ALL-IRELAND MFC FINAL Mayo 0-14 Tyrone 0-14:SO, FOOTBALL is alive and well beneath the surface in Tyrone. The same must be said of Mayo, but where has that ever got them?
These sides played out an entertaining spectacle yesterday, Tyrone grabbing the latest of equalisers just as Mayo seemed primed to end a 23-year wait for a national minor title.
It will have to be sorted out next Saturday at Pearse Park, Longford (throw-in: 2.30 pm).
Mayo's Dean Gavin made a huge impact off the bench to level matters at 0-13 each with four minutes remaining and it was the same man who drew a free entering injury-time. Aidan Walsh stuck it between the posts and Mayo looked safe. All they had to do was survive for two minutes of added time.
They wrestled back possession and even found themselves in a two-on-two attacking scenario. They couldn't hold on to the ball, allowing the Sydney Swans-bound Kyle Coney to pick out Matthew Donnelly, who stitched the equalising score. For the first time during this memorable afternoon's viewing, the Tyrone crowd produced an explosion of sound.
If Mayo's form in replays is to be considered they are well set. In the semi-final they travelled to Limerick and crushed a fancied Kerry outfit. Mayo have always brought stylish footballers to the game but this side have a physicality not normally associated with western ways. Take Aiden O'Shea. The teenager towered over the reporters afterwards, when picking up the man-of-the-match accolade, despite being a major concern beforehand having fractured a thumb against Kerry.
An injection allowed him to play largely unhindered.
"There was a bit of a loss in concentration just before half-time . . . We let them get a run on us for 10, 15 minutes but we knew coming out for the second half we had a real chance to win. Sure, we put ourselves in a position to do it but we just failed to execute in the last few minutes. There is more from us. We kicked a few wides again today, which is disappointing by our standards because we thought we corrected that down in Limerick against Kerry."
They kicked eight wides in comparison to 12 from the misfiring Tyrone attack. But overall, the result seems fair. O'Shea was right: Mayo went missing coming up to half-time as their 0-7 to 0-3 lead was turned into a one-point deficit; Tyrone rattled off five unanswered scores and should have added a goal.
The chance fell to midfielder Niall McKenna, a son of Eugene.
After bursting through on goal he had a choice: keep the head down or flick the ball over to the unmarked Paddy McNeice at the far post. He did neither, instead clipping a half-hearted shot that goalkeeper Robert Hennelly easily gathered.
McNeice had a fine game, scoring six points, five from play. With Coney's influence beginning to tell, he roamed Croke Park much as Brian Dooher does.
Tyrone pulled clear midway through the second half thanks to McNeice and Conor O'Neill strikes. The Mayo response was swift. Cathal Freeman brought his tally to 0-4 before a Walsh free and a gem from O'Shea gave them back the lead. Tyrone took it back through Ciarán Gervin before the nerve-jangling end-game.
Tyrone kept their cards close to their chest afterwards, leaving it up to Mayo manager Ray Dempsey to lavish praise on them.
"Tyrone showed their composure today. They are becoming a traditional force in football which I don't think people are giving them enough credit for. Six years ago they hadn't even an All-Ireland senior title. Mickey Harte has done a fine job and Ray Munroe is carrying it on."
TYRONE: T Harney; F McQuaid, G Teague, R Pickering; S MacRory, P Harte, R McNabb; N McKenna (0-1), M Rogers; C Gervin (0-3), D McNulty, M Donnelly (0-1); K Coney, P McNeice (0-6, one free), C O'Neill (0-3). Subs: R Tierney for S MacRory (49 mins), S Warnock for M Rogers (52 mins), B McGarvey for R McNabb (54 mins).
MAYO: R Hennelly; D Dolan, K Keane, J Broderick; S McHale, E Reilly, S Nally (0-1); J Cafferty, G McDonagh; C Freeman (0-4), A O'Shea (0-2), R Geraghty (0-1); K Charlton, A Walsh (0-4, three frees), A Corduff (0-1). Subs: D Gavin (0-1)for K Charlton (38 mins), D O'Hara R Geraghty (50 mins).
Referee: R Hickey(Clare).
