Tyrone v Kerry All Ireland Final 2008

[Bainisteoir]

Does anyone know the plans or "timetable" for the homecoming?...Seen it in the Irish news during the week but completely forget now!!

[mournerambler]

Congratulations Tyrone, the Kerry men have once again been sent home empty handed by a team from the North.
Heard a nice statistic on the radio on the way home & it was that Kerry had indeed done three in a row;
1.They lost the league final.
2.They lost the Munster final.
3.They lost the All - Ireland final.
Well done Tyrone

[paddypastit]

A good team beat a team of good footballers.
Pretty much sums it up tbh.  McConnell's second save was unbelievable, the first was a poor finish and Walsh should have taken the point, I still think Cavanagh was the most influential player on show and it would be a travesty if he doesn't get man of the match.

Agree completely with bogball on each of the points he makes.

Fromn a nuetral perspective a number of 'unconnected' and not necessarily sequential thoughts

• Gripping game with some absolutely sparkling moments - best contest in many's the year, certainly at AIF level but don't confuse intensity with brilliance - the quality was mixed
  
  Thought the referee on the whole did well and was generally consistent. Plenty of attempts to fool him; in particular Joe McMahon in the first half, Mulligan (attempting to get a penalty) and Jordan (when 'tackled' - more like tickled - by Galvin) in the second were childish but he reffed the game throughout in line with the spirit of the players such as it ebbed from time to time and was largely invisible thereafter.  It has to be said that Kerryt did most to make him busy.  Tryone were more the focussed and business like team.
  
  Thought D Se was lucky to stay on at the end of the first half.[edit] Although now that I've seen the TV version on the Sunday Game  he didn't actually connect with any force (despite Cavanagh's effort to make it look otherwise which was clearere on the TV replay than it was in the ground) I thought that he clearly made an attempt to strike with the elbow - I guess the downward rather than an upward movement mader it look less 'violent'.
  
  Really thought that Kerry were in big trouble at half time.  Having dominated the first 15 around the middle they just got out gunned from there and the HF line, apart from Declan O'Sullivan in fits and starts, and usuallky in too deep a position, were being hosed. As a consequence the FF line was isolated and given the demise of the two lines in front of them, the ball that they were getting was worse than useless. Kerry backs actually played alright, especially the FBs and really only slipped in those last four minutes. I wouldn't buy into the suggestion that Tom O'Sullivan was cleaned even though Cavanagh played that well as a lot of his game was played elsewhere and when he was at FF, the ball into him was spot on. Did think that T Se's distribution thoiugh was iffy.
  
  Despite all that happened before the turning point was the second McConnell save from Declan O'Sullivan with just three and ahalf minutes of normal time remaioning and the subsequent missed 45 by Sheehan.  That would have levelled for Kerry who hadn't scored for the guts of ten minutes (or so)  Instead, Tyrone got a kick out still a point ahead and surged on from there.
  
  Thought the selection of the Tyrone FB line was the master stroke.  Each was ideally suited to the man he was on and played well after shaky starts by all - top marks to M Harte who stands apart as a tactician.
  
  That said, he would have taken terrible flak if Tyrone had lost the game as the team played 50 odd minutes with a total passenger up front in Stephen O'Neill.  I know people wil say that he held up the ball in the movement that lead to the goal but that apart, you'd have to wonder how he stayed on the fioeld so long.  Much was made on here of the truth of all players on the panel really being so keen to see him back given that he would take someone's place.  I'd suggest that even some of those that played but were called ashore (Penroise and Mellon) might similarly wonder.  In fairness for the brilliance of his other selections and for his general motivation and team management, Harte deserved to get away with the call.
  
  MoTM - Cavanagh unqestionably. Cavanagh was just sensational - running, ball winning, playmaking, scoring.  I would suggest that his input today was as critical to Tyrone winning as Canavan was in '03 and '05, if not more so. He has to be Player of the Year too. Though Tommy McGuigan was the pick of the rest of the forwards. McCullogh looked like he was on course for a roiugh afternoon going backwards and without the space he got in previous days but tough luck on anyone to have to go off so early.
  
  Lot's here talking up Dooher.  For sure he got one of the finest points any of us will ever see in the first half and another pretty decent one in the second, both at vital times, but all in all he was poor, gave away possession too much and looked very leggy to me.  He really was way off the pace for much of the game but used his experience to maximum effect to make a small number of sensatiuonal bursts - they were critical and inspirational but nothing near MoTM stuff and he might well be one who has been to the well too often or that from now can only ask to go a certain number of times a year.   Would have to say also that the speech, in marked contrast to his magnificent effort in '05, was truly awful, not helped by brutal sound system.
  
