O'Byrne Cup Quarter-finals/Carlow 2-08 Dublin 0-13: First rule of O'Byrne Cup football: don't read too much into the result. Second rule: don't play your strongest team against a weaker county and lose if you want people not to read too much into the result, writes Ian O'Riordan at Dr Cullen Park

Dublin yesterday broke the second rule. Fielding an unexpectedly strong team, one of true championship quality, they came up against Carlow and lost. And it was no fluke. Carlow played the better football and were fully deserving of their one-point win.

So people will start reading things into this result. Beating teams like Carlow is the very least of Dublin's ambitions for the season ahead. Losing with all their best players on the field, having surrendered a half-time lead of eight points, wasn't the result Tommy Lyons wanted.

Later the manager debriefed his team in the dressing-room for a good 20 minutes. When he emerged and was asked for a comment he simply looked the other way and kept walking. Fair to say Lyons wasn't too impressed.

Dublin selector Paul Caffrey offered a few thoughts: "At half-time we had put ourselves in a great position but it was a poor second-half performance. The only real chances we created were in the last five or six minutes. They had seized the initiative at that stage and it wasn't enough.

"So it's back to reality again, and we must face the music for the next few weeks before the start of the national league."

What went wrong for Dublin is not difficult to analyse. Most of their players started well but finished badly. Ray Cosgrove slipped his first free over the bar in the opening minute, and didn't score again. Senan Connell was on fire as usual but failed to get the consistent support he needs. Jason Sherlock hit some lovely points and some terrible wides. Others like Ciarán Whelan and Shane Ryan didn't hit full stride.

And when Carlow came at them in the second half the Dublin defence started to buckle. Young Simon Rea was called into action at half-time and within five minutes had delivered Carlow's first goal, a cracking finish after a pass from Mark Carpenter.

From then on Rea's scorching pace and tireless running was unmatched by any Dublin player.

Corner forward Brian Kelly was also doing what the Dublin forwards couldn't - putting frees over the bar. He posted four and added two points from play.

Carlow also found Brian Carbery in excellent form. His goal on 52 minutes, after a well-timed delivery from Rea, brought the sides level for the first time - 0-12 to 2-6. Carbery eased Carlow into a lead, and Kelly secured it.

Dublin desperately sought a winning goal - one chance was courageously blocked by full back Brian Farrell - but could muster only a late free from Connell. So with the final whistle came a standing ovation for the home team.

"This win is great for Carlow and means an awful lot," said manager Mick Condon. "And I think we can build from here. We've been back since November training hard, with all the players back from last year. We've introduced a few more players today and I think this win will bring them all on."

Despite the apparent problems of the first half, Condon had never lost sight of the victory: "I did feel at half time that the strong wind out there was worth six points. So I just told them to go out for the second half believing in themselves, play football the way they can, and keep their composure. And that's what they did."

Dublin had three tough sessions last week. Yet clearly some old concerns remain. Darren Homan was tried in the full-forward line with limited effect and Darren Magee was eventually replaced at midfield. Stephen O'Shaughnessy at wing back was the only real experiment. In the end it was a game that provided Lyons with more questions than answers, and that's not even reading too deeply into the result.

CARLOW: J Brennan; P Cashin, B Farrell, B English; J Byrne, S O'Brien, J Kavanagh; J McGrath, P Nolan; B Carbery (1-2), T Walsh, M Carpenter; P Hickey, J Nevin, B Kelly (0-6, four frees). Subs: K Walker for Nolan (30 mins), P Kelly for Byrne (34 mins), S Rea (1-0) for McGrath (half-time), D Byrne for Kelly (48 mins), G Walker for Carpenter (59 mins).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Henry, P Christie, P Griffin; S Ryan, C Goggins, S O'Shaughnessy; D Magee, C Whelan (0-1); S Connell (0-4, one free), B Cullen (0-2), J McNally; R Cosgrove (0-1, a free), D Homan (0-2), J Sherlock (0-3). Subs: D Murray for Ryan (43 mins), B Kennedy for McNally (59 mins), J Coughlan for Magee (67 mins).

Referee: J Smith (Meath).