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The 42
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
'We'll be having a serious conversation': Mistakes and wides frustrate Dublin in loss to Armagh
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. Advertisement 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.' Related Reads Here is the Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final draw following today's action Armagh impress in victory over Dublin to ensure top group spot Ruthless Donegal put Cavan to the sword in 19-point win 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.'
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Kieran McGeeney rues missed goal chances but happy that Armagh topped group
Kieran McGeeney felt both his Armagh side and Dublin failed to hit the heights in their clash at Croke Park, while also lamenting the number of goal chances spurned by the All-Ireland SFC champions. A five-point win at GAA HQ ensured the Ulster county's progression through to the quarter-finals of this year's race for Sam Maguire, with the Dubs now needing to avoid defeat in their final-round encounter against Derry to ensure that they remain involved. It was a deserved win for Armagh, this despite the 17 wides that Dessie Farrell's side chalked up and their 4/3 breaches. For McGeeney, he felt his side could have made a greater indent on the scoreboard by way of raising green flags. Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he summed up the clash by saying: "Both teams weren't at their best." On the failure to put the ball past Stephen Cluxton, he said: "We missed a lot of goal chances in the first half and they missed a lot of chances overall. "There wouldn't have been much in it if they had their shooting boots on. We had four one-on-ones with Stephen and got nothing out of it and I think they got three points from our 12-point chances. Look, it was great to win the game and we top the group, so that's a big thing for us." That said, the Orchard County boss was less than impressed by what he witnessed. Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney sees plenty of room for improvement with his side's performance, despite their five point victory over Dublin at Croke Park, a win that sends them into the to All-Ireland quarter-finals. #RTEGAA #TheSundayGame — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 1, 2025 He added: "You can see the pace of Dublin when they go on the attack and they are frightening when they go through that middle part. We were happy with some parts but if we are to progress any further we will need a big improvement. "We did a lot of good stuff but at this level you have to take those chances. Cluxton is a top keeper but we made it easy for them and I'm sure Dessie is in there giving them loads for missing those point chances." His opposite number also lamented his side's accuracy in front of the posts, Farrell commenting: "It was disappointing in that I thought we prepared well but we were sloppy out there. Shooting efficiency cost us dearly and we had a couple of those technical breaches as well, which was very unlike us. "That cost us five points and you won't get way with that against a team like Armagh. At this stage we have to stay on script and keep driving on; it's about development, growth, taking the lessons, and continuing to build for ourselves. There are ups and downs along the way. Today wasn't a good day and we're into knockout football now." Dublin boss Dessie Farrell was left to rue wayward shooting and technical infringements as his side suffered a five point defeat to Armagh at Croke Park. #RTEGAA #TheSundayGame — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 1, 2025 What will frustrate Farrell even more was that his troops started brightly but could not regain the initiative when Armagh got on top after the 20-minute mark in the opening half. "The first quarter was really good and we looked very sharp and very clinical. We then lost our way and we'll try and unpack that from a mental perspective as well as everything else. "That second quarter before half-time was costly, we were constantly chasing and though at times were getting a foothold, getting at their kickout which was very difficult to do. "That was giving us a bit of momentum but we could not convert off that and had a lot of bad wides, coupled with poor decision-making. "Shot selection in the last quarter could have had us closer but ultimately it didn't happen for us because we didn't perform the way we would have wanted to."
