Dublin manager Dessie Farrell was left disappointed by his side's performance in overcoming Wicklow in Aughrim today, saying they must improve or risk losing their long hold on the Leinster Football Championship.
The result of the quarter-final was never in doubt throughout proceedings, but the expected Dublin landslide didn’t come to pass as they recorded a 2-21 to 0-18 victory.
The lead was often between four and six points in the match with some late scores adding gloss for the visitors.
Farrell has more players to return to his panel, with Stephen Cluxton still nursing an injury as he sat out.
Paddy Small did start the game in a boost for Dublin with more to come later in the season.
However their manager did not feel the players that lined out today did themselves justice.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Farrell said: "I think overall, probably just disappointed with the level of intensity we displayed today.
"I know we had a lot of championship debutants, I think six in total, so some inexperience out there, but there's a lot of senior leaders out there as well.
"Overall, it wouldn't excuse the type of performance we've produced today. It is disappointing.
"It's something that the lads will be very frustrated with themselves and it's something that we will reflect on over the next 48 hours or so.
"We started reasonably well, looked like we'd kick on and then completely took the foot out off the gas.
"Whether we thought the job was done or not, I don't know, but definitely Wicklow were well up for it and kept fighting to the bitter end.
"They were well organised and well coached. Oisin McConville is doing a great job with them and they really put up a formidable test and one that we struggled to overcome at times.
"It's definitely something for us to take away because that level of performance won't be good enough In Leinster this season.
"We coughed up a couple of good goal chances as well so a lot for us to work on in terms of the overall level of intensity. The purposefulness in our performance today just wasn't good enough."
One aspect Farrell did praise was the unique atmosphere of Aughrim compared to previous Croke Park encounters in the provincial championship.
He explained: "In the Leinster Championship throughout the years, and going back even a long time, they're great days out.
"You see the Dublin supporters down here in great voice today, they love a day out and there's always a great atmosphere in these regional venues.
"Sometimes Leinster semi-finals in Croke Park, where it can be big and vacuous, can be pretty soulless affairs at times. It is very, very different in these types of venues like Aughrim here today.
"You could sense the atmosphere. It was very well run by the Wicklow County Board and very well facilitated by the Leinster Council.
"There is a lot to look forward to in the Leinster campaign."
McConville, meanwhile, was very proud of his charges, feeling it could have looked even better for Wicklow on the scoreboard.
They will prepare for a Tailteann Cup campaign on the back of a performance of real stature.
"Overall, it's hard to believe it's a nine-point defeat but we'd be happy with loads of aspects of the game," the Wicklow boss said.
"A lot of what we wanted to do, we were able to do and we weren't sure if that was going to be the case.
"We have never played that level of opposition before and I thought our reaction to playing against that level of opposition was great.
"I know people say the Dubs weren't at where they will be later on in the year, but that's no concern of us, we just have to turn up and we have to put in a performance.
"I know it’s very contradictory when you're talking about getting beat by nine points but we have to realise where we are and where Dublin are and we have to make sure that the next day we won't be playing against Dublin, we'll be playing against a team that will be at our level and we have to make sure that our aggression and all the levels that we had here are the same."
McConville was even more enthused than his counterpart Farrell about the occasion and wants to see it again in the future, both in the provincial competition and the hope that the Garden County added to their supporter base because of the new faces in the ground.
"Firstly, wasn’t that great?" he said. "I was in Corrigan Park yesterday and the atmosphere and the buzz even around the ground [was brilliant] and it was the same thing today when you're driving in.
"The provincial grounds need to have more days like this. What can we take away from it? We need to take the performance level away and see can we replicate that.
"I suppose the other thing is that when we play here in league games, it's between 600 and 1,000 supporters.
"If we can hold on to some, if those Wicklow people can see something in this team today and come out and support them again the next day, support can take you a long way.
"I think the support definitely helped our boys at different stages today when it would have been very easy to say 'well this game has gone’, but no they kept fighting on. It would be nice to have them again."
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