KINGS OF CROKER

All-Ireland champs as wasteful Dublin

- BY KARL O'KANE

WHAT could any GAA manager do after beating Dublin by five points in a Championship game at Croke Park, only play it down.

Kieran McGeeney had good reason to. It wasn't knockout football, and although the stake was driven in, Dublin are not dead and gone yet.

While Armagh topped the table in the so-called 'Group of Death' with a game to spare, all they did was secure one of the four automatic All-Ireland quarter-final places on offer.

But these are undoubtedly heady days for the Orchard men, who have bounced back from their third Ulster final defeat on the bounce - two after penalties and one after extra-time - quite magnificently. It's not very often that Dublin are beaten at Croke Park in the Championship in recent times, let alone by a margin of five points.

The last time they were beaten by this much on home soil in the Championship in regulation time was the shock 3-14 to 0-17 All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Donegal back in 2014 - all of 11 years ago.

When Dublin lose big games at Croke Park it's generally by a point (Galway in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final and Kerry in the 2022 semi-final), after extra-time (Mayo in the 2021 semi-final) or penalties (Derry in last year's League final).

Dublin are not easily beaten in Croke Park - ever - and yet Armagh held them comfortably at arm's length in the second half.