10 MOMENTS WHICH DEFINED THE FOOTBALLING SUMMER

The pivotal plays that shaped a season

1 DEAN ROCK’S WINNING FREE IN THE ALL-IRELAND FINAL

Nerves of steel. Even a flying GPS unit didn’t break the Ballymun Kickhams clubman’s concentration and focus. Rock’s accurate kick was all the more impressive as he began the final in shaky form and had missed a couple of chances in the first half. But when it mattered, he delivered and kicked Dublin into history.

2 DONAL VAUGHAN’S RED CARD

There is a great wide-lens shot of Mayo manager Stephen Rochford as Vaughan sprints in to attribute some retribution for John Small’s late hit on Chris Barrett. Rochford has his hands on his head. Vaughan’s rush of blood to the head made the decision to send off a man each easy for Joe McQuillan, ensuring that Mayo were without their extra man down the home stretch and also that their scoreable free was taken away from them.

3 DIARMUID CONNOLLY’S PUSH ON LINESMAN CIARÁN BRANIGAN

The incident that led to an outcry. Dublin’s extravagantly talented forward was being manhandled by three Carlow players on the sideline in O’Moore Park. Naturally enough, he took exception to that and pushed the linesman. There was no action taken at the time but the CCCC handed down a 12-week suspension which led to Jim Gavin evoking the rights of the Republic in a bizarre broadside against The Sunday Game.

4 AIDAN O’SHEA MARKS KIERAN DONAGHY

Nobody could quite believe their eyes as within 30 seconds of the ball being thrown in of the All-Ireland semi-final, the Breaffy powerhouse trotted down to the edge of the square to perch himself on Donaghy’s shoulder. The pair were never that far apart in the replay either. Indeed, O’Shea looked a lot more comfortable the second day with the Kerry fullforward less influential — so much so that Donaghy ended up getting sent off towards the end.

5 PADDY DURCAN’S POINT AGAINST KERRY IN THE DRAWN SEMI-FINAL

When Paul Murphy kicked Kerry in front in this pulsating encounter, we wondered just how it happened — Mayo were the better team for most of the first game. The board told them they had five minutes of additional time to find an equaliser. Vaughan and Durcan played a neat one-two before the Castlebar man kicked a fine point to bring the semi-final to a replay.

6 CON O’CALLAGHAN’S GOAL IN THE ALL-IRELAND FINAL

It has been an extraordinary year for the Cuala youngster. An AllIreland club hurling title was followed by winning the Under 21 football title with Dublin. But he saved his best for last, destroying Tyrone’s dreams with an early goal in the semi-final and finding the net within 75 seconds of the start of his first All-Ireland final.

7 SEÁN CAVANAGH LEAVES THE STAGE

Nothing about their semi-final against Dublin went to plan for Mickey Harte’s team but the most emotional sight came at the end when one of their greatest ever players slipped away from Croke Park after 89 Championship appearances that yielded three All-Ireland titles, six Ulsters and a Footballer of the Year award. At the final whistle, Dublin players lined up to hug Cavanagh — the most touching moment was a long embrace from Stephen Cluxton

8 ANDY MORAN’S GOAL AGAINST KERRY

The moment when we really believed this was going to be their year. Mayo had a healthy half-time lead in the replay against Kerry, but generally that just leads to a comeback from the Kingdom. Instead, the westerners kicked again. Moran caught a fantastic high ball, played a lovely one-two with Cillian O’Connor and palmed the ball into the net. Game over.

9 CIAN CONNOLLY’S GOAL IN THE CONNACHT FINAL

Roscommon’s summer came unstuck in the quarter-final replay against Mayo, but it shouldn’t take away from the sheer majesty of this goal against Galway. The Murtaghs had already run riot, scoring a flurry of points before Diarmuid Murtagh picked out Connolly with a delightful pass. He had the skill to roll a composed finish to the bottom corner.

10 CONOR LOFTUS GOAL AGAINST DERRY

Mayo’s summer odyssey almost never was. Loftus was sprung from the bench with Rochford’s team looking in real trouble of going out in their first qualifier. With Mayo a point behind in the 69th minute, Loftus decided to fire the ball into the roof of the net, rather than go for the point to level the game.