Irish Times
a day ago
- General
- Irish Times
Armagh give wasteful Dublin a hard lesson in the new world order
All-Ireland SFC: Dublin 0-19 Armagh 0-24 Kieran McGeeney was asked if he felt Armagh are a better team this season. The manager of the All-Ireland champions took a philosophical approach to answering the question, but seemed to say it's too early to tell. 'As you know, it's like everything else,' he said. 'All the writing is done at the end. No matter what I say now, no matter what you say, it doesn't make any difference. It's always the final chapter when it comes to sport that determines the content of the book. 'You look at it from a different perspective when you're the last man standing. In sport, unfortunately, that's the only way it goes. I more than most would know that story all too well.' McGeeney was speaking after his team had comprehensive seen off Dublin . The five-point winning margin did not do Armagh justice. From the moment Rian O'Neill dropped a two-pointer over the bar at the start of the second half to push the margin to six, Dublin never got closer than five and the margin extended to eight at one stage. READ MORE The result was enough to guarantee top spot in Group 4 with a match to go. Their last match in the group comes against Galway , who they beat in last year's All-Ireland final. McGeeney pointed to Dublin's profligacy as a concern for him, as more accurate finishing on their part might have changed the complexion of the game. Dublin manager Dessie Farrell sighed when asked about his team's extravagant rate of wides - 18 plus four dropped short. Farrell said: 'I think in the first quarter we were quite clinical, but then lost our way for some reason and we never really regained our composure. [We] struggled to get momentum, outside of a period in the second half where we got at the Armagh kickout. 'That gave us a very good platform, but we failed to convert and execute from that platform, so that was very disappointing. And then, perhaps some decision-making around shot selection, chasing the game, chasing two-pointers that potentially we would regret now.' The loss to injury of captain Con O'Callaghan was a major factor in the team's poor shooting stats but he was also missed in terms of presence and leadership. Dublin will need him back on the field for the decisive match against Derry in two weeks. A good phase at the start saw Cormac Costello in sharp form, with three points from play. Dublin led 0-6 to 0-3 by the 11th minute. Paddy Small kicked in a couple as well but the wides had started to roll even by that stage. Armagh found their rhythm, helped by their successful attack on the Stephen Cluxton kickout – which the veteran goalkeeper redeemed with a couple of fine saves from Oisín Conaty and Andrew Murnin. Bit by bit, they turned the screw. Rory Grugan, who had an excellent match, kicked a two-pointer, Conaty, O'Neill and Conor Turbitt also got in on the act and they finished the half strongly to lead by four at the break, 0-13 to 0-9. Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney (left) shakes hands with Dublin counterpart Dessie Farrell after the game. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Already, it looked a steep climb for Dublin, particularly given their inaccuracies. Farrell's men did little to help themselves. The second half was marked by three breaches of the 4v3 rule, which handed an already superior Armagh the equivalent of a goal. 'It just shouldn't be happening,' said Farrell. 'Whether they're marginal calls or not, we shouldn't be putting ourselves in that position.' He added a different technical breach, after a mark, had cost them a further two points. Armagh were superior in how they stitched together moves and above all, in how they finished them. During his absence earlier in the season, it was remarked that O'Neill would be an obvious beneficiary of the two-pointers. Against Dublin, he demonstrated why people held that view – raising the roof with his first in the 27th minute as his county's sizeable contingent in the 38,763 crowd signalled approval. As Farrell indicated, Dublin started chasing two-pointers. Sadly for the Sky Blues, they lacked cohesion in their approach to such a tactic. Seán Bugler, Costello and Small got one each but also missed plenty between them. In O'Callaghan's absence, Dublin don't have too many two-pointers up their sleeve Armagh continued to work the scoreboard. Ethan Rafferty, on an excursion from goal with Paddy Small chasing, kicked a point from play to highlight the disparity between the teams' scoring capacity. [ The Schemozzle: Tiered hurling system sending ill-prepared counties round in circles Opens in new window ] [ Monaghan turn seven-point deficit around to beat Clare in Clones Opens in new window ] McGeeney reflected on the recovery from losing a third successive Ulster final and suggested that as All-Ireland holders, their priorities may have been re-ordered. 