Dublin manager Dessie Farrell said that he was delighted with his side's response to their shock Leinster exit as they opened their All-Ireland SFC group campaign with a thrilling one-point win over Galway in Salthill.
Question marks surrounded the team following their provincial semi-final loss to Meath last month – their first Leinster loss since 2010 – but they were well worth the win over last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists with a Tom Lahiff point sealing a 1-18 to 2-14 win seconds after the hooter had sounded.
"We were wilting towards the end but managed to dig it out," Farrell told RTÉ Sport afterwards.
"It was never going to be easy coming to Salthill. Galway on any given day are formidable opposition in their own back yard and coming off the back of a great Connacht final victory, it was never going to be easy.
"But we got the response that we were looking for after a poor performance the last day out and great credit to the lads."
The victory immediately kills off any suggestion that Dublin are no longer genuine Sam Maguire contenders, but Farrell was keen to keep the result in perspective with the team now facing a two-week build-up to their Croke Park clash with All-Ireland champions Armagh.
"It’s still just one game of three, they’re all going to be very important. We’re just looking for that consistency now in our performance.
"At the end of the day, and the lads know this themselves, once they go out and leave it all on the pitch we can have no issues. That’s what we’re looking for, that type of effort and attitude that we saw today."
Dublin’s victory was soured somewhat by the sight of Con O’Callaghan limping off midway through the second half while Paddy Small was injured in the warm-up as their woes on that front continued.
"We picked up a couple more injuries today unfortunately," Farrell added.
"We don’t know (how serious), it’ll take a couple of days.
"We came in with a few as well and at this stage you’d like to have everyone available to you and I know every county is facing the same challenge."
Watch a Munster Hurling Championship double-header, Tipperary v Waterford and Limerick v Cork, on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
