At Kingspan Breffni, Cavan sparred with Dublin approximately for the first 20 minutes, before they were eventually undone by the potency of Dessie Farrell’s squad. The disappointing turnout of 9,028 spectators bore witness to the superior strength of the Dublin team. Despite the rareness of championship showdowns between these two top counties, Dublin continues to dominate.
All signs pointed towards Dublin’s victory against Cavan from the outset of this All-Ireland championship match. Even though Cavan played their best, they were comprehensively outperformed by Dublin’s superior speed, dexterity, and athleticism. The absence of Paddy Lynch, their highest scorer, along with four other key players, notably Jason McLoughlin, Dara McVeety, and Killian Clarke, made the task more formidable.
Despite a neck-to-neck game in the beginning with both teams missing some opportunities, Dublin widened the gulf when Cormac Costello scored in the 24th minute. The gap was impossible for Cavan to close, and after a brief spell of success in the second half when they scored three successive points, Dublin ruled the remainder of the game.
The game was effectively settled when Paddy Small closed the first half by scoring on Costello’s pass. When Brian Fenton collected O’Callaghan’s pass for an easy score, the scoreboard read 2-9 to 0-7 at the half-time whistle. While Cavan did manage to score some good points courtesy of Gerry Smith and Oisin Brady, they were mostly at the mercy of Dublin, with Fenton scoring three times in the first half itself.
Despite notable performances from target man James Smith and Oisin Brady, Cavan couldn’t give Dublin much of a challenge. Led by the dominant Fenton, the Dublin forwards took control of the game. All the forwards, except for Con O’Callaghan, who was well managed before being substituted, seemed to outplay their opponents.
Upon the recommencement of the match, any remaining glimpse of hope vanished swiftly as Killian McGinnis made a smashing score just 24 seconds in. It was apparent then that the scale of Dublin’s victory was the only matter under consideration. Quick points were added by both Niall Scully and top scorer Costello, and Sean Bugler managed to score Dublin’s fourth major following impressive teamwork from Fenton and Costello. Cian Madden scored twice and Oisin Brady got a free, putting a brief pause on Dublin’s onslaught, who nonetheless always had an extra level of intensity to unleash.
The relentless scoring by Dessie Farell’s team continued with substitute player, Colm Basquel scoring thrice. The culmination of this stellar performance was marked by Costello scoring a penalty during injury time. The Dubs’ sheer dominance made it challenging to evaluate their performance critically, however, their ruthlessness, which is a hallmark of their play over the past decade, was evident barring six first-half wides. Meanwhile, Cavan began the championship exceptionally, registering a six-point victory over Dublin, but subsequently suffered three consecutive defeats. Now, they are at a critical juncture, needing to beat Roscommon at a neutral location to progress to the preliminary quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
The scorers from Cavan were: O Brady with 0-7 (4f), Cian Madden with 0-2, L Brady with 0-1 (45), J Smith with 0-1, D Lovett with 0-1, G Smith with 0-1
From Dublin: C Costello scored 2-5 (1-0 pen, 45), P Small scored 1-2, S Bugler scored 1-1, B Fenton scored 0-3, K McGinnis scored 1-0, C Basquel scored 0-3, P Mannion scored 0-2 (2f), N Scully scored 0-1.
The Cavan team comprised of L Brady, C Reilly, Killian Brady, L Fortune, P Faulkner, N Carolan, O Kiernan (Denn), Ciaran Brady, B O’Connell, O Kiernan (Castlerahan), Cian Madden, G Smith, R O’Neill, J Smith, O Brady. Substitutes were: M Magee for C Reilly, P Meade for K Brady (both ht), T Madden for O Kiernan (Castlerahan, 46), R Brady for O Kiernan (Denn, 54), D Lovett for R O’Neill (58).
In Dublin, the team formed by S Cluxton, E Murchan, M Fitzsimons, D Newcombe, B Howard, J Small, S Bugler, B Fenton, K McGinnis, N Scully, C Costello, C Kilkenny, P Mannion, C O’Callaghan, and P Small began the game. As the game progressed, substitutions were made with C Basquel replacing C O’Callaghan in the 46th minute, T Clancy subbing for E Murchan in the 51st minute, and L O’Dell stepping in for J Small in the 54th minute. In the 55th minute, P Ó Cofaigh-Byrne briefly replaced B Fenton, and finally, G McEneaney took P Small’s spot in the 65th minute.