'Was it easier than last year? It depends. The provincial titles for me meant a lot when I was playing. They were hard coming, they were the big things. I think things have changed. I do think people are pushing for the big one. When you get it, you're looking for another one. 'I know all the players wanted to win that [Ulster] final when we were there. 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.' Farrell's views carried a more bleak tone. 'We were chasing them and that becomes too hard,' he said. 'Sometimes you can chase and get to grips with it and get yourself back into it. But one or two players that we needed something from – we needed a score or two from - they just never came and the gap was always too big. They were able to ride it out in the end.' DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Byrne, T Clancy, A Gavin; S McMahon, B Howard (0-0-1), S Bugler (0-1-1); P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, C Kilkenny (capt); K McGinnis, L O'Dell (0-0-1), N Scully; P Small (0-1-2), C Costello (0-1-6, 3f), C Basquel. Subs: L Gannon (0-0-2) for Basquel (20 mins); J Small for Gavin (h-t), T Lahiff for McGinnis, L Breathnach for O'Dell (both 48), E O'Donnell for Scully (61). ARMAGH: E Rafferty (0-0-1); B McCambridge, P Burns, P McGrane; R McQuillan, T Kelly, J Óg Burns (0-0-2); J Duffy, B Crealey; D McMullan (0-0-1), O Conaty (0-0-2), A Murnin; R Grugan (capt) (0-2-4, 1tpf, 4f), R O'Neill (0-3-0, 1 tpf), C Turbitt (0-0-2). Subs: S Campbell (0-0-1) for Turbitt (53 mins); J McElroy (0-0-1) for Duffy (64); T McCormack for Grugan (67); N Grimley for O'Neill (68). Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Farrell will have a serious talk with players about technical fouls
Dessie Farrell will be 'having a serious conversation' with his team about their technical breaches that cost them five points in their defeat to Armagh. Five points was the final margin and Farrell rued a hat-trick of three-up violations by his side in the third quarter that gave Rory Grugan three handy frees in the space of five minutes as well as a 50-metre mark infraction that he punished with a two-point free in the first half. 'Look, it just shouldn't be happening,' said Farrell. '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, for sure, 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, or a chase back and a player is out of position, there's an awareness challenge around that at some particular times. But to get it done for three and then we'd have a breach on the fielding and the mark in the first half as well, which costs us another two points. 'So I think at five points in total, that costs us, which is just at this stage of the competition against a position like we're playing, it's just not good enough. We'll be having a serious conversation about that.' Kieran McGeeney insisted Armagh won't be taking the Galway game lightly as much as their top spot and All-Ireland quarter-final spot is guaranteed. 'We've seen that, you can't, because they'll have you going soft. You're playing, to me, one of the top three teams in it. They were narrowly beaten by a point by Dublin, and it was a draw again today. 'Galway, to me, are still one of the top three or four teams in the country. They'll be smart, 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. We'll just take the same moves we've taken. 'You might be able to get somebody else in and get game time, but the way we do our training is you have to fight for that position. It's not given to you.' Farrell admitted the absence of captain Con O'Callaghan was truly felt. 'I think what you're supposed to say in this situation is an opportunity for somebody else. 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.'
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Colm Boyle: Dublin get taste of own medicine as Mayo play through nonsense
After an incredible weekend of action, the All-Ireland champions Armagh are the big winners. The fact they have topped the 'group of death' with a game to spare is a huge advantage ahead of an All-Ireland quarter-final. Their win over Dublin was a strange game. At times it looked like it could burst into a belter but for that to happen Dublin needed to be efficient in front of goal. In the end, it turned a bit farcical with Dublin chasing the game and constantly going for two-points shots, which is an anomaly of the scoring arc. I have never seen a Dublin team so wasteful in front of goal; 18 wides completely sucked the life out of them. Incredibly, they also had three breaches of the three-up rule in quick succession that completely killed any momentum they were trying to build. It was probably desperation as much as anything but, at this stage, three breaches is criminal and Dessie Farrell will be furious. Farrell will point to the fact that they had no Con O'Callaghan and losing Colm Basquel early had a big influence on the game along with the wides, and he would be right. But they did get a taste of their own medicine from years gone by with the strength of the opposition bench just being far superior to theirs. What a return Rian O'Neill has made to this Armagh team. He is the x factor that could be the difference between Armagh going back-to-back