Cormac Costello's goal for Dublin against Derry ended the game as a competitive contest with the hosts’ challenge fizzling out, according to Ciarán Whelan.
The All-Ireland champions made it three wins on the spin against a Derry side that were always chasing the game, with Conor McCluskey’s first-half goal keeping them within striking distance at the interval.
There were just two points between the sides when Cormac Costello made an immediate impact on his introduction to score his side’s only goal, and from there on in the All-Ireland champions bossed their way to victory.
The eagerly anticipated Conor Glass v Brian Fenton match-up never materialised, with the influential Glen man not in the match-day panel.
Goalkeeper Odhran Lynch was also absent, while manager Mickey Harte held Paul Cassidy, Eoin McEvoy and Ethan Doherty in reserve.
Speaking after the game at Celtic Park, former Dublin midfielder Whelan said the game lacked all intensity after Costello found the back of the net.
"Once that goal went in, the game really fizzled out," he said.
GOAL – Derry 1-07 Dublin 1-12
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49.50 Cormac Costello is introduced
50.52 Cormac Costello raises Dublin's first green flag of the game
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"You could be critical of Derry. They kind of just threw in the towel. They still went very defensive, never pushed out.
"It was like they lacked a little bit of ambition. The game just fizzled out and Dublin were always in control."
Fellow analyst Sean Cavanagh said that the fact Derry took to the field without so many of their regular starters would have altered expectation levels.
"The players that took to the field knew that some of their key players weren’t there and I think that made them play that little bit more defensively," he said.
'Derry lack a bit of ambition and the game kind of fizzled out' – Ciaran Whelan wasn’t impressed by the hosts, but says losing without being at full-strength won’t have the same impact pic.twitter.com/rqqWYCKZyQ
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"It made them almost accept that a five or six-point beating was almost what they were going to get, which was a little disappointing for the spectacle."
On the flip side, Whelan conceded that the missing personnel could be used as a positive for Derry as they regroup for the final stages of the league.
"On the other side of that, could you argue that if Mickey Harte goes full tilt here tonight and loses, does it drain some energy out of the squad?"
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