Tyrone won their second All- Ireland title in Croke Park yesterday and did so by pulling precisely the same stunt as they won their first title with a couple of years ago. They withdrew Peter Canavan, the man they call god, at half time and they resurrected him for the final stages, writes Tom Humphries.
With 14 minutes left it seemed as if Kerry, the holders, were about to reassert their authority. Tomás Ó Sé struck a goal from an acute angle and narrowed the gap between the sides to a point. Kerry prepared to lay decisive siege. Two minutes later though, Canavan, having just been re-inserted in the fray, scored a wondrous point to kill the momentum. Job done. Canavan announced afterwards that he was retiring from inter-county football.
For the losers, Kerry, the sense of déjà vu was even more pronounced, however. Gaelic football's brand leaders continued their run of not having beaten the top Ulster sides this millennium.
If Kerry had come to Croke Park with the intention of proving a point on behalf of football's aristocracy, Tyrone were motivated by a rather more poignant memory. Cormac McAnallen, their captain for the season after the 2003 All-Ireland triumph, wasn't physically with his comrades on this occasion, but his spirit informed their every move.
"This is for Cormac McAnallen," said Tyrone's captain Brian Dooher. He didn't want to be part of a Tyrone team which only won one All-Ireland. "Well, Cormac, you now have two and, Cormac, you are and always will be a huge part of this team."
"Those words of Cormac's have been ringing in our ears since he said them to us," said Tyrone's manager Mickey Harte. "There was a 31st man there today and that was Cormac McAnallen."