Rock and McAliskey lead way in scoring charts for their counties

Dublin travel to face Tyrone in Healy Park, Omagh this Saturday night in their All-Ireland quarter-final Group 2 Phase 2 game (7.0).

Here we look at the scoring and concession statistics of both counties and the individual scoring tallies as well as reflecting on the last two meetings (one SFC, one SFL1) between the counties.

Dublin have scored 9-90 and conceded 1-49 in their four SFC games to date in victories over Wicklow, Longford and Laois in the Leinster Championship before defeating Donegal in last weekend's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final Group 2 Phase 1 game.

Fifteen players have contributed to this scoring tally with Dean Rock leading the way with a personal tally of 2-23 (0-17f, 0-2 ‘45’).

DUBLIN'S RESULTS SO FAR

Dublin 4-25 Wicklow 1-11 (Leinster quarter-final)

Dublin 2-25 Longford 0-12 (Leinster semi-final)

Dublin 1-25 Laois 0-10 (Leinster final)

Dublin 2-15 Donegal 0-16 (All-Ireland quarter-final – Phase 1)

DUBLIN'S SCORING CHART

Dean Rock 2-23 (0-17f, 0-2 ‘45’)

Ciarán Kilkenny 2-16

Brian Fenton 1-9

Con O’Callaghan 1-7

Niall Scully 2-2

Paul Mannion 1-4 (0-1 ‘45’)

Paddy Andrews 0-6

Cormac Costello 0-6

Brian Howard 0-5

Colm Basquel 0-3

Philly McMahon 0-2

James McCarthy 0-2

Paul Flynn 0-2

Conor McHugh 0-2 (0-1f)

Michael Darragh Macauley 0-1

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Tyrone have tallied 13-108 and conceded 5-82 in their six SFC games to date, losing to Monaghan in the Ulster SFC before defeating Meath (after extra-time), Carlow, Cavan and Cork in the Qualifiers and then overcoming Roscommon in last weekend's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final Group 2 Phase 1 encounter.

Nineteen players have contributed to their tally with Connor McAliskey leading the way for the Red Hand County with a personal tally of 2-30 (0-16f, 0-1 ‘45’).

TYRONE'S GAMES TO DATE

Monaghan 1-18 Tyrone 1-16 (Ulster quarter-final)

Tyrone 2-14 Meath 0-19 (aet) (Round 1 qualifier)

Tyrone 3-14 Carlow 1-10 (Round 2 qualifier)

Tyrone 0-18 Cavan 1-12 (Round 3 qualifier)

Tyrone 3-20 Cork 0-13 (Round 4 qualifier)

Tyrone 4-24 Roscommon 2-12 (All-Ireland quarter-final – Phase 1)

TYRONE'S SCORING CHART

Connor McAliskey 2-30 (0-16f, 0-1 ’45)

Niall Sludden 2-11

Peter Harte 2-8 (2-0 pen, 0-6f)

Richie Donnelly 2-8

Frank Burns 0-9

Cathal McShane 0-9

Ronan O’Neill 1-5 (0-3f)

Mattie Donnelly 0-7

Michael McKernan 1-3

Conor Meyler 1-2

Mark Bradley 1-2

Tiernan McCann 0-3

Lee Brennan 0-3 (0-3f)

Harry Loughran 1-0

Declan McClure 0-2

Ronan McNamee 0-1

Rory Brennan 0-1

Pádraig Hampsey 0-1

Colm Cavanagh 0-1

The counties met in NFL1 action in Healy Park, Omagh last February as well as in last August's All-Ireland SFC semi-final in Croke Park. On both occasions the Dubs came out on top. Here we look back at both clashes.

2018 NFL1: Saturday, February 4; Healy Park, Omagh

DUBLIN 2-13 TYRONE 1-11

It was two wins from two starts for the Dublin senior footballers as they overcame Tyrone by five points in Healy Park, Omagh in front of a crowd of 9,465.

The Dubs played almost the last half hour, including added time, with 14 men after Niall Scully had been dismissed for a second yellow card in the 48th minute.

Like in the previous round against Kildare Jim Gavin's men responded well to the early concession of a goal as Cathal McShane's 1-1 in the opening minutes had Tyrone four points clear inside five minutes.

However, as the half progressed Dublin began to find the feet when playing into a strong wind and by the break were 1-7 to 1-5 in arrears with Ciarán Kilkenny grabbing Dublin's goal in the 23rd minute.

“I think just how this Dublin team responds to that – they just roll up theirsleeves and get on with it,” said manager Jim Gavin.

“That’s to their credit and no matter what has happened in the game they are just playing the next passage of play.

“They are very adaptable, very present in the game and not looking too beyond the next actual phase of play,” added Jim.

With Tyrone packing their defence it was a route one ball from a Brian Fenton free that saw Kilkenny break the ball from defender Aidan McCrory and then react quickest to poke the ball to the net past Niall Morgan with his left foot.

He almost grabbed a second before the break but his thunderbolt cannoned off the crossbar and away to safety and the powerful Castleknock man impressed when moved into the inside line.

But Tyrone had plenty of scoring opportunities themselves and the early long, accurate back, with the wind behind them, caused problems for the last line of Dublin's defence.

“I thought we did really well to bring the scores back after about 25 minutes, obviously Tyrone finished well in the first half, but it was a difficult goal to score into," said JIm.

“For the most part they had 13 of their 14 out-field players behind the ball and yet we got a goal and a couple of scores, so we could be very pleased with that.

“I just thought in the second half we played very controlled football, thought our hand-passes, for the conditions like they were, were on the money.”

On the restart Dublin were not long in getting on top.

Points from Dean Rock (free), an excellent James McCarthy point and another from Brian Fenton had the Dubs in front of the first time in the game.

