Tyrone win amid 125th Celebrations
As the GAA’s 125th anniversary celebrations began in style at Croke Park on Saturday evening, All-Ireland champions Tyrone claimed a superb 1-18 to 1-16 win over Dublin.
In a game of remarkable quality, Tyrone snatched victory in the final moments with a couple of outstanding points from Séan Cavanagh. Dublin had looked like they would claim an unlikely victory with a powerful second-half display but, in the end, it was the Ulster men’s day.
Stephen O’Neill had an outstanding game for Tyrone in a spectacular return to his best, finishing with eight points, six from play and setting up a host of scores for his side.
Both sides ran out to the pitch in old-style jerseys, and there was a festive atmosphere in Croke Park as the 125th anniversary celebration match got underway. Both sides had players making competitive debuts, Denis Bastic, Alan Hubbard, Tiernan Diamond and James Brogan for Dublin, and Aidan Cassidy for Tyrone.
O’Neill defined the first half, and the Clann na nGael man kicked six points in the first half and scored the game’s first, a sharp turn and clip over the bar.
Conal Keaney eventually got the Dubs off the mark with a couple of scores but it was around then that O’Neill’s burner was roaring fully, and he sizzled from there.
First, he pumped over a fantastic effort on the turn from distance before adding a couple of frees to put Tyrone 0-4 to 0-2 in front. The All-Ireland champions were looking in good shape for a January fixture, though O’Neill was stealing the show, setting up the next two scores for Cavanagh and Tommy McGuigan with a pair of deft lay-offs.
Colm McCullagh appeared to take inspiration from O’Neill’s majesty as he sunk over a stunner from the left corner, also on the turn. Dublin stayed in touch with two scores either side of McCullagh’s effort, one coming from a Keaney free, the other belonging to Ciáran Whelan.
The game was now flowing like a championship clash, with Dublin looking sharper in attack. Still, O’Neill was the king. He popped over his first right-footed score to put Tyrone 0-9 to 0-4 in front and just before half-time, he put over a thriller fit to grace any game of past, present or future.
The forward picked up a rangy pass to the left corner and eventually found himself tight to the left endline, hassled by a Dublin marker. Yet somehow he found the space to dink over a left-footed shot from a near impossible angle.
For all the energy of Tyrone, Dublin kept to their task and scores from David Henry, Jason Sherlock and Bernard Brogan kept things relatively tight at the break, Tyrone 0-11 to 0-7 in front.
Dublin got the first couple of points of the second half, newcomer Diamond and veteran Sherlock putting two between them. Indeed Dublin were looking sharp and they grabbed the lead seconds later.
Whelan won possession in the middle and when the ball was knocked in, Tyrone full-back Justin McMahon looked to have it covered but he fumbled possession straight into the arms of the onrushing Bernard Brogan, who drilled the ball low under John Devine to the net.
McCullagh levelled things up for Tyrone with an excellent point soon after and then the Red Hand blew a glorious chance for a goal of their own through Séan Cavanagh. However, they made no mistake seconds later when Owen Mulligan tucked one away.
Tommy McGuigan broke freely down the left side and he lobbed across a straight-forward ball for Mulligan, who knocked to the net with ease.
The game was an incredible end-to-end affair by now, both teams trading blows of power and class. McCullagh and Joe McMahon pointed for Tyrone, with both scores hotly followed by efforts from Bernard Brogan and substitute Paul Flynn, who had come on for Shane Ryan. Bernard Brogan pointed again soon after for Dublin to leave two points between them, Tyrone 1-14 to 1-12 in front.
O’Neill had been kept quiet for the second half to that point but he restored Tyrone’s three-point advantage just shy of the hour mark when he burst past the last line of Dublin cover and fired over for his seventh point with an accomplished finish. Bernard Brogan’s free put two between them again soon after and then a fine shot over from Keaney left the minimum in it.
And then, from somewhere, Dublin looked like they had found the killer instinct they never seemed to have had before. Keaney levelled it up and then Bernard Brogan sent over a scintillating score to put them in front, but just as Tyrone had done in last year’s All-Ireland final, they finished with a devastating flourish.
Cavanagh had been quiet by his own remarkable standards up to then but the Footballer of the Year soon showed all he was about, powering over two wonderful points to leave Tyrone in front again. And fittingly, O’Neill scored the game’s last point, another sharp effort with his left to send Tyrone home with an opening day triumph.
Scorers for Tyrone: Stephen O’Neill 0-8 (2f), Owen Mulligan 1-1, Séan Cavanagh 0-4, Tommy McGuigan 0-1, Colm McCullagh 0-3, Joe McMahon 0-1
Scorers for Dublin: Conal Keaney 0-5 (2f), Ciaran Whelan 0-1, David Henry 0-1, Bernard Brogan 1-5 (2f), Jason Sherlock 0-2, Tiernan Diamond 0-1, Paul Flynn 0-1
Dublin: S Cluxton; P Andrews, D Bastick, A Hubbard; B Cullen, G Brennan, B Cahill; R McConnell, C Whelan; J Brogan, D Henry, T Diamond; C Keaney, J Sherlock, B Brogan.
Subs: Shane Ryan on for Ross McConnell (20), Paul Flynn for Shane Ryan (46), Kevin Bonner for Tiernan Diamond (52), Brendan McManamon for James Brogan (66).
Tyrone: J Devine; M Swift, Justin McMahon, M McGee; D Harte, R McMenamin, P Jordan; E McGinley, A Cassidy; T McGuigan, C McCullagh, Joe McMahon; S O’Neill, S Cavanagh, O Mulligan.
Subs: PJ Quinn for Michael McGee (57), Kevin Hughes for Aidan Cassidy (63), Martin Penrose for Tommy McGuigan (66), Colm Cavanagh for Colm McCullagh (66).
Referee: Martin Duffy (Sligo)
Attendance: 79,161
