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"They'll know themselves of their need to improve" - Jim Gavin keen to refocus his team ahead of All-Ireland final

Dublin manager Jim Gavin insists there is still work to be done following his side's vi...



"They'll know themselv...
Football

"They'll know themselves of their need to improve" - Jim Gavin keen to refocus his team ahead of All-Ireland final

Dublin manager Jim Gavin insists there is still work to be done following his side's victory over Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final this afternoon.

Dublin were two-point winners at Croke Park having come from five points down at half-time to pull away in the closing stages of the game.

Speaking after the game, Gavin was unwilling to get carried away with the result. 

"It was a great performance against a great Kerry team and to have been asked so many questions during the game and to respond the way they did is very satisfying for the management," he told Newstalk Sport's Oisin Langan. 

Dublin conceded two goals before the break and looked shaken heading in at half-time, but came out a team transformed and pushed their way back into the game. Gavin explained that there was no panic in the dressing room at the interval. 

"We just told them to stick to the gameplan, that's what we've always espoused [on the players]. There's great trust and belief in that Dublin dressing room of what they're about.

"They weren't too upset about what happened. You're playing against Kerry and they're going to get scores against you. The goals that they got... they earned the right to score those goals. They deserved them. We had to find a way out.

"We dissolved a lot of that decision making process to the team on the field of play, they needed to figure it out for themselves. I thought they demonstrated that, particularly in the second half when Kerry went ahead again by three points. Our boys showed great focus and control to level the scoring and to kick on and win."

It was an extremely psychical contest and neither side were willing ot give an inch. Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

The game featured some heavy tackling from both sides and Gavin says that the physicality of the game was managed well by the referee, David Gough.

"It's part of the game, it is a contact sport. I think the referee did well in the circumstances, where you had both sets of payers throwing themselves into tackles. There was great commitment by the Dublin and Kerry players out there. 

"I think it's one of the best field sports when it's played like that. There were some great scores, some great fielding, great passing. Great goals by Kerry and great scoring by both teams. I think [the game] had it all. It's a great advertisement for gaelic football.   

"You could argue that the second goal they got, Stephen [Cluxton] was challenged, but we don't want to see that in our game. It could become a very sterile game."

Dublin now advance to play Mayo in the final on September 18 and have just over two weeks to get ready for the game. Was Gavin worried about what Stephen Rochford's side learned after watching today's game?

"Opposition teams looking in on us, we can't control that. We can only go after our game and try to get that right. We'll have a look at those scores and take a look at wast we did well. That's what we always want to build on.

"We're very positive in that nature with the boys. They'll know themselves of their need to improve and that'll give us some takeaways to work on over the coming week. Then we have two weeks to prepare for an All-Ireland final.  We're coming up against a team that's already two [weeks] ahead of us, so already we're a little bit behind. hopefully we catch up in the coming weeks. 

"Our review process is the same whether we get the result or not. It's the same process that we've always had. We look at the areas where we are doing well and build on others.

"From a players perspective you can't beat winning, ti's fantastic for morale. They're not a team that will reflect on the past. They'll very much re-centre themselves and prepare for a big challenge in three weeks time."

 

 

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