‘It's been a privilege' - Dessie Farrell steps down after Dublin fail to step up against Tyrone

Irish Times

14 hours ago

All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Tyrone 0-23 Dublin 0-16
In the end
Dublin
capitulated.
Tyrone
absorbed 15 or 20 minutes of dull pressure, holding on to a lead that took the strain, like old rope. Then they let fly. In the space of five hectic minutes, they kicked the last five scores of the game, ransacking Dublin's kick-out and looting the Dublin goal as they pleased.
Immediately afterwards
Dessie Farrell
resigned as Dublin manager after seven seasons in the role. After a slew of retirements in the off-season Farrell had tried to refashion the team with squad players and emerging players, but it never amounted to a critical mass. Dublin retreated into the pack, surrendering their Leinster title and their perennial status as front-runners for the
All-Ireland
. These things rarely end well.
'I would've informed the county board at the start of this season that regardless of what happened this was going to be my last season,' Farrell said on GAA+. 'The players were aware of that and I've just informed them, just to confirm it. It's been a privilege.
'As a player and coach I've been involved with Dublin for the guts of 40 years. It's a long time, it's been very much part-and-parcel of my life and I've met some amazing people along the way, all the backroom teams, all the coaches of the underage teams, the senior teams for the last couple of years. I've met some great, special people along the way.
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Dublin manager Dessie Farrell reacts near the need of the game at Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
'And the players. I've had a ringside seat in many ways to some of the greatest warriors who ever played the sport. I've been involved with some of them from under-13 right the way through to today. I've seen them grow from young boys to young men, to older men. That's a journey I'm so grateful for. Delighted to have been involved as long as I have and we've had good days and bad days. That's part of elite sport, and some special memories, some special bonds and relationships'
'We weren't able to pull the performance together the way we wanted. We just can't play like that and expect to get across the line on big days. It's a young group and a different group, and I'm sure a lot of them will learn valuable lessons from today and use it as a building block for the future.'
The final margin didn't reflect how tense and close the second half had been, and maybe it exaggerates Tyrone's superiority, but not grossly. Their counterattacks were more dynamic, their finishing was sharper and their defence reduced Dublin to the kind of keep-ball that the new rules have disembowelled.
Dublin led for less than two minutes in the game and drew level for the last time eight minutes into the second half. Undaunted, Tyrone kicked the next three points. Dublin never produced a period of dominance or significant momentum. With 12 minutes to go they trailed by only a point but scored just once in the time that remained.
For Dublin, it is the second year in a row that they have been eliminated in the quarter-finals; for Tyrone, it is the first time they have progressed beyond this stage since they won the title four years ago. In the most open championship in memory, they have a puncher's chance.
In the absence of goals, two-pointers moved the dial. Tyrone ended the game with five; Dublin had none. Every time Brian Howard approached the arc in space the Hill were baying for him to shoot, but his only attempt in the second half trailed wide.
Con O'Callaghan
had a failed attempt too, but the most consequential miss came five minutes from the end.
Tyrone's Ruairí and Daragh Canavan celebrates scoring a late point at Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
With just a point between the teams,
Stephen Cluxton
stood up to a free, a little more than 50 metres from the Tyrone goal but dragged his shot wide at the near post. Tyrone scored from the restart and kicked for home.
Dublin will reflect on two goal chances, both of which fell to Cormac Costello. The first effort, early in the game, was speculative; the second, early in the second half, was clearcut. Rory Brennan sold himself cheaply on a straight ball and Costello was clean through, but he snatched at his shot, and didn't even force a save from Niall Morgan.
Tyrone's efficiency was better. They had fewer wides and fewer shots that dropped short. Kieran McGeary was terrific in defence and attack and Dublin eventually lost control of Darragh Canavan. His brother Ruairí came off the bench to kick two points, and Tyrone finished the game with nine different scorers from play. It was the kind of thing Dublin used to do.
The breeze didn't seem to be significant, but it encouraged outside shooting into the Canal End and Tyrone immediately explored those possibilities. Their first three scores inside the opening 10 minutes were two-pointers from McGeary, Peter Teague and Peter Harte. They weren't interested in jabs to the body.
Dublin replied with three successive scores from turnovers, two of them inside the Tyrone half, and they drew level 0-6 to 0-6 midway through the first half. Costello consistently put himself in shooting positions and by half-time he had kicked five points, three of them from play.
But his productivity dropped in the second half and others struggled to pick up the slack. Paddy Small kicked a couple of second-half points, and Ciarán Kilkenny landed one.
O'Callaghan scored a delightful point too, but a long-range effort went wide and he left another kick short from relatively close range. He came on in the second half with a strapping on his lower left leg and it is impossible to say how close he was to full fitness. In any case, he couldn't produce a bolt of lightning like so often in the past.
This Dublin team didn't have that stuff.
TYRONE:
N Morgan (0-1-1, tpf, 45); C Quinn, P Hampsey, N Devlin (0-0-1); P Teague (0-1-0), R Brennan, K McGeary (0-1-0); B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O'Donnell, P Harte (0-2-0), C Daly (0-0-2); D McCurry (0-0-2, 1f), M Donnelly, D Canavan (0-0-3).
Subs:
B McDonnell (0-0-1) for Brennan (44 mins); E McElholm (0-0-1) for McCurry (52); A Clarke for Quinn (56); R Canavan (0-0-2) for Harte (63); M O'Neill for McGeary (68).
DUBLIN:
S Cluxton (0-0-1, a 45); E Murchan, D Byrne, S McMahon; B Howard, J Small, L Gannon; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, K McGinnis (0-0-1); S Bugler, C Kilkenny (0-0-1), N Scully (0-0-1); P Small (0-0-2), C Costello (0-0-6, 2f), B O'Leary (0-0-2).
Subs:
C Murphy for McGinnis (44 mins); C O'Callaghan (0-0-1) for O'Leary (50); L Breathnach (0-0-1) for Scully (56); T Lahiff for Ó Coffaigh Byrne (58); R McGarry for Bugler (65); T Clancy for Murchan (68).
Referee:
David Coldrick (Meath).