Blues will get over the line

AS run-ins to All-ireland finals go, this is probably the most joyless for decades.

While Dublin have towered over all comers for the last number of years, there was still the feeling Kerry or particularly Mayo could be highly-competitive against them on final day, and it wasn’t misplaced.

Tyrone? Not so much. They’ll field a team that, Colm Cavanagh apart, has never played in final before and while they may not suffer a whipping to rival last year’s semi-final loss to the champions, building a case for them to actually win the game is exceptionally difficult.

They’re arguably the biggest underdogs going into a final since the Red Hands made their first appearance at this stage against Kerry back in 1986.

That day they took a seven-point lead before losing by eight. While you wouldn’t expect them to forge that far ahead tomorrow, you could envisage a similar pattern whereby they’re dangerous for much of the game before being burned off.

How will Tyrone approach it? The views of former players from the county, particularly Enda Mcginley this week, are interesting in that regard.

Try and contain Dublin and they’ll slowly succumb to an inevitable defeat without ever giving themselves a genuine chance of winning the game, Mcginley feels.

Have a cut and they’ll have some chance of victory while also running the risk of being opened up.

Mickey Harte will likely have some tactical curveballs lined up for Jim Gavin, but no matter how you spin it, the champions seem too well drilled not to have answers.

Although their earlier wins over Donegal and Tyrone suggested they are not blowing teams away to the same degree as a couple of years ago, Dublin certainly ramped it up in the semi-final against Galway.

To a degree, despite being soundly beaten, Galway showed how to beat Dublin with the goal chances they created in the first quarter. If Tyrone enjoy such a purple patch, they must maximise it.

Even if they do, you’d still back Dublin to find a way. VERDICT: Dublin