Treating the game like a glorified training session and making 23 substitutions, the Dessie Farrell era got off to an unconventional and losing start in Longford.
Returning to Glennon Brothers Pearse Park for a repeat of the 2016 semi-final, the result went the same way with Longford finishing strongly to score a surprise win.
Dublin were favourites with the bookies but in reality it was a team of rookies and former underage talents cobbled together in a couple of weeks, training together just twice.
They did give Longford their fill of it for virtually the duration, leading by two points with 67 minutes on the clock but they just couldn’t hold out.
The last three points of the game were all scored by the hosts, climaxing with Darren Gallagher’s 74th minute winner that sealed a place in next weekend’s final against Offaly.
Farrell described the result as largely irrelevant and admitted he’s almost glad to have next weekend off, to get to grips with training his main squad who begin pre-season work on Tuesday.
Farrell said of losing: “It doesn’t really matter. I was just glad we were competitive, so I could see how players responded in that type of cauldron.
“It was in the balance out there at the end and that’s when you can see real footballers stand up and show their character and that type of thing. I was glad it finished that way rather than a whitewash on either side which would tell you nothing.”
With the 2019 squad just back from their team holiday and not involved, this was essentially Dublin’s third team on show.
Niall O’Callaghan, younger brother of senior star Con, hit two goals while Killian O’Gara tapped in the other.
And the very first score of the Farrell era was registered by corner-back CJ Smith who strode upfield to convert.
Mick Galvin was on the sideline beside Farrell who confirmed the old allies are back together while Shane O’Hanlon has been retained from the Jim Gavin era.
Offaly came good in the other semi-final with a 0-16 to 0-11 win over Westmeath to dethrone the holders. John Maughan’s side were good value for the win and only trailed for a matter of minutes during the first-half.
They led 0-8 to 0-7 at the break and pushed on with a series of points in the third quarter from Bernard Allen and Cian Johnson. Cian Farrell wrapped it up late from an advanced mark.
Longford: P Collum; P Fox, A Farrell, B O’Farrell; I O’Sullivan, M Quinn, CP Smyth; D Gallagher (0-5, 4f), K Diffley (1-0); G Rogers, D Mimnagh, D Reynolds; R Brady (0-5, 0-1f), J Hagan, O Kenny (0-2). Subs: D Doherty (0-1) for Rogers 57, P Lynn for Kenny 60, L Connerton for Reynolds 68.
Dublin: M Shiel; CJ Smith (0-1), E O’Brien, D Byrne; N McGovern, G Hannigan, C Murphy; E O Conghaile, T Lahiff; N Walsh, D O’Brien, G O’Reilly (0-1); K O’Gara (1-0), N O’Callaghan (2-0), C Sallier.
Subs: R McGowan for Murphy 18, S Fulham for O’Gara 19, R Deegan for O’Reilly 21, S Cleary for Smith 25, G Seaver (0-2) for Walsh 25, D Quinn for Sallier 26, D McLoughlin (0-1) for O’Brien 27, N Doran (0-1) for Lahiff 29, E O’Dea for McGovern 31, C Howley for O Conghaile 34, O Conghaile for Lahiff 41, O’Reilly for Deegan 45, Walsh for Seaver 45, Murphy for Cleary 49, Sallier for O’Callaghan 50, O’Brien for Quinn 55, O’Gara for Lahiff 55, McGovern for McLoughlin 55, Lahiff for Doran 60, Seaver for Fulham 60, Smith for Hannigan 63, O’Callaghan for Sallier 68, O’Dea for Murphy 73.
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