NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE - DIVISION 1A/Dublin ... 3-13 Westmeath ... 1-16: It's as if someone has wandered onto the pitch beside Donnycarney church, opened a bottle and unleashed some free spirits. The restraint that characterised the Dublin of recent years has been replaced by a dare-devil adventurousness and, in a heart-thumping, adrenaline-flushed whirlwind of an Allianz Football League encounter at Parnell Park yesterday, the home side ultimately held off a Westmeath team that refused to capitulate until the final whistle.
"I said I'd get this team to play football with a swagger," remarked Dublin manager Tommy Lyons. Who can argue with that? This was a breathtaking game - primarily for the participants, with players forced to suck in air as though it were a precious commodity - which Dublin initially looked like winning in a canter, then looked liked losing and, finally, just about deserved to win. The blue-clad ones in the 7,000 crowd went home chirping merrily.
For their part, Westmeath overcame some early defensive mistakes and a tendency to overplay the ball by fighting back from a seven-point deficit in the first half to draw level after 14 minutes of the second.
Rory O'Connell, who was outstanding in midfield, was central to this revival, but their failure to see things through (especially with two late goal chances) will irritate.
You don't expect games like this on the first weekend of March. The football on occasions was snatched from a dry summer's sod when do-or-die matches are at stake and, for Dublin, the impression of earlier matches in the league that some creativity and imagination has materialised in attack was confirmed.
Many might like to see Alan Brogan wrapped in cotton wool for a little longer. Yesterday, though, he showed that he has the strength and maturity to cope. He took the tackles without complaint and, when Dublin needed inspiration, he assumed the responsibility to kick the points that enabled them to shake off Westmeath.
But there was someone else who had even greater impact. The wastefulness of recent years, when Shane Ryan was deployed as a corner back, if at all, was turned into a thing of wonderment. Revelling in the role of centre forward, Ryan scored two goals in the first half.
The first, in the 11th minute, came when another born-again figure, Ray Cosgrove, played him in with a sublime ball, and the second, in the 21st minute, was struck with such ferocity that the net was in danger of bursting.
Dublin's third goal of a dream-like first half came in the 29th minute. Eoin Bennis, who worked as hard as anyone, played in John McNally who made a line for the Westmeath posts, only to be impeded by Kieran Ryan. McNally lifted himself up to blast the penalty to the net, and open up a 3-4 to 0-6 lead.
Two late points from substitute Russell Casey and Derek Heavin, however, gave Westmeath some heart as they trudged into the dressing room for half-time.
Westmeath's response from the restart was to take the game to Dublin with a flourish. O'Connell stamped his authority all over the middle of the field, and Joe Fallon, JP Casey and Fergal Wilson made things happen closer in to goal.
What seemed like an inevitable goal came in the 41st minute. Wilson beat Peadar Andrews to a blocked-down ball, played it to Michael Ennis who gave it on to Paul Conway and he shot home.
When Wilson kicked over another point three minutes later, the sides were level and the impetus was with Westmeath.
That 14-minute spell by Westmeath was classic football. But once Dublin stemmed the tide, they fought back themselves. Four unanswered points - from Cosgrove, substitute Senan Connell, a 45 from McNally and Brogan - gave Dublin the initiative again.
Westmeath had two great goal chances but, on the first occasion, Casey punched wide, then, four minutes into injury time, David O'Shaughnessy kicked wide.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Henry, P Andrews, C Goggins; M Casey, D Darcy, P Curran; D Homan, K Darcy; C Whelan, S Ryan (2-1), E Bennis; A Brogan (0-3), J McNally (1-3, goal from a penalty, point from 45), R Cosgrove 0-5, three frees). Subs: D Magee for K Darcy (42 mins), B Cahill for Casey (46 mins), S Connell (0-1) for Bennis, J Sherlock for Whelan (70 mins).
WESTMEATH: C Mullin; J Davitt, D Mitchell, F Murray; D Healy, K Ryan, J Keane; R O'Connell, D Hughes; M Ennis, F Wilson (0-3), D Heavin (0-2); J Fallon (0-5, three frees), P Conway (1-0), JP Casey (0-5, four frees) . Subs: R Casey (0-1) for Mitchell (25 mins), D O'Shaughnessy for Conway (53 mins), R Browne for Hughes (55 mins), A Mangan for Heavin (59 mins), T Cleary for Browne (62 mins).
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).
