STILL SOME WAY TO GO

Dublin legend Connolly is not convinced by Dessie's Blues yet and demands repeat performance

- BY PAT NOLAN

DIARMUID CONNOLLY has said there are still “massive question marks" around Dublin as he challenged them to back up their Galway win.

After a shock defeat to Meath last month, their first in the Leinster Championship for 15 years, the Dubs got their season back on track with a stirring one-point victory in Salthill against Padraic Joyce's fancied side.

It makes Group 4 all the more interesting as champions Armagh open their All-Ireland series at home to Derry on Saturday before tackling Dublin at Croke Park eight days later.

"If they have ambitions to go on and win Sam Maguire, this needs to be a statement game for them," Connolly said of the Armagh visit.

"They need to put back-to-back results together. Even if they don't get the win, they need to put a performance in and then they'll know exactly where they're at.

"Derry are a little bit of an unknown. We haven't seen them in a good few weeks. But what I've been hearing on the ground is that they're playing a lot of friendlies, putting it up to big teams and we know their personnel.

"Dublin didn't want to have two losses in the first two games and then go up to Derry looking for a result to get a preliminary quarter-final. It's a great start but there has to be more to come."