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Peter Sweeney

Peter Sweeney's Blog

Peter Sweeney is the Gaelic Games Correspondent with the Irish Daily Star Newspaper. He is a regular on television and radio and even though he isn't any good he still tries to play Gaelic football.

  • 11 Jul 2011

    Dublin: Leinster Champions - Barely

    DUBLIN manager Pat Gilroy learned one important lesson in the Leinster final. And it’s that he needs a Plan B for the days when Bernard Brogan isn’t shooting the lights out. On Sunday Brogan kicked two quality points from play and added another from the only free he took. For a mere mortal forward that would be a reasonable return, but the Footballer of the Year - and focus of Dublin’s - attack had a nightmare afternoon at Croke Park. read more

    DUBLIN manager Pat Gilroy learned one important lesson in the Leinster final.

    And it’s that he needs a Plan B for the days when Bernard Brogan isn’t shooting the lights out.

    On Sunday Brogan kicked two quality points from play and added another from the only free he took.

    For a mere mortal forward that would be a reasonable return, but the Footballer of the Year - and focus of Dublin’s - attack had a nightmare afternoon at Croke Park.

    He kicked five wides, dropped a series of shots short to Wexford keeper Anthony Masterson and was even blocked down on a number of occasions.

    On another day he could have finished with eight, nine or more points beside his name and the Dubs would have cruised to victory.

    With him struggling however, the team as a unit struggled too.

    The game plan involves getting men behind the ball, forcing the opposition into giving up the ball under pressure and then hitting Brogan.

    In fairness, for the 60 minutes he was on the field before he was substituted he showed for the ball ever time.

    But his radar was totally off, and credit also has to go to his marker Graeme Molloy for a job well done.

    Diarmuid Connolly, the great hope for Dublin this season, didn’t shine and was taken off before half-time.

    Eoghan O’Gara was improved, but had to go off injured and Tomas Quinn was taken off 33 minutes after being sent on.

    Kevin McManamon made a difference, but if he starts in the All-Ireland quarter-finals it means there isn’t much of an impact to come off the bench.

    Alan Brogan was by far the best of the Dublin attackers, but he is needed at centre forward while neither Paul Flynn nor Bryan Cullen, both brilliantly hard-working on the wings, are four-points-a-day men.

    All-Ireland winning teams generally have more than one forward who can be relied on to do damage.

    At the moment the Dubs only have Bernard Brogan - and as displayed on Sunday even he can have an off day.

    If the Boys in Blue, Leinster Champions again for the sixth time in seven seasons, are to win Sam Maguire for the first time in 16 years Brogan is going to have to be in sensational form.

    And he’s also going to need a little help from his team mates when it comes to getting the vital scores.

Home Away Date Time Venue
London Leitrim 03.06.2012 3:00 Ruislip
Longford Wexford 03.06.2012 2:00 Croke Park
Louth Dublin 03.06.2012 4:00 Croke Park
Clare Limerick 09.06.2012 7:00 Cusack Park, Ennis or Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

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Home Score Away Score Date Venue
Roscommon 0-10 Galway 3-15 20.05 Hyde Park
Cavan 1-10 Donegal 1-16 20.05 Kingspan Breffni Park
Limerick 2-12 Waterford 0-7 20.05 Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Westmeath 0-14 Louth 2-9 20.05 Navan

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