Hands tried.. but you can’t keep a good team down
AFTER being wiped out in minutes in last year’s semi-final, Tyrone certainly gave Dublin a proper game yesterday.
To be four points up after 20 minutes was dream stuff. Virtually all of the things that Mickey Harte would have identified pre-game were coming off.
They knew what they were about in terms of their game plan and were controlling the game.
Then Niall Morgan has a bad kickout that’s intercepted and the game is turned on its head as Dublin win a penalty.
Tyrone would have walked down the tunnel at half-time wondering what had just happened.
But all things considered, to win an All-ireland you need a lot to go right for you, particularly as an underdog, and 16 wides to Dublin’s seven was too great a load for Tyrone to carry.
Moreover, they never looked like scoring a goal before that late penalty.
It wasn’t a vintage performance from Dublin but they still won by six points.
It was hard to choose a man of the match and yet you wouldn’t say anyone played particularly poorly either.
It just underlines how functional Dublin are now. They’re incredibly efficient and when things aren’t going well, they have an ability to come up with a solution.
Brian Fenton and Ciaran Kilkenny came in for some special attention early on but the threats come from so many sources you can’t keep Dublin down.
They’re not as spectacular as they were a couple of years ago when Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn were in their prime.
They were really enjoyable to watch then; now it’s a case of just getting the job done and they do that extremely well.
Jim Gavin and Declan Darcy have been there from the start of this run and deserve huge credit in creating the culture that’s around the team now.
Yesterday, Flynn and Eoghan
O’gara didn’t get on, Brogan wasn’t in the 26 and they didn’t have Diarmuid Connolly to change the game if needed like last year.
But the likes of Eoin
Murchan and Brian Howard have been subtly phased into the team, which remains young as talk of five-in-a-row starts already.
It’ll be a media obsession over the next 12 months but Jim will keep it simple within the group, as if they were going for their first, while eying new talent to keep it fresh.
I expect Dublin to dominate the end of year awards, as befitting a team who has conquered all in All-ireland, Leinster and league formats.
Jonny Cooper, Jack
Mccaffrey, James Mccarthy, Brian Fenton,
Brian Howard, Ciaran
Kilkenny and Paul
Mannion are in line for All Stars, while I’d have
Howard and Fenton for Young
Footballer of the
Year and Footballer of the Year respectively. @Brianodriscoll Ciarán Kilkenny was so good again today. His energy is unrivaled. Holds possession brilliantly.
BENNY COULTER @Bennycoulter82
Hard to believe Jack Mccaffery had a cruciate operation 11 months ago. Con O C what a player he is. Could watch him all day. He goes for the jugular when many don’t. #class
RYAN MCCLUSKEY @clucker60
Sometimes you just have to stand back and admire @ Dubgaaofficial... now let’s equal the £££ game and see where the game goes...
AIDAN O MAHONY
Paul Mannion defensive qualities & work rate are outrageous, he’s a dream player for any team
@Gaa_stats
2018 finishes with a record (&maddening) 2,598 total points along with a record 156 goals.
We’ve gotten the highest ever PPG scored of 38.2, but the highest Winning Margin Per Game since 1990 of 8.5ppg.