By Cian O'Connell

Oisin Gough is encouraged by the composure Dublin have shown in posting three Allianz Hurling League Division IA wins on the spin.

Since suffering a cruel opening night Semple Stadium defeat to Tipperary the Dublin response has been enterprising and efficient. Ger Cunningham's side have secured a quarter-final place following triumphs over Galway, Cork, and Waterford.

“I don't think we've changed anything in training really,” Gough said about how Dublin have improved dramatically during the last month. “There was a lot of talk obviously, but I don't think we've changed anything dramatically, we just didn't show up on the day whatever happened mentally.

"So I think what you're seeing the last few games from us is more normal, so that's the level we think we're at. It's just about consistency in our performances.

“For whatever reason over the last few years Dublin have been able to produce very good displays and then other days they don't show up. We're just trying to keep that consistency.”

When asked to describe Dublin's style Gough stresses the importance of being earnest. “Our focus is on work rate,” Gough admits. “We have a game plan, and it’s mainly about using the ball, trying not to hit aimless balls on the back foot, only to see them return.

“We try to work the ball around the park, keep possession, get scores throughout the game. So it’s less swashbuckling hurling than people are used to. It is more workmanlike and methodical.

“Traditionally people say we'’re still not a hurling county, even though the lads growing up have played at the highest level. We know how good we are.”

Does that view annoy the Dublin panel? “It does and it doesn’t,” Gough replies. “We were pretty successful growing up. At senior the likes of Kilkenny over the last 10-15 years have been incredibly successful, but we’ve won a National League, we’ve won a Leinster. The vast majority of the team has multiple under-age Leinster titles so it shouldn’t annoy us. We know how good we are as individual players and then as a team. On our day, we’re as good as anybody that we play.”

Next on the agenda is Sunday's trip to Nowlan Park for a tussle with standard bearers Kilkenny, who Dublin 'enjoy' playing against. “We would have grown up playing Kilkenny and beating Kilkenny in Leinster finals. Kilkenny, Wexford, Offaly - the traditional hurling counties in Leinster. So there is no fear of playing these teams and over the last couple of years I think we’ve had some good matches with Kilkenny especially.

“So I think as a team we enjoy playing Kilkenny. A team we look forward to playing is Kilkenny. We just like the challenge and we like to put ourselves out there against the best team in Ireland over the last few years - giving it everything we've got to see how we finish at the end.”

Last year Gough opted to concentrate on club commitments claiming a county medal with Cuala, who are managed by former Galway selector Mattie Kenny. “I was the captain of the club when I went back. I know I took a break from inter county hurling, but I was basically training almost as much. It wasn’t a huge change, maybe one session less a week.

“Mattie had a very good set up and maybe it benefitted the club because we have had a lot Dublin hurlers. Just to have one more player back training for Cuala was good for the team. We had a good run last year. He’s still our manager and hopefully we can repeat our success of last year, but we have even more Dublin hurlers than we did last year so it’s going to be hard to keep the intensity going in training when we are not there.”

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