Dublin have won a 14th consecutive Leinster title, defeating Louth on a scoreline of 1-19 to 2-12 at Croke Park this afternoon.
In a game where many expected the Dubs to win at a canter, the contest between the two sides proved to be a lot closer than most had anticipated.
Louth were the better side for much of the opening half, stifling the Dublin attack and producing some excellent scores of their own. They would actually lead by 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval.
A superb Conor Grimes point has Louth narrowly in front of Dublin 10 minutes before half-time
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It was assumed that Dublin would come flying out of the blocks in the second half, and while there was an increase in their performance levels, that was not necessarily the case.
Louth would continue to stay within touching distance of the All-Ireland champions for the majority of the contest, although a Con O'Callaghan goal on the back of a mistake from their goalkeeper would prove to be the turning point in the game.
Con O'Callaghan capitalises on an errant kickout to score Dublin's first goal and put his side four points ahead of Louth after 55 minutes of the Leinster SFC final
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Dublin would steadily build on that lead over the next 15 minutes or so, and while Louth would put a bit of gloss on the scoreline with a goal in injury time, it was ultimately a relatively comfortable victory for Dessie Farrell's side.
READ HERE: O'Dwyer Praises Patrick Horgan's Quick Thinking In Converting Decisive Cork Penalty
Peter Canavan had scathing take on Dublin's Leinster final effort levels
While Louth can be very proud of their performance this afternoon, there are likely to be some questions about Dublin in the aftermath of this game.
Their first half performance, in particular, will be of concern to their management team. Things did improve in the second half, but it was not they type of display we have come to expect from the Sam Maguire holders.
Speaking on RTÉ at halftime, Peter Canavan gave a damning assessment of Dublin's first half performance in the Leinster final.
It's clear that Dublin have underestimated this Louth team and this Louth challenge. It's a case of they have taken them for granted...
There was none of that (pace, power, or creativity from Dublin). Whenever they do lose possession going forward, the body language and attitude of some of their players, there is no chasing back, no turnovers.
Dessie Farrell has been very animated on the sideline and I can see why...
The Dublin changing room at halftime will be lively.
While things did improve a bit after that point, Canavan was not convinced by Dublin's overall display.
After the final whistle, he wondered if Dublin took their eye off the ball for this game ahead of an upcoming overseas trip.
I thought Dublin throughout were lethargic...
It was a lethargic performance. Yes, they did step it up somewhat in the second half, but they appear to be a team more focused on their trip to Portugal tomorrow than they were on winning the Leinster final.
While this was a provincial final victory for Dublin, they will need to pick up their performance levels ahead of the All-Ireland series.
With bigger challenges still to come, you would have little doubt that they will be able to do so.
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