Senior footballers see off challenge of Maynooth

DUBLIN 1-12 NUI MAYNOOTH 1-5

Dublin's senior footballers opened their Bord na Mona Group A campaign with a win when defeating the students of Maynooth University in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

In a typical early season clash their was little to get excited about as the Dubs won in pillar to post fashion and next play Offaly, victors over Laois, in their Round 2 game this Wednesday night at the Donnycarney venue.

The Dubs made the early running with Eoghan O'Gara to the fore. In the third minute he palmed the ball to the net after being set up by centre-forward Dean Rock and points followed from Rock (free) and O'Gara to see Jim Gavin's side into a 1-2 to 0-0 lead inside six minutes.

Two Rock frees as well as another off his left and a fine long-range effort from Emmet O Conghaile had stretched Dublin's advantage to 1-6 to 0-1 by the 30-minute marker.

Dublin's lead should have been greater but they shot a succession of wides while Maynooth moved back an extra defender as well as changing the marker on O'Gara to midfielder Padraig Faulker as they successfully curbed the early influence of the Templeogue Synge St target man.

Two fine points from Maynooth corner-forward Barry Dardis cut the deficit to 1-7 to 0-3 by the interval but Dublin never looked fully extended.

O'Gara added the opening score of the second period, following a good tackle by O Conghaile, but Maynooth then enjoyed their best passage when Barry Duggan pointed in the 39th minute and two minutes later a high delivery from Jamie Gonoud was collected at the second attempt by Dardis who turned sharply to beat Lorcan Molloy from close range to leave four points between the sides, 1-8 to 1-4.

Dublin responded with points from Tomás Brady and Shane Carthy, now sited at midfield and getting more into the game, but were grateful for an excellent goal-line save by Nicky Devereux when Dardis looked poised to score his second goal in the 49th minute.

The game petered out towards the finish with both sides making substitutions but Dublin debutant Diarmuid McLoughlin, who had been introduced as a sub, fired over the last point of the contest before Craig Dunleavy spurned a goal chance, his effort save by keeper Graham Brody.

SCORERS - Dublin: E O'Gara 1-3, D Rock 0-5 (0-3f), E O Conghaile, T Brady, S Carthy, D McLoughlin 0-1 each. NUI Maynooth: B Dardis 1-2, B Duggan, R Kennedy, N Walsh (0-1f) 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: L Molloy; M Fitzsimons, E Culligan, D Daly; G Hannigan, J Small, N Devereux; D Bastick, E Ó Conghaile; T Brady, D Rock, S Carthy; N Collins, E O’Gara, H Dawson. Subs: N Scully for Bastick (40), I Kavanagh for Fitzsimons (50), S Lowndes for Brady (59), D McLoughlin for Rock (59), A McCarrick for Daly (61), C Dunleavy for O’Gara (64).

MAYNOOTH: G Brody; C Carton, D Hyland, N Lehihan; E Lowndes, S McElroy, F Flanagan; G Hannigan, P Faulkner; J Gonoud, N Walsh, D Duke; B Duggan, R Kennedy, B Dardis. Subs: K Mulhall for McElroy (ht), P Lynch for Kennedy (52), T Gibbons for Duke (57), M McCarville for Duggan (64), R McEneny for Carton (67), L Barrett for Dardis (72).

REF: S Murphy (Louth).