Top 3 Matches since 1983

[Wildweasel74]

37 points from play, G youse are not much for defending down south lol

[rrhf]

Armagh v Tyrone 05 ai semi final. The greatest level of football ever played by two teams. A game where the only difference between the teams was karma.
Tyrone v Kerry 97 minor semi final
Tyrone v Galway league semi final 03/04 I think

[seafoid]

Tipp vs Kilkenny 2010
Down vs Kerry 1991. Ulster were back and it was of course Down who dragged the rest of the province along
Mayo vs Kerry 1996 first time Munster/Leinster lost to Connacht in over 20 years

[Sidney]

Armagh v Tyrone 05 ai semi final. The greatest level of football ever played by two teams.

[ross4life]

Speaking of NFL games i remember we had a classic with Galway in 2002 finished 3-11 each but the best NFL game i saw was this one.

1990 NFL quarter-final
Roscommon  2-22
Dublin   3-13

From the Roscommon people, Paul Staunton on famous save and an epic win over Dubs

The Roscommon football revival was gathering momentum under the guidance of manager Marty McDermott. The team were unbeaten in the National League Division 2 and as 1990 began there was more good news. On a stormy day in Kiltoom Roscommon hammered a highly-rated Meath team by 1-19 to 0-6 and the team secured their place in division 1 with a hard-fought 0-13 to 1-7 win over Louth in Ardee. The team finished their campaign with a 0-13 to 1-10 draw with Tyrone at Dr. Hyde Park. Roscommon had been drawn to meet Dublin in the quarter-final of the league in Portlaoise. The match was part of a double-header as Cork played Kildare in the curtain-raiser. The game between Roscommon and Dublin was certainly the best game of league football that I have ever had the pleasure to see. It took two periods of extra-time to separate the teams. It's a game that will also be remembered for two things....a brilliant save from Roscommon goalkeeper Paul Staunton that earned him the 'Save of the Year' award and what was probably Tony McManus's finest game in a Roscommon jersey. The Clann na nGael man ripped the Dublin defence and poor Noel McCaffrey to shreds, scoring 2-5 from play, and setting up even more scores on a thrilling day for Roscommon football.


In 1990 local radio had started and it brought a new dimension to the local coverage of gaelic games. I was the Shannonside GAA commentator at the time and this was by far the biggest game that we had covered since the station was opened in November 1989.
  A crowd of about 12,000 people were in O'Moore Park for the double-header in which Roscommon v Dublin was the second game. Those who were there on the day were the privileged ones. One national newspaper called this classic game "one of the greatest games of league football ever played in any year, or at any venue". It certainly was that. This was a game that had absolutely everything.....near-misses, great scores, one spell-binding save, incredible comebacks, hard hitting, a disputed penalty and a vintage display from one of Roscommon's greatest players of the modern era, Tony McManus.

It was a rip-roaring affair from the throw-in as both sides gave it everything. With Tony Mac on fire up front and John Newton and Seamie Killoran ruling the midfield roost, Roscommon were on top in the first quarter (the game had four quarters then). Roscommon led by 0-6 to 0-2 at the end of that quarter and it was looking good for the underdogs. However the Dubs came more into it and with Barney Rock and Ciaran Duff in good form, they grabbed a few points to edge closer.
  Then just before half-time Dublin were awarded a soft penalty when Vinny Murphy seemed to fall over in the large square. Barney Rock stepped up to crash the ball to the Roscommon net and at half-time it was Roscommon 0-8 Dublin 1-5.

In the third and fourth quarters the teams treated the crowd to a feast of open attacking football. Duff, Murphy, Rock, Tony Mac, Paul Earley, Eamonn Junior and Michael Donlon all got in on the scoring act and the sides were level six times.
Half-way through the fourth quarter, Roscommon goalkeeper Paul Staunton pulled off a save that was definitely the best that I have ever seen on a GAA or any other field. Ciaran Duff raced through and from 20 yards arrowed a piledriver that was headed towards the top corner of the Roscommon net. However Paul Staunton dived full-length and just got his finger-tips to the ball to make a truly spectacular save that had even the blue clad Dubs supporters gasping in appreciation.
  Dubs' wing-back Paul Curran scored a point in injury-time to level the game and with the scores at Roscommon 0-13 Dublin 1-10, it was into 30 minutes of extra-time. Two minutes in, and Tony Mac struck for a quite brilliant goal. He took a pass from Vinny Glennon and sold a dummy to Noel McCaffrey – leaving him trailing in his wake – and then he rounded John O'Leary before planting the ball in the empty net. Then some brilliant Roscommon point-scoring left them ahead 1-17 to 1-11 at half-time in extra-time.
  Owen McManus, who had been substituted earlier in the game, came on again and his pass into Tony Mac set up another brilliant Roscommon goal.... and with 8 minutes to go Roscommon led by 2-20 to 1-13. Surely that was it?  Not at all – this game had more twists to go.
  Sub Joe McNally boxed in a Dublin goal and two and a half minutes later   Vinny Murphy grabbed another goal and suddenly Dublin were back in business. However Roscommon closed the deal this time and points from Paul Earley and (fittingly) Tony McManus saw Roscommon win a simply breath-taking game.
  Paul Staunton remembers that great game and the famous save that he made that day in 1990. "My clearest memory that day was the performance of  Tony Mac. He had many a good game for Roscommon but he was unmarkable that day. He took poor Noel McCaffrey and the whole Dublin defence to the cleaners. They just were not able for him. It was an honour to play with such a great player but that was a great team and there were a lot of other great players on it too" he told me.
  "There was a lot of a hullabaloo over the save and I suppose it was a good save. I remember Ciaran Duff coming through the middle and shooting and that's about it. After the game Padraig McNeill said to me that he tried to trip Duff on the way through but he missed him and he said that if he had tripped him I would never have made that save!
  "I also remember that I had a bit of a limp that day because I had a groin  injury and when I was playing in front of the Dublin fans they were chanting 'Christy Brown, Christy Brown' at me. I pretended that I didn't hear it but I could hear it well" he said.
  "That was a great Roscommon team and it was a pity that we didn't achieve more. We could have you know. But I suppose two Connacht titles and two league semi-finals was not too bad really and it brings back great memories. That was one hell of a game surely" he concluded.

