance from Roscommon, who trailed by just a point at half-time, and had given Dublin a run for their money for most of the game.
Roscommon’s attack was impressively efficient, with goals coming from Diarmuid Murtagh, Conor Cox and Daire Cregg. However, this momentum was not sustainable, specially when the defending Cup holders Dublin sparked into action, securing a win that put them in a comfortable position within their group.
Dublin’s manager Dessie Farrell commented on the game stating that there was an anticipation that it would be an easy game for Dublin. However, they knew it wouldn’t be the case given Roscommon had ample time, five weeks to be exact, to strategise and prepare for their formidable opponents.
“We expected a fiercely competitive match, their strategic planning and discipline were impressive,” he admitted. “We envisaged the deciding moments would occur towards the latter stages of the match.”
The prediction was accurate, albeit, a more proactive Dublin could have secured the match much earlier.
The dilemma for this victorious team, fresh from their 14th successive Leinster title win, is finding the drive to go full throttle when the majority of fans couldn’t even be bothered to show up.
Roscommon’s manager, Davy Burke, was perplexed about the location of the match in such a massive stadium which can accommodate over 82,000 spectators.
“Why on earth is this venue chosen for today’s match?” he queried. “It could have been comfortably accommodated elsewhere, like Tullamore or Parnell Park. The atmosphere would have been more intense.”
It didn’t seem to unsettle Roscommon though. They remained a strong contender for nearly an hour until Dublin intensively increased the pace. Despite the fact that all of Roscommon’s points came from their leading forwards, Burke admitted that their star player, Enda Smith, seemed out of sorts and hasn’t been performing at his best. John Small, the player of the match who delivered an exceptional performance against him, seemed to contribute to this.
“It’s quite evident he’s not at his peak,” Burke stated. “When you’re a star player, you’re more of a target, aren’t you? Perhaps he’s struggling under that pressure, I’m not entirely sure. I’d wager Enda is finding it tough. He’ll bounce back though, ideally next Saturday.”
Roscommon is set to play Mayo on their home ground at Dr Hyde Park, while Dublin will face off against Cavan on the same day.
Dublin, also known as the Sky Blues, might have to play without the stellar defender Cian Murphy, who performed brilliantly on pitch, scoring two points, then injured himself. Farrell did not elaborate on the nature of the injury, merely stating that it will be evaluated. James McCarthy, the team captain, also faces uncertainty as he didn’t feature amongst the 26 selected players.
Farrell stated that James has sustained an injury during their match against Louth, adding to the list of injuries he has faced throughout the season. Despite the challenges, Farrell commends James for his tenacity and dedication to recovery, expressing hope that he may return before the season concludes.
Fellow Ballymun team member and goalkeeper, Evan Comerford, won’t be on the field for the rest of the year due to a knee ligament issue. Stephen Cluxton held up the defence for this game, managing to prevent any goals, which was a significant improvement from past encounters.
For this Dublin game, the team consisted of S Cluxton, S MacMahon, E Murchan, M Fitzsimons, B Howard, C Murphy, J Small, B Fenton, T Lahiff, R McGarry, C Costello, C Kilkenny, P Mannion, C O’Callaghan, and N Scully. Their substitutions included S Bugler, J McCaffrey, C Basquel, P Small, and T Clancy.
Meanwhile, the Roscommon team included C Carroll, R Dolan, B Stack, D Murray, N Higgins, N Daly, E McCormack, E Smith, T O’Rourke, D Ruane, D Smith, C Lennon, D Murtagh, D Cregg, and C Cox. Their subs were S Cunnane, U Harney, R Fallon, B O’Carroll, and K Doyle. The game was officiated by D O’Mahoney of Tipperary.
For detailed political dialogues and analysis, don’t miss our Inside Politics podcast.