Watched by a pitifully small crowd, the All-Ireland champions powered home in the final minutes with late goals from Colm Basquel and top-scorer Con O’Callaghan in the 65th and 69th minutes.
Roscommon were well in contention at half-time, trailing by just a point after kicking a number of exceptional scores, but their second-half performances have been a worry all year. While Dublin improved and kicked the first two second-half scores through John Small and Niall Scully, Roscommon refused to wilt and only fell four points in arrears for the first time when O’Callaghan fisted over in the 59th minute.
Ten minutes before then an excellent score from Diarmuid Murtagh brought Roscommon back within a point and there was concern in the small Dublin crowd on the Hill which for only the second time broke into a song in an attempt to poke their side into more urgent service. The sideline management felt compelled to act and started introducing fresh legs.
Jack McCaffrey came on and won a free for a score and set up the last goal for O’Callaghan. Basquel also came off the bench to score the first goal and Sean Bugler made a positive impression scoring two points. O’Callaghan remained busy and threatening throughout, ending the match with 1-4.
Roscommon didn’t score after the 54th minute, outgunned 2-4 to nil from there to the finish.
Brian Fenton, scorer of two points, had another big impact and set up the Basquel goal that effectively killed off Roscommon’s hopes. But Dublin were a little ragged too in their shooting in the final quarter and started to run up wides. It was still a better start to the All-Ireland series than last year when they were held to a draw by Roscommon in the first group match.
They made two late changes to the team announced earlier. Brian Howard replaced Bugler and Ross McGarry was preferred to Basquel. O’Callaghan took over the captaincy in the absence of 34-year-old James McCarthy who wasn’t listed in the squad even though he played a full part in the Leinster final.
Roscommon manager Davy Burke made four changes to his starting team, bringing in Robbie Dolan, Tadhg O’Rourke, Ciarán Lennon and Conor Cox after defeat by Mayo in the Connacht semi-final five weeks ago.
Ruaidhrí Fallon, Ultan Harney and Ben O’Carroll dropped to the bench, while Ronan Daly failed in his bid to recover in time from injury.
The first half produced 19 points, Dublin claiming 10 of them, and many of those were stellar finishes. Roscommon showed an impressive return with their only wide coming with almost a half hour played. Whenever they went into the Dublin half they looked like scoring with terrific precision shown by forwards Conor Cox, Daire Cregg and Murtagh.
They trailed from the second minute when Fenton sent over a point with his right boot, but the gap never exceeded three and they kept pegging Dublin back. Dublin started with Cormac Costello at centre forward and he was influential in the early period of the game as they started with the great purpose.
Inside six minutes they were 0-3 to 0-0 in front, Fenton’s score embellished by one from McGarry and a rare right-foot finish for Paul Mannion. But from there Roscommon stood their ground, Cox opening their scoring from a mark in the sixth minute. They gave Dublin’s defence plenty problems with Murtagh’s left foot also landing three frees.
But they received a set-back when wing back Eoin McCormack was black carded for a foul on Eoin Murchan, The Dublin defender won a footrace with Cox approaching the interval and hared up the field. In the course of the move, finished with a Cian Murphy point, Murchan was body checked by McCormack who was sent to the line.
Dublin were 0-10 to 0-7 up at that stage, yet in the minutes that were left before the interval they got the last two points, both Murtagh frees.
The second half brought Dublin improvement and eventually their class told. Roscommon’s goal had been seriously threatened only once, by O’Callaghan, for most of the game. But in the last five minute they caved in under the pressure. They face Cavan next weekend, with Roscommon having a fresh crack at Mayo.
Scorers: Dublin – C O’Callaghan 1-4, C Basquel 1-0, S Bugler, P Mannion, R McGarry, B Fenton, N Scully (1 M), C Costello (f) 0-2 each, C Murphy, J Small, T Lahiff 0-1 each. Roscommon – D Murtagh 0-5 (3fs), C Cox 0-4 (1M), D Cregg 0-4 (1f).
Dublin: S Cluxton; S McMahon, M Fitzsimons, E Murchan; C Murphy; B Howard, J Small; B Fenton, T Lahiff; R McGarry, C Costello, C Kilkenny; P Mannion, C O’Callaghan, N Scully. Subs: S Bugler for Mannion (45); J McCaffrey for Lahiff (48); C Basquel & P Small for Scully & McGarry (52); T Clancy for Murphy (inj (63).
Roscommon: C Carroll; R Dolan, B Stack, D Murray; N Higgins, N Daly, E McCormack; E Smith, T O’Rourke; D Ruane, D Smith, C Lennon; D Murtagh, D Cregg, C Cox. Subs: S Cunnane & U Harney for O’Rourke & D Smith (42); R Fallon for Daly (50); B O’Carroll for Ruane (55); K Doyle for Cox (69).
Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary).
