'We'll be having a serious conversation': Mistakes and wides frustrate Dublin in loss to Armagh

The 42

2 days ago

THE FIRST DAY of June marked an afternoon of Croke Park returns.
For Dublin a first run out at the venue in championship 2025, in their fourth game in the competition.
For Armagh a first run out at the venue since they grasped Sam Maguire last July and celebrated wildly.
It was a happier comeback for one more than the other. Armagh departed last evening with sufficient positives to nourish them on the journey home, for Dublin it was a defeat that left them with plenty to digest.
The upshot of their first loss in a group game of this All-Ireland system, their eighth encounter since the format commenced in 2023, is that they cannot top their group this year.
A win or a draw against Derry in a fortnight guarantees the extension of their season, but they would then face the prospect of a preliminary quarter-final for the first time, having sailed directly into the last eight in the last two years.
Roscommon and Mayo pushed them hard to force draws in the past couple of campaigns, but Dublin had avoided defeat, their in-built resilience never better illustrated than the rousing victory in Pearse Stadium a couple of weeks ago.
This proved a step too far. The standard of opposition must be factored in, Dublin's early Leinster exit meant this was the most daunting group they have been placed in. The reigning All-Ireland champions carry that weighty tag for good reason. They demand more of teams.
The loss chips away a little more at Dublin's standing. Armagh become the fifth side over the last five seasons to have defeated Dublin in championship and the fourth to have done so in Croke Park, joining Mayo, Kerry, and Galway in the latter category, while Meath's April conquest ended their Leinster dominance.
The raft of big names that retired or opted out last winter created difficult gaps to fill, yet more pressing here was the Con O'Callaghan-shaped hole in their attack. An injury incurred against Galway scrubbed Dublin's captain from their plans. Dessie Farrell didn't need the early season club footballer of the year displays for Cuala or the footage from the three points he posted in his 45 minutes on the pitch against Galway, as a reminder of O'Callaghan's talents.
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A frustrated Dessie Farrell. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
'I think what you're supposed to say in this situation is an opportunity for somebody else,' began the Dublin manager.
'But when you're dealing with somebody like Con, it's definitely a loss. There's no denying that, there's no getting away from that.
'But that's the challenge we faced. We faced it in 2022 when he missed the back end of the championship and we came up short against Kerry in the semi-final. We were prepared for not having him on the pitch today, so it's not as if it was a bolt from the blue.
'But ultimately, I think we missed his leadership out there at different times.
'Obviously, he brings a level of composure and a level of calm that we struggled with at times today.'
Dublin's Cormac Costello and Jason Duffy of Armagh. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The glaring statistics of 18 wides and four shots dropped short, one of those striking the upright, illustrated a Dublin problem that O'Callaghan's presence would help solve. On a wider level the game maintained a jarring trend for Dublin this season, they have been outscored on two-pointers in their four championship matches to date.
Armagh won that contest 5-3 here, and the overall figure reads 15-7 against Dublin.
That is a new rule to adjust to, sticking rigidly to the 4 v 3 setups in either half of the pitch is another. Dublin breached that on three occasions in a rapid-fire sequence in the third quarter, coughing up easy chances from frees in front of Hill 16 for Rory Grugan to tap over.
Farrell's frustration with that shortcoming was clearly evident.
'Look it, it just shouldn't be happening. Whether they're marginal calls or not, we shouldn't be putting ourselves in that position.
'Definitely, it's a conversation that was being had earlier in the league, and everyone was learning and trying to adapt at that stage.
'At this point in time, it should be embedded. Whatever about getting caught on one because of the ebb and flow of the game, but to get it done for three and then we'd a breach on the technical, the fielding on the mark in the first half as well, which cost us another two points.
'That's just not good enough. We'll be having a serious conversation about that.'
Armagh's Oisin Conaty with Dublin's Theo Clancy. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
Dublin had looked sharp and energetic at the start, Niall Scully's raking deliveries benefiting Paddy Small and Cormac Costello, an inside forward pair that seemed set to cause havoc on the evidence of the first quarter. The scores dried up afterwards as Dublin's accuracy fell apart. There was an anxiety to their shot selection in opting for two-point attempts as they chased the game, and their dogged persistence in chasing Armagh couldn't close that five-point deficit.
His counterpart Kieran McGeeney wasn't happy with Armagh's goal conversion ratio, Stephen Cluxton's shot-stopping a striking facet of the opening half.
'I'd say now we'll have fun in the video session, honestly.'
But it was hard to conceal the sense of satisfaction at seeing his Armagh charges top their group for their third year in a row, the latest table-topping feat achieved with a round to spare.
McGeeney is wary of facing Galway – 'still one of the top three or four teams in the country' – next time out, even if Armagh are already qualified.
'They'll be smarting, because they know how good they are. If you go soft to that, you'll both lose players, and you can lose a whole lot of other things as well.'
But the manner in which his team have once again parked Ulster final heartbreak is admirable, albeit the tale of the entire 2024 season provided them with the wisdom of the bigger picture.
'I know all the players wanted to win that Ulster final. They still want to win one, but they still know that in sport it's always about the big prize. That's what you're pushing for the whole time. Once it's over, you realise you're still in the race that you started.'
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He wasn't inclined to be drawn into talk of whether the 2025 Armagh version is superior to last year's offering, but in the form of Ross McQuillan, Jarly Óg Burns, and Darragh McMullan, there is no shortage of encouragement.
Armagh's Rory Grugan with Dublin's Killian McGinnis and Sean Bugler. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
And man-of-the-match Rory Grugan drew special praise.
'I think Rory's one of the best players I've ever seen. He's outstanding, has been for us for years. You always look at it from a different perspective. You see it from the inside out rather from the outside in. It's another good performance from him.'
Farrell knew what his Dublin team would collide with.
The consequence will sharpen their minds, Dublin have now lost two games in a championship season for only the second time in 21 years.
'Today was always going to be a massive test for us, a huge, huge challenge. They're a very, very talented and well-drilled team.
'There's huge learning, I think. The challenge is how quickly we can embrace that. We're into knockout football at this stage and that was always coming.
'Maybe two weeks earlier than we would have liked. But that possibility was always there. Derry is going to be formidable opposition.'