Classy Bernard makes his case as Blues prove too hot for MonaghanWHATEVER about the aesthetics, you certainly can't fault Dublin for consistency this year.

A fourth win from four games in Division One of the National Football League was the upshot of their 2-11 to 1-9 victory over Monaghan in Parnell Park on Saturday night, achieved through the basic principle which has served them so well in each of their previous three results: hard work.

That, and Bernard Brogan.

Restored to the full-forward line after three all-too-brief cameos from the bench against Kerry, Derry and Mayo, Brogan grabbed his opportunity to impress and did so in spades -- kicking 1-6 (0-3), setting up Dublin's second goal and sending a fairly water-tight message to the sideline that he must play a more central part in the remainder of Dublin's season.

Seamus McEneaney started with Dermot McArdle marking Brogan, but he lasted just one minute and 52 seconds before being withdrawn for Mark McNally, as the early signs did not look great for the Castleblayney Faughs man who had carried an injury into the Donnycarney duel.

He finished a 10th-minute breach of the Farney rearguard by Paul Flynn after his inside partner, Kevin McManamon, slid a low pass back across goal, and repaid the favour in the 53rd minute after Ross McConnell spotted his clubmate in space behind the Monaghan 20-metre line.

It wasn't all good for Dublin, though. Captain Paul Griffin suffered an excruciating knee injury in the second half after coming on for James McCarthy at the break, and manager Pat Gilroy immediately feared the worst.

"I do think it was serious blow on his knee," he surmised. "The guy (Paul Finlay) just landed on it and his leg was totally exposed. It was a complete accident, but he was in a lot of pain."

There was also the tale of the two possible sendings off. Dessie Mone got a second yellow in the 41st minute, having collected his first for a clash with Flynn in the first half.

Mone certainly deserved to walk for his late tackle on Alan Hubbard. "It was a bit of a clumsy challenge," reckoned Gilroy.

Agricultural

But Monaghan were rightly irked that Flynn had not received a second yellow at the end of the first half when he felled Dick Clerkin in somewhat agricultural fashion.

"In fairness, (referee) Maurice Deegan had quite a good game and I couldn't single out anything that cost us the game," said Seamus McEneaney, visibly more placid looking back on the incident than he was when it happened. Possibly, he deserved a second booking but that's for someone else to judge."

Besides the obvious benefits of the two points and Brogan's display, there were plenty of other reasons to be cheerful for the Dubs.

Mick Fitzsimons grows in stature and confidence with each assured performance in the full-back line while Cian O'Sullivan is starting to look very much like a summertime number six.

In attack, Michael MacAuley had his customary bag of tricks and boundless energy, though Gilroy must have been worried when Tommy Freeman's sensational finish in the 43rd minute put Monaghan level at 1-7 apiece.

The introduction of Rory Woods to Monaghan's full-forward line had the effect of releasing a fox into a chicken coop and what had previously been a water-tight Dublin full-back line began to seep ever so slightly.

Dublin had their own ace on the bench, though, big Darren Magee, who immediately fielded two superb balls after coming in for Eamonn Fennell and kicked a point to jolt Dublin's stuttering rhythm.

And from there Dublin outscored Monaghan by 1-5 to 0-2, holding the visitors to two frees.

Kevin McManamon finally got some tangible reward for his toil in the 52nd minute. A long ball from McConnell found Brogan, who raced through on goal before slipping a hand pass to McManamon, who applied the finishing touch from close range for his second goal in this year's league.

The pair combined again in the 58th minute, but overcooked their passing and the possibility of a third goal went abegging, while the industrious MacAuley hit the bar after surging through as the match moved into injury time.

"We had two or three goal chances where we just over-passed the ball," added Gilroy. "But it's March and fellas are going to make those mistakes and, in fairness, you can't fault the effort."

Four from four is good going though, certainly surpassing Gilroy's expectations and a win in any of their final three games of their Division One campaign against Cork, Galway or Tyrone and an appearance in the final would looking be close to certain.

Not that Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn on a Saturday night is the most hospitable place to go when you're looking for league points.

"They are league matches and people take them as that, whether you are top of the table or middle of the table," surmised Gilroy. "It's all about going out and doing the things we are trying to improve on."

Dublin anxiously await an update on Griffin, though the likes of Alan Brogan, Barry Cahill and Bryan Cullen are expected to be available for the Leeside trip, while Bernard's irresistible form adds a touch of class to an increasingly efficient and gritty team.

"We don't expect an easy game down there," predicted Dublin's man of the match. "No one gets an easy game down there.

"I don't know how long it's been since we've beaten them away. We've gotten a couple of trouncings over the last number of years.

"We have to go down with cool heads. We will probably be hyped up after getting four out of four but we know ourselves that nothing's won in March. If we can get to a league play-off, we'll be delighted with that."

- Conor McKeon