In the end, 12 points was the difference between Dublin and Kerry.
If possible, though, that scoreline was flattering for Kerry. On a day when Ciarán Kilkenny shone and Cormac Costello made his return, the Kingdom were given a harsh and sobering reminder of the gulf between Dublin and the rest.
Dublin Kerry always comes off as mouthwatering on paper but, in truth, it was only a notch above a Sunday stroll inside Croke Park for Jim Gavin’s freakishly well-oiled winning machine as they put themselves on the precipice of another Allianz League final appearance.
You could say Dublin sent an emphatic statement but the message has been received loud and clear for a long time now. Everyone knows they’re a cut above. The problem with this game, however, was just how poor Kerry’s defending was.
At times, particularly during a lamentably one-sided second half, the Dubs sliced through their opponents with consummate ease. The most surprising thing about the scoreline at the end was that Dublin had scored just the two goals.
For Kerry’s young guns, it was a bruising and, at times, deeply humbling examination of their credentials. Perhaps the pattern of the game was best summed up by Stephen Cluxton embarking on a 70-yard solo run with the ball. It wasn’t showboating, though. It was the Dublin keeper’s way of telling his teammates to step it up. And right enough, they responded to his call, as Kerry wilted as the game wore on.
Cluxton can be satisfied with his 50th clean sheet and, while he may have been stranded as Seán Ó Sé blasted the ball wide from close range, one can only assume that Dublin would have roared back to conceding a goal at that stage, such is the quality of their attacking and Kerry’s worrying defending. It’s a flaw that has troubled the county for a while now and it was ruthlessly exposed by Dublin.
But Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s charges – missing a few key players it must be noted – shouldn’t hang their heads too low. Dublin would do that to anyone. They did it to Mayo in Castlebar, they did it to Donegal at Croke and they did it to Tyrone and Kildare.
Galway, who ended Monaghan’s winning run on Sunday afternoon, are as well-equipped to challenge Dublin as anyone, but it’s still hard to imagine the Tribesmen stopping this side.
HIGHLIGHTS!@DubGAAOfficial 2-17 | 0-11 @Kerry_Official.
Watch the best of the action here! #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/tdhV4YMSet
— eir Sport (@eirSport) March 11, 2018
While defending certainly seems to be Kerry’s main issue, Marc Ó Sé was less than impressed with the half-forward line, saying it paled in comparison to the fluency showcased by the Dubs.
Speaking on eir Sport following the game, Ó Sé summed it up eloquently from a tactical point of view:
“Very disappointing seconmd half performance, they never came out. Sean O’Shea went off injured Before the game, There didn’t seem to be a gameplan. There was no shape, the Kerry half forward line was non-existent. I spoke about their half-forward line and I feel we’re lacking there at the moment. You look at Dublin’s half-forward line, Scully got a goal, Kilkenny got 1-3 and I think our half-forward line needs to be more offensive to start getting scores from that line.”
"They never came out 2nd half. There didn't seem to be a gameplan, there was no shape. The half-forward line was non-existent."
– @osemarc2 on Kerry today. pic.twitter.com/gDRCOVh2Fa
— eir Sport (@eirSport) March 11, 2018
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