Dublin ... 2-13 Blue Stars ... 1-8After several weeks on the end-of-year sports awards circuit, the last thing Tommy Lyons probably needs right now is any more ideas on the make-up of the Dublin senior football team.
It is safe to assume that, having endured many a late-night talking session, his head is spinning with a thousand ideas - all seriously thought out, and by genuine Dublin supporters - on who should stay, who should go, and who can provide the missing link for 2003.
Sure Coman Goggins should have been moved forward last year, and Jason Sherlock should have started all along. And where was Wayne McCarthy to take that final free against Armagh?
Unfortunately for Lyons, the annual Blue Stars challenge game, staged yesterday by the Thomas Davis club in Tallaght, is designed to give some lesser-known Dubs their chance to shine against the county seniors. With that comes the inevitable inquisition into who might subsequently emerge onto the panel in the coming weeks.
Though his Dublin team won comfortably against the Blue Stars selection (made up of the county's best club performers in 2002), there were yet more ideas for Lyons to dwell upon during the team's upcoming holiday to South Africa. Afterwards, however, he wasn't giving too many of those thoughts away.
"Well, I think we saw a good 35 or 36 Dublin footballers out there," he said, "and on the 5th of January that has to be a positive thing. It was a good old workout too.
"There are a lot of good footballers in Dublin right now, but we have to find a few more of them this year. And we will find them, players that just didn't quite get there last year for whatever reason. And I'm quite comfortable in saying we will give the championship another good old lash this year."
One player clearly on the verge last year was wing forward Eoin Bennis, and his 1-1 contribution yesterday won't have gone unnoticed. His goal was fired home from close range on 37 minutes after a perfect pass from Darren Magee - a move that also extended Dublin's dominance on the scoreboard to 2-8 to 0-4.
Two of the younger players given their chance by Lyons were centre forward Bryan Cullen and corner forward David O'Callaghan - and both players grabbed it. Cullen was centre back on the minor team last year yet fitted like a glove at centre forward, contributing 0-4 (three frees). Though he still has another three years in the under-21 grade his promotion to the senior panel should be swift.
O'Callaghan has so far shown most of his potential in hurling, but after scoring 1-2 the under-21 player may find himself facing some hard choices over the coming weeks, as Lyons does not accept dual loyalties at senior level.
Ray Cosgrove shone as expected for the Blue Stars, though the St Vincent's duo of Kevin Golden and Tomás Quinn had a hard time finding their feet. But there was a good show from Jonny Magee, who looks intent on having a big year in 2003.
So Lyons can look forward to a fortnight in the South African sun knowing there is no shortage of eager players for the months ahead: "The only problem is that when we come back we're straight into the league," he added. "So you can't really think too much about championship training. But sure we'll have a few days somewhere and get it done anyway."
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; B Cahill, M Breathnach, P Griffin; P Casey (0-1), C Goggins, P Andrews; D Homan (0-1), S Ryan; C Moran (0-1), B Cullen (0-4, three frees), E Bennis (1-1); D O'Callaghan (1-2), T Mulligan (0-1), J Sherlock. Subs: B Murphy for Cluxton, D Corcoran for Breathnach, K Kavanagh for Griffin, L Óg Ó hEinneacháin for Mulligan (all half-time), J Noonan (0-1) for O'Callaghan (32 mins), D Lally for Sherlock (37 mins), K Darcy (0-1) for Moran (39 mins), E Crennan for Ryan (40 mins).
BLUE STARS: G McGill; R Lambe, C Evans, B Ó hAnnaidh; M Casey, J Magee (0-2), D Henry; D Magee (1-1), C McManus; J O'Connor, S Connell (0-1), J Doyle; K Golden (0-1), R Cosgrove (0-3, two frees), T Quinn. Subs: D Kiernan for Doyle (half-time), C Keaney for Lambe (40 mins), L McCormack for McGill, C Whelan for McManus (both 43 mins), I Foley for Golden (45 mins), McManus for Quinn (48 mins).
Referee: D Conway (Ballyboden)
