FULL STORY: P48-49

TYRONE are through to their first All-Ireland final since 2008, after they beat neighbours Monaghan 1-3 to 0-15 in a highwire encounter in Croke Park.

The county is now set to go football crazy in what is sure to be an incredible test against Dublin, who are going for their fourth All-Ireland in a row and their sixth since 2011, and who are chasing the title of best-ever team to have played the game.

The Red Hands did it the hard way with Monaghan edging in front for the first time in the game with less than 10 minutes remaining, but Niall Sludden pulled Tyrone out of the fire a few minutes later, lashing home a loose ball to the Monaghan net.

“We know the people of Tyrone. They love their football and love to get energised by it,” said manager Mickey Harte.

“They just wanted to express themselves in terms of being here on All-Ireland final day. Maybe we got a wee bit spoilt with three in five years in the 2000s.

“But still there is a longing in the people of Tyrone to be here in All-Ireland final day.”

Monaghan manager Malachy O’Rourke was disappointed with the performance of referee Anthony Nolan, and the lack of time added on as the Oriel county desperately hunted n equaliser.

“I’m just frustrated the way the game ended in that all year, every game we’ve been involved in, there’s been seven, eight, nine minutes of injury time,” he said.

“I can’t understand today how with so many substitutes brought on, they are supposed to be 20 or 30 seconds per substitution and there were plenty of injuries all through the game, how he came up with just three minutes of injury time so that is really frustrating.

“We were on the front foot. We had scored two points in injury time. To be cut off like that and even the last ball that went in that Kieran went for, the referee signalled for a free in and then didn’t give it, but just bitterly disappointed to have put so much in.” Jubilant: Tyrone’s Cathal McShane