Jim Gavin will be reviewing this Donie Smith score with an unimpressed grimace over the coming days.
Paul Flynn is back in scoring form, Kevin McManamon is blasting goals again and Diarmuid Connolly is simply back.
Dublin saved their most clinical, attacking performance of the season for Roscommon, last night, at Croke Park and won out 2-29 to 0-14.
Flynn scored 1-6 and every one of Dublin’s starting forwards contributed with scores. Roscommon are relegated from Division 1 of the Allianz Leagues and their drop was all but confirmed by half-time with Dublin leading 1-14 to 0-6.
The Rossies’ one highlight arrived at the tail-end of the first half and it hinted at a possible chink in Dublin’s defensive armour. It arrived courtesy of Donie Smith and an altogether filthy dummy solo.
Smith didn’t get much change out of the Dublin defence all night…
…but the hosts didn’t have it all their own way.
After receiving a hand pass down in front of Hill 16, Smith has a lot to do
Both Darren Daly and Michael Fitzsimmons buy the dummy and are wrong-footed
Smith was away. Fitzsimmon’s looked anguished
He lined up the posts and curled over a beauty off his left boot
That Smith was Roscommon’s joint top scorer from open play, with 0-2, is in itself an explanation as to why Roscommon were never going to push Dublin close.
Smith gave them a scare but Dublin roared back. They also brought on Connolly, Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and Michael Darragh MacAuley in the second half.
God help everyone else.