It was Dublin who were playing the more controlled football with Tyrone on several occasions shooting from too far out into the strong wind - they accumulated seven second half wides.

Not for the first time Dublin's winning push came from the bench with Colm Basquel injecting pace into the forward line. And despite being reduced to 14 men the likes of Brian Howard, McCarthy and Fenton covered a mountain of ground.

At the back Dublin had tightened up with Jonny Cooper making several important second half interceptions.

On the one occasion that Tyrone did escape Dublin's clutches Stephen Cluxton made a great save to deny Conor McAliskey.

Basquel, a member of last year's U21 All-Ireland winning team, was introduced as a sub from Paul Mannion in the 61st minute and went on to score two points from play as well as converting a free and playing a leading role in Dublin's second goal.

Basquel intercepted an intended return pass from Pádraig Hampsey to Tyrone keeper Niall Morgan from a kick-out before cutting through on goal and placing Eoghan O'Gara who fired to the net from close range.

Tyrone, who had gone scoreless for 28 minutes of the second half, tagged on a few frees late on as Dublin ensured they couldn't find any route to goal.

SCORERS – Dublin: C Kilkenny 1-2, D Rock 0-4 (0-3f), C Basquel 0-3 (0-1f), E O’Gara 1-0, K McManamon 0-2, J McCarthy, B Fenton 0-1 each. Tyrone: L Brennan 0-6 (0-3f), C McAliskey 0-2, C McShane 1-1, N Sludden, P Harte 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P McMahon, M Fitzsimons, D Daly; J McCarthy, J Cooper, J Small; B Fenton, MD Macauley; N Scully, C Kilkenny, B Howard; K McManamon, P Mannion, D Rock. Subs: D Byrne for Small (46), P Andrews for McManamon (50), C Basquel for Mannion (61), E O’Gara for Rock (65), S Carthy for McCarthy (68), E Lowndes for Fenton (69).

TYRONE: N Morgan; P Hampsey, C McCarron, HP McGeary; T McCann, A McCrory, C McLaughlin; D McClure, C McShane; M Donnelly, N Sludden, R Donnelly; C McAliskey, L Brennan, P Harte. Subs: M McKernan for HP McGeary (22), R McNamee for McCrory (ht), C McCann for McClure (49), R McNabb for McLaughlin (55), F Burns for R Donnelly (55), M Bradley for T McCann (63).

REF: M Deegan (Laois).

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2017 ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINAL: Sunday, August, 27; Croke Park

DUBLIN 2-17 TYRONE 0-11

It was to be Dublin v Mayo in the All-Ireland SFC final once again, a repeat of the previous year's thrilling decider that went to a replay before the Dubs secured back-to-back titles.

A good start is half the battle ..... and the Dubs got that with Con O'Callaghan's superb fifth minute goal which put the Red Hands on the backfoot from the outset.

The game was bookended by Dublin's other goal when Eoghan O'Gara swept the ball powerfully to the net past Niall Morgan as Jim Gavin's side ran out deserved 12-point victors.

Dublin's work-rate in the first half was outstanding, highlighted by the number of occasions forwards tracking back, such as Paul Mannion and Con O'Callaghan executed great tackles and dispossessions on Tyrone players in possession.

Indeed the Dublin goal came after Ciarán Kilkenny reacted quickest to a spilled ball around midfield and quickly put Dublin on the attack and once Con got the ball he only had one thing on his man as he turned his marker before arrowing for goal.

They were patient also, holding onto possession and waiting to inject pace, via likes of James McCarthy and Jack McCaffrey, to make and incision into the Tyrone defence for forwards to pick off the scores.

By the break Dublin were 1-9 to 0-5 ahead and well in control.

Dublin's subs made their usual positive impact off the bench, with Paul Flynn kicking three points from play including two great long-range strikes, Kevin McManamon was unlucky not to get a goal soon after his introduction and Dublin may have had a couple of other goals but Jack McCaffrey blazed wide with the goal at his mercy and Paul Flynn was denied by Morgan on another occasion.

At the other end Tyrone were awarded a late penalty but Stephen Cluxton denied Peter Harte from the penalty spot to keep his goal intact.

The game also marked the end of one of the modern greats of the game, Tyrone's Sean Cavanagh, who confirmed his retirement from intercounty action after the game.

Afterwards Dublin manager Jim Gavin said: "We got an early goal. It was an opportunity and we took it. In the second half we had more chances and we weren’t clinical enough.We know that the next day that won’t be good enough."

SCORERS - Dublin: C O’Callaghan 1-2, Dean Rock 0-5 (0-4f), Eoghan O’Gara 1-1, P Flynn 0-3, P Andrews 0-2, C Kilkenny, B Fenton, J McCaffrey, P Mannion 0-1 each. Tyrone: P Harte 0-4 (0-3f), N Sudden, C Cavanagh 0-2 each, T McCann, D McClure, S Cavanagh (0-1f) 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; J Cooper, C O’Sullivan, M Fitzsimons; J Small, P McMahon, J McCaffrey; B Fenton, J McCarthy; N Scully, C O’Callaghan, C Kilkenny; P Mannion, P Andrews, D Rock. Subs: P Flynn for Scully (44), K McManamon for Andrews (44), D Daly for Small (52), E O’Gara for Rock (63); E Lowndes for Mannion (65), D Connolly for O’Callaghan (69).

TYRONE: N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; T McCann, P Hampsey; P Harte; C Cavanagh, C McCann; D Mulgrew, N Sudden, K McGeary; M Bradley, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly. Subs: D McClure for C McCann (29); R Brennan for McGeary (ht), D McCurry for Mulgrew (41), R O’Neill for Bradley (49), C Meyler for S Cavanagh (54), P McNulty for McNamee (59).

REF: D Coldrick (Meath).