Roscommon: Paul Staunton; Gary Wynne, Pat Doorey, Fran Nicholson; Paul Hickey, Padraig McNeill, Mattie Reilly; Seamus Killoran (0-2), John Newton (0-1); Owen McManus (0-1), Eamonn McManus junior (0-4), Andy Leyland (0-2); Michael Donlon (0-4), Paul Earley (0-3), Tony McManus (2-5). Subs: Vinny Glennon for O McManus, Des Newton for Reilly, Tom Lennon for Leyland, Eamonn Henry for McNeill (et), Donal Brady for Hickey (et), Owen McManus for Lennon (et).

Dublin: John O'Leary; Noel McCaffrey, Gerry Hargan, Mick Kennedy; Paul Curran (0-1), Tommy Carr (0-1), Eamon Heary; David Foran, Paul Clarke; Ray Holland, Barney Rock (1-3), Ciaran Duff (0-4); Niall Clancy (0-3), Mick Galvin (0-1), Vinny Murphy (1-0). Subs: J McNally (1-0) for Rock, K Barr for Foran.




------------------------------------------------
I could be biased & talk about a few more of our wins for example St Brigids v Ballymun was one of the best games this year but instead i'll choose these two extra time defeats to those feckers from Mayo.

1989 Senior Connacht final replay -  Mayo 3-14 Roscommon 2-13
2009 U21 Connacht semi final - Mayo 4-14 Roscommon 2-15

[AZOffaly]

After the game Padraig McNeill said to me that he tried to trip Duff on the way through but he missed him and he said that if he had tripped him I would never have made that save!

Surely Not!!!!! Sure this was invented by Tyrone!

[seafoid]

The 94 hurling final had the best finish of any final since 83 .

[AZOffaly]

The 94 hurling final had the best finish of any final since 83 .

Fixed that for you there

[Wildweasel74]

men the title the best 3 games since 1983 in your opinion, there games getting mentioned here that were good games i been at alot of them but wouldnt be in a  top 20 of the best games past 30yrs, pulling NFL games out of the blue played in front of a few hards souls or games like Mayo kerry 96, or Down kerry 91 might have been gamebreaking games against the kingdom but been at the 2 of them, they were only good games nothing else

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

2 mentioned already would definitely make my list...
The 1997 minor semi final replay between Tyrone and Kerry..0-23 to 0-21 after Extra time I think it was in Parnell Park. Unbelievable game. Mark Harte got something ridiculous like 0-12..a guy called Kieran Foley was probably Kerry's best player along with Martin Beckett who was killed the following year in a car crash sadly. He would've been a great footballer. There was also a nippy corner forward from Finuge wearing 13 for Kerry that day..he had a short back and sides, no tattoos and wore clothes like everyone else. Answers on a postcard.
That was an exceptional Tyrone team..Gourley, McCrossan, McAnallen (RIP), Hughes, McGuigan, O'Neill and probably better than the lot of them was Richard Thornton..he was brilliant. An unforgettable game.

The famous Jarlaths v Coláiste na Sceilige colleges semi final in Limerick in 2002, had to be seen to be believed..it was played before a national hurling league semi final between Limerick and Kilkenny and it was so good that even the hurling snobs gave them both a standing ovation at the end.

If forced to pick just 1 more I would have to go for Derry v Down 1994. Its a cliched and populist answer..but it WAS a top notch game between 2 great teams at/near the peak of their powers. After that I'd mention:
- Kildare v Meath 1997
- Dublin v Meath 1991
- Tyrone v Dublin 2005
- Kerry v Galway 2008 in the downpour.

