Con O’Callaghan will have a key role to play for Dublin against Tyrone this weekend in Croke Park. Photo by Matthew Lysaght
Dublin draw Tyrone in All-Ireland football quarter-final
Dublin have drawn Tyrone in the quarter final of the All-Ireland Football Championship. A slightly shaky win over Cork last Saturday proved to be enough for Dublin who will now go on to face the 2021 All-Ireland Champions in Croke Park this weekend.
Tyrone topped the group in the opening stages of the championship with convincing wins over the likes of Cavan and tournament favourites Donegal.
Still they did not look invincible and were beaten by a poor Mayo side who lost to both Cavan and Donegal themselves.
Dublin have had a similarly rocky start to their championship campaign.
They managed to finish second in their group.
A last gasp winner against Galway from St Jude’s man Tom Lahiff started the group stage on a positive note, yet the next fixture against Armagh left no illusions, highlighting that we are a long way from the juggernaut team during the Jim Gavin years.
Dublin would lose by five points to the reigning champions leaving them in a vulnerable position heading to Newry for the final group game against Derry.
The match was an incredibly close affair. Derry were without a win themselves however two very competitive performances against Armagh and Galway showed that this was not a team who were simply going to lie down and roll over.
The match was level throughout and after an early blitz by Dublin the teams were even on 13 points apiece heading into half time.
The Dubs began to tear away in the second half but Derry would always stop them in their tracks and fire back with scores of their own, reducing any deficit.
Ultimately Dublin did enough to secure a two-point victory over Derry, earning themselves a place in the preliminary quarter-final from which they emerged victorious against Cork last Saturday.
