As Dublin claimed the outright record for an unbeaten run in league and championship games, boss Jim Gavin declared himself “happy” with their 21-point win over Roscommon.
The defeat confirmed the Connacht side’s relegation from Division 1 of the Allianz League, while Dublin top the table as they pushed their undefeated run to 35 games with a 2-29 to 0-14 win in Croke Park.
“We’re just happy with that performance tonight, to get two points,” Gavin told RTÉ Sport.
“We knew Roscommon coming up to Dublin today had to get two. That kind of set the tone for us for the week and the boys worked very hard for that there, individually and collectively. We’re just happy with the performance.”
The game never really became a contest and the back-to-back All-Ireland champions could afford to introduce Diarmuid Connolly, Jack McCaffrey and Michael Darragh Macauley as second-half substitutes.
Despite the margin of victory, Gavin was adamant there is work to be done ahead of next week’s game against Monaghan.
He said: “[The players] have great expectations from each other in terms of what they need to do on the field of play but they’ve always gone off that performance piece and they are driven towards that and they’ll reflect I’m sure themselves and find one or two areas to work on.
“It’s going to be a very different game and encounter next week up in Clones against Monaghan. We’d a cracking game there two years ago and I expect the same on Sunday.”
Asked about Dublin’s situation of being spoilt for choice in all positions, Gavin said the panel was no different to any other side.
He added: “Any squad has a choice for different players in different positions and that’s, I suppose, the collectiveness of this group.
"Their willingness to work for each other has been their strength and we wouldn’t expect anything else from them so the team will always sort itself out.
“It’s the players who are playing well at training and in games that will always get that game time.”
Paul Flynn was the man of the match after notching 1-06; Gavin disagreed with the assertion that the last couple of years have been frustrating for the Fingallians forward.
“I thought he played very well for us last year," he said.
“He was asked to do a particular role for the team and he carried out those instructions to the letter of the law so he was given a different role tonight and that’s what you saw.
"From the outside looking in people mightn’t see the tactical plan but he, like the rest of them, will do their job for the rest of the team.”
