Leinster GAA Football Championship FinalDublin 2-12 Wexford 1-12
Dublin won their 50th Leinster GAA Football Championship title at Croke Park on Sunday, but it is hard to imagine any one of those was greeted with more muted celebrations than followed this fortunate three-point win over Wexford.
Wexford came in search of a first Leinster title in 66 years and they looked on course to end that drought when they overcame a sluggish first half to take control of the game in the third quarter.
Redmond Barry’s goal in the 44th minute gave Wexford a 1-7 to 1-7 lead and Jason Ryan’s side were brimming with confidence after turning the game on its head, having trailed by 0-6 to 0-2 at one stage in the first half.
However, the turning point of the game came after 51 minutes, when Wexford goalkeeper Anthony Masterson was desperately unlucky to see a fisted clearance bounce off full-back Graeme Molloy and trickle into an unguarded net.
After a listless performance up to that point - especially in attack, where the Dublin forwards were uncharacteristically profligate - the goal finally jolted Dublin into life and they had a second goal six minutes later, wing-back James McCarthy making a 30-yard run through the Wexford defence and slamming a shot past Masterson.
It was an unfortunate double blow that Wexford would not recover from, although they did reduce the gap to three points with a couple of minutes left and substitute Paddy Byrne even had a chance to level the game but his shot was well saved by Stephen Cluxton, the Dublin goalkeeper.
Such was the underwhelming nature of the Dublin performance, the celebrations afterwards were muted as Bryan Cullen lifted the trophy, the captain later admitting the Dubs needed to go 'back to the drawing board' ahead of their All-Ireland quarter-final in three weeks' time.
It would be unfair on Wexford to simply highlight how off-color Dublin were, but the fact that their manager, Pat Gilroy, felt obliged to completely reconfigure his attack, taking off Diarmuid Connolly and Eoghan O’Gara - who was struggling with a wrist injury - by half-time and replacing them with Tomas Quinn and Kevin McManamon, tells its own story. Even Footballer of the Year Bernard Brogan was taken off late in the second half, having kicked far more wides (11) than he did points (three).
Up front, Alan Brogan was a beacon of hope for the Dubs throughout, scoring three points from play and lifting his team-mates with his incessant running and clever passing from centre-forward, while the introduction of Kevin McMenamin added an extra dimension in the forward line.
Ben Brosnan was Wexford’s stand-out player, kicking nine points that take him to the top of the Championship scoring charts, the Bannow-Ballymitty man once again peerless from placed balls.
Dublin were on top in the opening quarter, but they were let down by some poor decision-making, Connolly, Bernard Brogan and Eamonn Fennell all kicking poor wides when a little more patience was required.
Despite looking ponderous and one-dimensional when in possession, as well as constantly turning over the ball, Wexford were in fact level at 0-2 to 0-2 when Brosnan struck the first of his nine-point haul in the 12th minute.
But the Dubs hit their stride at the start of the second quarter, kicking four successive points to take control. Cullen’s left-footed shot into the Hill was the pick of the bunch, the time he was given to take aim highlighting the difference in intensity each team brought to the game, though.
Wexford did have plenty of ball but every time they tried to penetrate the Dublin defence they seemed to lack the ideas necessary to carve out an opening. Poor distribution and short, lateral passing was what they resorted to and Dublin appeared capable of winning the ball back at will, Wexford midfielder Eric Bradley guilty on several occasions of turning over possession.
Ciarán Lyng’s second glorious point of the game ended a particularly bleak spell for the Models’ attack, before they kicked the final three points of the half to come charging back into the game. Brosnan scored two of them, a free and a ’45, to leave Wexford within a point.
Amazingly, Brosnan had a chance to level the game going into the break, but for once he was off target. Nevertheless, Jason Ryan was the far happier of the two managers going into at half-time, his side trailing by 0-7 to 0-6 having been outplayed for much of the first period.
By now Gilroy had taken off Connolly and O’Gara, the Dublin manager clearly not happy with his miss-firing attack or the way his side had appeared to go to sleep after establishing their dominance in the first half.
Wexford were buzzing at the start of the second half and PJ Banville gave their attack even more pep after his introductions as a sub. Brosnan levelled the game on 42 minutes and then Barry found the net to complete a remarkable turnaround. Banville created the goal, slicing through the Dublin attack and slipping a handpass inside to the unmarked Barry, who skipped around Cluxton to score.
McManamon, on in place of O’Gara at half-time and giving some much needed bite, responded with a point and Bernard Brogan got away from Molloy to add another for the Dubs, before Masterson’s error gifted Dublin a goal, and, possibly, the match. Quinn’s shot fell well short and Masterson came to clear the ball as Bernard Brogan was lurking, but the Wexford ‘keeper’s punch hit Molloy in the back and trickled over the line.
It was a desperately unlucky break for Wexford and there was further heartbreak to come. James McCarthy beat Daithí Waters for pace on the outside under the Hogan Stand and as the Wexford defence stood off him, the Ballymun man had a clear run on goal and left Masterson with no chance with a powerful finish.
Five points down, Wexford might have rolled over, but Brosnan scored three more points in the final 10 minutes to give his side hope of a late comeback, but when substitute Byrne shot straight at Cluxton with a couple of minutes left, it was the end of their challenge.
Dublin Scorers: S Cluxton (0-1, 0-1 ’45), J McCarthy 1-0, D Bastick 0-1, P Flynn 0-1, A Brogan 0-3, B Cullen 0-1, B Brogan 0-3 (0-1f), K McManamon 0-1, R McConnell 0-1, G Molloy 1-0 (OG).
Wexford Scorers: A Flynn 0-1, C Lyng 0-2, Brosnan 0-9 (0-6f, 0-2 ’45), R Barry 1-0.
Dublin: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, R O’Carroll, P Conlon; J McCarthy, G Brennan, K Nolan; D Bastick, E Fennell; P Flynn, A Brogan, B Cullen; E O’Gara, D Connolly, B Brogan. Subs: T Quinn for Connolly (31), K McManamon for O’Gara (HT), B Cahill for Fennell (52), D Henry for B Brogan (62), R McConnell for Quinn (69).
Wexford: Anthony Masterson; Joey Wadding, Graeme Molloy, Brian Malone; Adrian Flynn, David Murphy (Capt), Aindreas Doyle; Daithí Waters, Rory Quinlivan; Shane Roche, Ciarán Lyng, Ben Brosnan; Colm Morris, Eric Bradley, Redmond Barry. Subs: PJ Banville for Roche (41), A Morrissey for Doyle (53), P Byrne for Morris (63), LOg McGovern for Quinlivan (65).
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
Attendance: 43, 983
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