Diarmuid Connolly proved yesterday that he deserves to be in the Dublin squad, but former Blues boss Paul 'Pillar' Caffrey reckons Rory O'Carroll has played his way out of contention.
O'Carroll struggled in the early stages of the game against Tyrone, forcing Dublin goalkeeper Evan Comerofrd, who had a fine game, into three early interventions under the high ball .
Connolly meanwhile cored a point in the 1-16 0-13 win and quickly readjusted to the rigours of inter-county football in their final Super 8s game.
The 32-year-old was black carded for a late foul on Ciaran McLaughlin but that didn't blot his copybook.
And Caffrey reckons the St Vincent's star will be one of the first beckoned form the Dublin bench if needed against Mayo on Saturday.
"Yesterday, we learned that the Dublin B team is better than the Tyrone B team and not a whole lot beyond that," Caffrey wrote in his Irish Mirror column.
"The biggest talking point was Diarmuid Connolly’s comeback and I thought he did really well.
"His range of kick-passing adds another dimension to Dublin’s play and, while I think the starting line-up is pretty well set at this stage, he’s put himself in the frame to be one of the first men off the bench.
"Jim Gavin saw a couple of things that he needed to see yesterday. There was the question over Connolly’s ability to play at this level again and he’s proven that he can.
"Can Rory O’Carroll? Probably not. That’s just the harsh reality of it.
"Sean Bugler featured in the League this year and then fell off the radar but he hit three points and laid on Eoghan O’Gara’s goal. He’s pushed himself up the pecking order.
"Jonny Cooper and James McCarthy got more miles in their legs, Paddy Small stood out on his first start and will be a serious option off the bench against Mayo.
"There’s a lot to be said for that between himself and Connolly, as the Dublin bench hasn’t been as strong as it was in previous years."
