Rock points way for senior footballers in victory over Cavan

Sun, 24th March 2019

FL DIVISION 1

DUBLIN 1-16 CAVAN 1-10

Dublin ended their FL Division 1 campaign with a victory when overcoming hosts Cavan by six points in Breffni Park on Sunday in front of an attendance of 7,311.

The Dubs knew in advance they could not reach this year's league decider but for Cavan this defeat confirmed their relegation.

Philly McMahon and Bernard Brogan both made their first appearances of the season off the bench as Jim Gavin's men next focus in the club SFC for April.

With Dean Rock's radar on target Dublin led 0-8 to 1-4 at the break. The Ballymun Kickhams man kicked all bar one point of Dublin's tally with Paul Mannion contributing the other.

The Breffni Blues goal arrived just before the break when Martin Reilly flicked a delivery from Gearóid McKiernan to the net.

Mannion's goal was the Dubs vital score and from then on their was only going to be one winner.

“It’s been a good League for us,” said Dublin manager Jim Gavin afterwards.

“Our performances in general, we take some satisfaction from them. We’re probably averaging 17 or 18 points per game, a lot more than any team out there – so that’s pleasing.

“We got a lot of game-time into players as well. So we had a good 10-week block. We got a lot from it.”

Reflecting back on the previous weekend’s loss to Tyrone Jim added: “What we referenced was just that our skill set last week was off.”

“And the standards that the players set themselves wasn’t what we’d expect from them, no matter who we’re playing against.

“That was the only thing we referenced from the previous game.”

SCORERS – Dublin: D Rock 0-9 (0-5f, 0-1m), P Mannion 1-3 (0-1m), C Kilkenny (0-1m), K McManamon, S Bugler, C Basquel 0-1 each. Cavan: M Reilly 1-2 (0-1m), G McKiernan 0-3 (0-2f), C Conroy, C Madden, D McVeety (0-1m), P Graham, K Clarke 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: E Comerford; D Byrne, C O’Sullivan, D Daly; B Howard, J McCarthy, C O’Connor; MD Macauley, D Gavin; P Flynn, C O’Callaghan, N Scully; P Mannion, C Kilkenny, D Rock. Subs: K McManamon for Flynn (43), S Bugler for Scully (47), P McMahon for O’Connor (57), C Basquel for Mannion (63), B Brogan for Macauley (65)

CAVAN: R Galligan; P Faulkner, K Clarke, J McLoughlin; C Rehill, C Moynagh, G Smith; G McKiernan, J Galligan; C Brady, D McVeety, P Graham; M Reilly, C Conroy, C Madden. Subs: B Fortune for McLoughlin (inj, 46), J Brady for Madden (49), C Mackey for G Smith (50), N Murray for Graham (52), S Murray for Conroy (64).

REF: R Hickey (Clare).