Cavan 0-11 Dublin 0-18
It was business as usual for Dublin at Kingspan Breffni Park as the All-Ireland champions kept Allianz Football League Division 1 new boys Cavan at arm’s length and they ran out comfortable seven-point winners.
The Dubs could afford to kick a dozen wides in the process as they weathered a spirited early storm from Mattie McGleenan’s charges to win pulling up.
The large travelling support from the capital among the 16,231-strong crowd was in full voice early on and the opening exchanges were played in a carnival atmosphere.
But it was the hosts who free-wheeled into an early lead in their first top flight clash in almost two decades.
After 30 seconds, Sean Johnston hooked over the opener and further scores from John McCutcheon, Johnston (free), book-ending efforts from Kevin McManamon and a Dean Rock free, saw Cavan lead 0-03 to 0-02 after seven frenetic minutes.
The first quarter continued at a manic pace, with Johnston, James McCarthy and Dean Rock and Niall McDermott all on the mark as the sides were dead-locked at 0-04 apiece by the 15-minute mark.
And when Johnston swung one over from an impossible angle in the left corner moments later, the Breffni fans dared to dream. Dublin, though, stuck to their process rigidly and, with the minimum of fuss, punished a couple of poor Cavan errors while reeling off five points in a row from Jason Whelan, Ciaran Kilkenny, Niall Scully, Rock and late call-up Jack McCaffrey.
Cavan steadied the ship with a sublime strike from debutant Gerry Smith before Niall McDermott and Rock exchanged frees as Jim Gavin’s men went in 0-10 to 0-07 in front.
Smith, with another fine effort, kept Cavan in touch on the restart but the Dubs always looked to have another gear and, crucially, capitalised on a Cavan kick-out which malfunctioned too often.
Points from Rock, man-of-the-match Scully and the excellent James McCarthy helped them cruise into a 0-16 to 0-10 lead with 10 minutes remaining, with a couple of efforts from Johnston all the home side could muster in response.
The closing stages were something of an anti-climax as Dublin ran the clock down and late scores from Brian Fenton and Cormac Costello saw them ease to the finish line.
Cavan: James Farrelly, Fergal Reilly, Padraig Faulkner, Killian Brady, Martin Reilly, Conor Moynagh, John McCutcheon (0-01), Killian Clarke, Rory Dunne, Ciaran Brady, Dara McVeety, Gerard Smith (0-02), Niall Clerkin, Niall McDermott (0-02f), Sean Johnston (0-05, 2f)
Subs: Paul O’Connor for McDermott, Stephen Murray for McCutcheon (both h/t), Gearoid McKiernan for Dunne (42 mins), Conor Madden (0-01) for Moynagh (47), Niall McKiernan for Clerkin (61), Shane O’Rourke for Madden (65)
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton, Michael Fitzsimons, Philip McMahon, Jack McCaffrey, James McCarthy (0-02), John Small, Eric Lowndes, Brian Fenton (0-01), Michael Darragh Macauley (0-01), Ciaran Kilkenny (0-01), Kevin McManamon (0-01), Paul Mannion, Dean Rock (0-08, 6f), Niall Scully (0-02), Jason Whelan (0-01)
Subs: Cormac Costello (0-01f) for McManamon (42 mins), Colm Basquel for Whelan (46), Eoghan O’Gara for Mannion (55), Ciaran Reddin for Macauley (63), Conor McHugh for Rock (69)
NEXT WEEK: Cavan go to Castleblaney for an Ulster derby meeting with Monaghan at 2.30 on Sunday, while Dublin welcome Tyrone to Croke Park for a Saturday night clash.
