Dubs moving smoothly to peak performance level with latest Allianz Football league win
It’s only February, and already the Dubs seem to be moving smoothly and swiftly through the gears on their way to peak performance level.
The All-Ireland champions had to dig deep to get the better of a Paddy McBreary-inspired Donegal side in front of a crowd of 21,469 at Croke Park to make it three NFL wins from three, sending out another ominous and pointed message that they intend to make 2018 another season of sky blue dominance.
But an attack-minded Donegal side asked many questions of the Metropolitans, cutting the gap to a single point late on, before that familiar late flourish killed off their brave bid to cause a shock at GAA HQ.
As the rain pelted the Hill 16 faithful, they also saw waves of Donegal attackers driving towards them in the opening stages as the new Declan Bonner era continued to foster a more positive approach than their supporters had become accustomed to in recent years.
Ryan McHugh and Jamie Brennan got the Ulster men off to a bright and breezy start with tidy scores, but Dublin were ahead by the tenth minute, easing into their stride and picking off scores through Colm Basquel, Niall Scully and Paddy Andrews.
Basquel and Ciaran Kilkenny stretched the advantage as they stretched their opponents, creating the space for the supporting runners.
It was desperation at the back at times for Donegal, and Tony McClenaghan, standing firm against a marauding Michael Darragh Macauley, and Leo McLoone, with a terrific block on Basquel, came to their rescue.
Dangerous on the break, they countered for scores from McLoone and McHugh, but Dublin’s response was a default to a formation invented by Donegal – 14 players forming a swarmed resistance inside their own 45 metre line.
And as they broke with pace, Scully was the perfect outlet, hitting his fourth point from play as they pushed up on the troubled Donegal kick-out.
In stoppage time, Paddy McBrearty picked out Jamie Brennan with an exquisite pass, and the corner forward smashed his shot against a post.
A goal would have narrowed the gap to two points, but it was the Dubs who went in at the break leading by six, 0-11 to 0-5.
Straight from the throw-in, the elegant Fenton hit his second, but Donegal continued to commit men to the offensive effort and were rewarded with scores from the McBrearty brothers, Paddy and Stephen, and Mark McHugh.
Courage and confidence, allied to a positive attitude, kept Donegal very much on the attack, and with 20 minutes to play, they trailed by just a point, thanks to the brilliant finishing of Paddy McBrearty and his younger sibling.
They had hit four on the trot, with the Dubs going ten minutes without a score, until Basquel knocked over a free.
But McLoone was inspired at the back for Donegal, and Paddy McBrearty was on fire, squeezing over a couple of outrageous scores from tight angles on the left.
For a second time, McBrearty cut the gap to the minimum, but the mentally tough Dubs were able to step up the tempo late on, with Ciaran Kilkenny directing operations, and the scores flowed from Mannion, and subs Eoghan O’Gara, Ciaran Reddin and Paddy Small.
S Cluxton; D Byrne, P McMahon, E Lowndes (0-1); J Cooper, J McCarthy, J Small; B Fenton (0-2), MD Macauley; B Howard (0-1), C Kilkenny (0-2), N Scully (0-4); P Mannion (0-2, 1f), C Basquel (0-4, 1f), P Andrews (0-1).
E O’Gara (0-1) for Andrews (45), C O’Sullivan for McMahon (45), D Rock for Macauley (64), C Reddin (0-1) for Scully (72), P Small (0-1) for Basquel (72)
P Boyle; T McClenaghan, C Ward, EB Gallagher, R McHugh (0-2), L McLoone (0-1), M McHugh (0-1); N Mullins, H McFadden; E Doherty; S McBrearty (0-2), C Thompson; P McBrearty (0-7, 3f), O MacNiallais, J Brennan (0-2).
C McGonagle for Mullins (26), N O’Donnell for Thompson (42), M Murphy for MacNiallais (55), C McGinley for M McHugh (64), M O’Reilly for S McBrearty (68), P Brennan for R McHugh (72)
J McQuillan (Cavan).
