Kennedy strike helps Tipperary bridge long gap

Tipperary 3-9 Dublin 1-14:THE CLOCK was no friend to these Dublin minors. A wonder goal from Tipperary substitute Colman Kennedy, born of a defensive error, will forever be the moment that defines this All-Ireland final.

Kennedy’s strike came on 56 minutes, so there wasn’t enough time for the capital’s best young crop in ages to alter the course of history. But Tipperary deserved their victory – and a first minor football title in 77 years – because they clung on in there against opponents who were superior for long tranches of this thrilling battle.

“The mistake at the end was quite costly but they’re all the little bits and pieces that make up this great game, some days they go with you and some days they don’t,” was the philosophical reasoning of Dublin manager Dessie Farrell.

Farrell’s eyes told us more; deep down the GPA chief executive must have been bleeding blue blood. Dublin had this, but they gave it away.

For two distinct moments during this contest the press section in the upper Hogan Stand sounded like a raucous watering hole in Thurles.

With just 1.36 on the clock the few thousand football loyalists from Tipperary, mainly situated up in the rafters behind the media, cleared their throats. The McGrath family from Loughmore-Castleiney were causing havoc on the main stage again. The cousins, John and Liam McGrath, combined for the first of three excellently constructed Tipp goals.

John, younger brother of Noel – the Tipperary senior hurler – gobbled up a breaking ball and fed his inspirational captain, Liam. The elder McGrath hared off on a 50-metre run before pounding the ball into the Hill-end goal.

They had been 66 to 1 for the All-Ireland even after coming back from the dead against Kerry in the Munster semi-final. Colman Kennedy scored the crucial goal that day as well.

Dublin were unmoved by this early blow, however, and quickly found an irresistible rhythm to rattle off 1-7 without reply.

With Patrick O’Higgins and Emmet Ó Conghaile taking a vice-like grip of midfield, scores rained down.

Gavin Ivory hammered a gem of a goal into the top corner, while Ciarán Kilkenny landed three beautifully weighted points.

Dublin had Tipperary surrounded every time they attempted to shift ball into their forwards. It forced their young manager David Power to introduce Kennedy and Philip Quirke at half-time. Quirke was named in the initial line-up only for Power to throw a shimmy and start young John McGrath.

Both decisions worked.

They dragged themselves back into the fight just before the break when Liam McGrath was wrestled to the ground by Dublin goalkeeper Ross O’Hanlon. Michael Quinlivan rolled the penalty into the left corner.

It would have been a three-point game only for Kilkenny to respond by quickly firing over a pair of points. The man-of-the-match accolade seemed destined for his mantelpiece.

The scoreboard read Dublin 1-10 Tipperary 2-2 at the half-time break, but the opening seven minutes of the second half changed everything. These minutes now seem definitive.

The impact of Quinlivan and Kennedy was immediately evident as the deficit was reduced to a single point.

Finally, Dublin resettled with points from Jack McCaffrey and Kilkenny. But Tipp responded once more with McGrath and a great point by Quirke – the Tipperary bench eventually finished up with 1-5.

Still, at this juncture, Dublin remained in control but the mentality of teenagers can be easily swayed. Tipperary hung on in there, denying Dublin’s attack the necessary oxygen to kill off the match. On 54 minutes Quirke clipped his third point to make it 1-13 to 2-9. Just a point in it.

And then it happened. Calamity for Dublin. Ross O’Hanlon came off his line to send a weak pass to corner back Rutherson Real. Tipp’s captain Liam McGrath got in a challenge, loosening the ball from Real’s grasp. Kennedy pounced on it, glancing up to see an untended net. He was standing on the corner of the D. A tricky shot, he would be forgiven for levelling matters up with a point.

“I’ll be honest with you I was hoping he’d go for the point,” said Power. “If he’d missed it I would have absolutely killed him! But knowing Colman Kennedy, though, he was always going to go for goal.”

Kennedy’s shot arrowed spectacularly into the roof of the net to give Tipperary a two-point lead.

Four minutes, including injury-time, remained. Dublin were understandably spooked. Cormac Costello kicked a wide, so did Gavin Ivory. Time ticked on, the Hill grew silent, the blue and gold folk in the upper Hogan delirious.

Dublin centre back John Small careered forward only to be fouled. The 60 seconds of injury- time had begun. Kilkenny put the free over the bar.

Everything rested upon Evan Comerford’s kick out. It broke off a soaring Dublin hand only for Liam McGrath to gobble it up.

Tipperary were home, the silent revolution of their footballers now given voice on the national stage. Power concurred: “The launch pad is there for us and hopefully after this team winning, the under-21s and senior team will take confidence from the achievement.”

TIPPERARY: E Comerford; N O’Sullivan, J Meagher, C O’Sullivan; C O’Riordan, D Fitzelle, S Kennedy; S O’Brien, I Fahey; G Henry, J McGrath, B Maher (0-1); L McGrath (1-2, 0-1 free, capt), M Quinlivan (1-1, 1-0 pen), TJ Ryan. Subs: P Quirke (0-3) for J McGrath, C Kenney (1-2, 0-2 frees) for TJ Ryan (both half-time), A McGuire for C O’Riordan (44 mins), J Lonergan for G Henry (50 mins), J Martin for B Maher (54 mins).

DUBLIN: R O’Hanlon; G Hannigan, R McDaid (capt), R Real; E Lowndes, J Small (0-1), J McCaffrey (0-1); P O’Higgins, E Ó Conghaile (0-1); C Costello (0-1), G Ivory (1-1), C Meaney; S Fulham, C Kilkenny (0-7, 0-3 frees), P Mannion (0-2). Subs: D Campbell for C Meaney (39 mins), D Byrne for G Hannigan (52), N Scully for S Fulham (58).

Referee: P Hughes (Armagh).