I still maintain the best football I've seen Kerry play was the 2002 1/4 final against Galway and the semi final against Cork..it was just seamless, flowing football. Mightn't be allowed to happen today of course. Been trying to get those games on tape for a few years without success..the final, not so much. 

[bogball88]

Any Tyrone heads remember the Clan na Gael and Coalisland championship game in Omagh a right few years ago, ended in a draw? O'Neill had some game!

[muppet]

I was at the Kerry V Galway game 'in the downpour'. It was a good game, but I felt the result was never really in doubt and Micheál Meehan kept Galway in it all on his own. It may have stood out at the time because of the conditions and the attacking football. But I wouldn't have thought I was watching a top 3 since 1983 classic.

[moysider]

Can t remember enjoying a game more as a neutral than this one. Even the report below does not do it justice. Cake was/is some legend.

29/05/2004 - 19:29:29
Sligo 1-15 Roscommon 2-16 (after extra-time)


Three penalties, extra-time, yet another Roscommon cliffhanger, and a 1-1 tally from goalkeeper Shane Curran ... just a few of the ingredients that enriched a Markevicz Park pot-boiler.

In the end, Tommy Carr's troops stormed to victory in a gripping Connacht Football Championship replay, but not before dragging their delirious supporters through all sorts of agony and angst.

Their four points winning margin didn't do justice to Sligo's heroic contribution to a memorable encounter, but Seamus O'Neill's move from the heart of defence to centre forward at the start of extra-time was the match-winning switch.

He booted over two huge points as Roscommon found an extra gear to speed away from their flagging opponents

Sligo's failure to capitalise on their ability to cut swathes through a hesitant Roscommon defence meant they trailed until the dying moments of the first half.

The visitors' more direct style produced points from Frankie Dolan and Karol Mannion, but Sligo were level by the ninth minute through Michael McNamee and Mark Breheny.

Roscommon brought a 13 minute scoreless spell to a dramatic end in the 22nd minute when Ger Henegan blasted home a penalty, awarded for a foul on himself as the ball rebounded from Philip Greene's super save from Nigel Dineen.

Sligo responded by playing their best football of the half, Eamonn O'Hara and Sean Davey powering through repeatedly from midfield.

Davey and Paul Taylor provided the accurate finishes, and in the third minute of injury time, a foul on Brian Curran produced the game's second penalty, which Taylor tucked neatly in the bottom left corner of Shane Curran's net.

The score made it 1-5 to 1-3 to Sligo, but by the 13th minute of the second half, Tommy Carr's men had turned a two points deficit into a three points advantage.

Mannion was hauled down by Johnny Martyn, and with first half penalty scorer Henegan having been substituted at the interval, skipper and goalkeeper Shane Currna stepped up to the spot kick, and drilled it neatly inside a post for a 2-7 to 1-7 lead.

There was more drama to come. Roscommon attacker Frankie Dolan was sent off on a second booking, and they saw Breheny, Sloyan and Davey, with a monster free kick from more than 50 metres, pull Sligo back.

The sides were locked on 1-12 to 2-9 as the game slipped into injury-time, and three added minutes had been played when Curran again dashed from his goal to thump over a 45 metre free from close to the sideline.

Once again, the Yeatsmen had more to give, and substitute Jonathan Davey sent the game into extra-time with a last gasp leveller, 1-13 to 2-10.

Henegan's return to the action restored Ros to a full complement of players, and Francie Grehan's move to centre forward gave them added muscle up front.

The game remained deadlocked midway through added time, after Grehan and Sloyan had swapped scores.

But Roscommon had the staying power, and the fresh legs in the final segment, three of their four points coming from substitutes, the other from the rampaging Grehan as they left an exhausted home side standing in the final run-in.

Sligo: P Greene, J Martyn, N McGuire, B Phillips, D Durkin, M Langan, P Doohan, E O'Hara, S Davey (0-3, 1f), B Curran, M Breheny (0-2), M McNamara (0-1), D Sloyan (0-4, 3f, 1 '45'), P Taylor (1-4, 1 pen, 1f), G McGowan. Subs: D McGarty for Curran, J Davey (0-1) for Durkin, K Quinn for McGowan, P Durkin for McNamara, A Marren for O'Hara

Roscommon: S Curran (1-1, pen, f), J Whyte, M Ryan, J Nolan, P Noone (0-1), F Grehan (0-2), J Rodgers, S O'Neill (0-2), S Lohan, G Cox (0-1), N Dineen, B Higgins, G Henegan (1-1, pen), K Mannion (0-2), F Dolan (0-3, 2f). Subs: D Connellan for Higgins, J Dunning (0-1) for Henegan, A McPadden (0-1) for Rodgers, D Casey for Dineen, E Towey for Noone, Henegan (e-t), J Tiernan (0-1) for Conellan

Referee: A Mangan (Kerry)