GAELIC FOOTBALL Dublin 3-13 Dub Stars 1-18:GIVEN THE context of the game, Pat Gilroy undoubtedly afforded himself a wry smile as Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Darkblared over the PA shortly after the completion of Saturday's Dub Stars challenge on the St Brigid's all-weather surface at Tom Russell Park.
Early injuries to both full backs Paul Brogan (Dublin) and Rory O’Carroll (Dub Stars) meant there was much chopping and changing inside the first five minutes of this annual game.
Brogan’s displays in this year’s club championship had not gone unnoticed by Gilroy but a recurring knee problem saw him replaced by Ger Brennan five minutes into the game.
As such none of the Brogan clan from neighbouring club Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh (Tomás Quinn replaced Alan Brogan at centre forward for the Dub Stars) featured in an encounter which attracted a crowd of 2,000.
Gilroy will have been happy with the display of his two half forwards, Darren Daly and Alan Hubbard while James McCarthy (son of Dublin ’70s legend, John) had a solid game at centre back for Dublin.
Proceeds from Saturday’s game will go back into the funding and development of juvenile games in St Brigid’s, a club which, having contested the three main grades in last year’s club championships, had, by any stretch of the imagination, a phenomenal season.
The club on the day was represented by Kevin Bonner while two former guiding lights during the Caffrey era, Mark Vaughan and Tomás Quinn, featured prominently for the opposition.
Indeed the Dub Stars might have snatched a victory were it not for some phenomenal goalkeeping from Stephen Cluxton, the three-time All Star producing one particularly breathtaking save to deny Quinn in the final quarter.
Gilroy, who announced that Paul Griffin is back in training after missing last year’s championship, saw his team overcome an early deficit to go in front for the first time courtesy of scores from Dean Kelly (2) and Alan Hubbard.
Then came the opening goal on 20 minutes. It came from a long pass from Darragh Nelson with Eoghan O’Gara then escaping the clutches of his marker to shoot into the far corner.
That helped Dublin into a 1-8 to 0-7 lead at the interval and then, shortly after the resumption, new blood Darragh Stapleton registered Dublin’s second goal.
At this stage Michael Darragh Macauley was surging forward from midfield with the Dub Stars struggling to combat the midfielder’s powerful probing runs.
And it was after Bonner had broken from inside his own half that Dublin’s third goal arrived, the latter’s fast break creating the space for Macauley to fire past Ryan O’Flaherty in the Dubs Stars goal.
That moved Dublin eight points clear but with local lad Seán Murray driving the Dubs Stars on, the final quarter saw Gilroy’s charges on the back foot.
And the Dub Stars came desperately close to a goal with only an acrobatic save from Cluxton tipping an effort from Quinn over the bar with a few minutes remaining.
Vaughan did eventually find the back of the net but this time around Dublin were able to hold on for a one-point victory.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P Conlon, P Brogan, M Fitzsimons; P Casey, J McCarthy, D Nelson (0-1); MD Macauley (1-2), C Mullins (0-1); A Hubbard (0-3), K Bonnar, D Daly, D Kelly (0-2), E O'Gara (1-1), K McManamon (0-2). Subs Used: D Stapleton (1-1), C Murphy, G Brennan.
DUB STARS: R O'Flaherty; W Lowry, Rory O'Carroll, G Norton; K Nolan , B McGrath, S Murray; C Dias , K D'Arcy; A Morrissey (0-2), T Quinn (0-7, six frees), L Óg Ó hÉineacháin (0-1); D Connolly, B Kavanagh (0-2), P Andrews (0-2). Subs used:C Lambe, P Burke (0-1), M Vaughan (1-3, one free).
Referee: K Tighe(St Anne's).