or not. I can only imagine the lift his return has given his teammates. His striking is one of the greatest sights in football. His two-pointer from play in the first half was a thing of beauty. If he was togged against Donegal in the Ulster final, they would have won that game too. With the likes of Joe McElroy also returning, Armagh's strength in depth is reaching ridiculous levels. Darragh McMullen has also been a superb addition this year. He looks like a player made for Croke Park - he glides across the ground almost effortlessly. Kieran McGeeney will be delighted to have had a run out in Croker too and no doubt they will look at how Dublin caused them problems in the first half in particular with the quick ball inside to their full-forward line. But, overall, the weekend couldn't have gone any better for McGeeney or Armagh. In the other tie in the group, what a game it was between Derry and Galway. It was Gaelic football at its best and with Derry eight points up coming into the closing stages it looked for all the world they were about to win their first competitive game in nearly a year. Pádraic Joyce made some huge calls taking off Paul Conroy, Shane Walsh, Dylan McHugh and Cillan McDaid in the second half and it looked like it was going to pay off when Matthew Tierney goaled to put them one up with the hooter looming, but the draw keeps both teams in the Championship for now. ===== For the past few weeks, Mayo football has been at an incredibly low ebb. The Connacht final defeat to Galway followed by a torrid display against Cavan two weeks later left Mayo followers disillusioned with the team. But that is only half the story, with manager Kevin McStay having to step aside due to health reasons and a quite extraordinary emergency county board meeting making national headlines through the week. It felt like Mayo was under siege. It was a time for leaders to step up. The captain Paddy Durcan's return to the starting team almost a year to the day since he tore his ACL couldn't have been more perfectly timed. Paddy's performance was nothing less than sensational in Omagh. As a player who has suffered that same injury, I know the doubts that flood your mind when you're returning. But it looked like Paddy had never been away. The impact his performance had on his teammates was infectious; when he kicked his first of three scores it seemed as if every Mayo player grew a foot taller. Stephen Rochford, to an extent, ripped up the script. Five changes in total to the team beaten by Cavan with Sean Morahan, Bob Touhy, Conall Dawson, Rory Brickenden and Durcan all coming in and having huge impacts. Five of Mayo's 10 first half scores came from Brickenden, Dawson and Durcan. The most pleasing aspect for Rochford has to be the response to Tyrone closing the gap to a point with 15 minutes to go. Mayo haven't been good in tight games for two years now and they could have easily folded but, on Saturday evening, when the game was in the fire, they outscored Tyrone 1-6 to 0-3. There are a lot of nonsense narratives out there about Mayo football. I heard on plenty of platforms during the week about how it would be the most Mayo thing ever to go to Tyrone and win. If I was a player in that squad, I'd take that as an insult. Even after getting the win, the mundane 'Mayo for Sam' comment was thrown at Pádraig O'Hora in the post match discussion on GAA+ for a cheap laugh. Another stupid narrative that is just cringeworthy at this stage. Whether Mayo can back it up or not is another question. So many teams have struggled to put big performances back to back in this championship and if Mayo are to stay alive, they will have to buck that trend. Like Mayo, Tyrone are unpredictable to say the least but it was a shockingly poor display from them. I honestly thought that the win over Donegal would propel them into this game with massive energy. It was the complete opposite. A crazy Championship continues to leave us perplexed. I can't remember being as frustrated watching a game of football as I was on Saturday for Cork-Kerry. The evidence was there right from the interprovincial games last October that the 50m penalty on any interference on a clean catch from the kickout was shambolic. On Saturday it hit farcical levels. A game with great potential was totally ruined by the constant procession of 50m penalties by referee Derek O'Mahoney. Referees' interpretation of the rule was always going to be a problem. On so many occasions the player penalised could do nothing to get out of the way of his opponent as they charged into him. On the field, Kerry, as expected, had too much firepower for Cork but there were serious issues with Kerry's defence. Their foundations are built on extremely soft ground and if Cork had been more clinical with their goal chances this could have been much tighter. Just as worryingly for Jack O Connor was the sight of Paudie Clifford and Paul Geaney getting injured, added to having no Diarmuid O'Connor in the 26. If the three of them aren't back for an All-Ireland quarter final, Kerry will be under serious pressure.
