BRENNAN'S onellis DREADE

Robbie admits doubts were creeping in as Dublin edged back into contest against Meath

- PAT NOLAN

FOR Robbie Brennan, the link to 2010 is that there is no link.

Once Louth had beaten Kildare in last month's Leinster semi-final, the general assumption was that they'd meet Dublin for the third successive year but by the time their team bus was pulling out of Tullamore, something was afoot in Portlaoise.

By half-time, Meath led by 12 points having played with a strong wind, but Brennan was far from convinced the lead was sufficient.

"No, I was thinking the opposite," he says. "I was thinking that's not enough, to be honest. The breeze was weird but it was strong as well. With their scoring threats, I was thinking, 'This may not actually be enough'.

"But at the same time, you're thinking, how are we going to attack the second half and try and make sure we get enough scores to do it? So it was that kind of stuff, we certainly weren't getting carried away with ourselves, that's for sure."

And when Dublin, with the help of a Cormac Costello goal, cut the deficit to two points with six minutes left a familiar outcome loomed.

"Yeah, that was Alex Ferguson stuff at that stage alright, squeaky bum stuff. I suppose that's the inevitable isn't it? As soon as a goal went in.

"With the Dublin hat, I suppose, every time they get a goal you're used to that momentum. If that was Croke Park and the Hill behind them - we've all been there, we've seen it happen so many times.