  McConnell was very good also although I agree with bogball that Walsh made it easy for him in the first half.  That said, probabaly the most important contribution specifically made by a goalkeeper (for the right reasons) since Cullen for Dublin in '74.
  
  Amazed that the biggest noise (note I didn'tr say cheer) of the day - the goal and FT whistle apart - was when Galvin came on.  Given that to my eye Tyrone supporters outnumbered Kerry by at least 2 to 1, one can only assume that some of his teams opponenets and many nuetrals too were glad to see him back.  Might I suggest that the great unwashed / general public of the GAA may not have agreed with the way he was treated this year.
  
  Finally, off the pitch but a real bugbear of the day. I attended but also listened into to RTE commentary. God bless him - I'm happy to believe that he is a decent fellow and all that - but Luke Dempsey is absolutely clueless and God help us Sligo people but he could be our next manager.  He really doesn't have a clue.  You'd expect an analyst to be able to explain bnot just waht has just happened but why it happened. THis guy is so bad that he doesn't even see half the time that something has happened. I suppose it doesn't matter if you're at home, nobody knows trhe differ but cliche after cliche rolled out and the same lazy stereotypes about players and players styles etc...

All in all though, a great day to enjoy.  A real championship final - actually two of them - thouroughly deserved victory for Tyrone, real class and the discussion as to team of the decade has only two candidates.  Kerry with four titles and seven finals can claim that as the ultimate benchmark but Tyrone's three against stronger opponents and their three victories over Ky along the way is also a compelling case.  It would be fair to say that Kerry remain the benchmark in that they have won four and each of Tyrone's three victory seasons can be defined by victory over Kerry.  I for one wil have no complaints if we find ourselves in 364 days time anticipating another round in this rivallry.

As for the minors, cracking game too - some brilliant scoring and is it my sight or were those Maypo guys all huge!!

[stiffler]

Forget your premierships, your ryder cups, your olympics...... you wont find a greater sporting battle than what was witnessed today.

Superb both on and off the pitch, the greatest sport in the world without a doubt!!!!

[Main Street]

O'Sé also fantastic, but should have walked for that elbow into the back of Cavanagh's neck at half time. No matter what the level of contact, it was a dirty, cynical little foul after the HT whistle had been blown. Twin Towers were held not with ease, but a great deal of planning and hard work- great performance from Tyrone's FB line. Donaghy spent most of the game whinging. Was one moment in particular that highlighted for me why I dislike Cooper so much. Late in the second half, he and Gormley contested the ball. Gormley won a free and came up with the ball. Cooper tried to get in and niggle and was shrugged off and held down with one arm- he wanted none of it after that!

Actual contact by O'Shea was minimal but he used the use the sharp end of the elbow. Maybe there was a case for him to get a red card.
This is the AI final, the ref kept it under control and overall he deserved high marks for common sense applied fairly.

[Donagh]

The one thing that the Hayes article points up is thet total disregard southern pundits give to northern teams. I was fairly confident since the Dublin match that Tyrone would win this game but I was astounded over the weekend in the south by the amount of people who thought Kerry were going to walk this today, with some gobshite on Newstalk or TodayFm on Friday evening having them 8pts clear of Tyrone. Add in the fact that the half of these so called pundits couldn't even get the Tyrone boys names right and it made me think they haven't watched as many games as they'd have us believe.

Well done Tyrone and I'll try and take the enivatable (and deserved) ribbing in work over the next few days with good grace.

[Jinxy]

Was that a slight dig at the fans by Mickey on RTE there? Lyster referred to the enthusiasm of the fans and Harte responded that it started "a bit late in the day." Hope I haven't misquoted him but he obviously remembers who his real friends are when all and sundry are patting him on the back. Undoubtedly many of them were the same people calling for his head a couple of months ago.

[Leo]

As a Down man with limited respect for Tyrone after McGuigan's cynical gamesmanship and Canavan's diving of 2003, I have been converted this year and now vindicated! This year's Tyrone are a different team - less of the mouthing and codding of referees, more direct football, even greater intensity, and without doubt the best managerial brain in the business.

My money has been on Tyrone since the Dublin game, not for the margin that day but for the shape of their game, a plan they have mastered and stuck to.

I am truly delighted to celebrate them and accept them into the "3 All-Irelands in a decade" club - standing along with Down of the 1960's - no greater praise than that.

Two other points - firstly, this was a reaffirmation of how good gaelic football can be.
Secondly, and probably one of the reasons for the first point, the best common sense refereeing display for years.

[Doogie Browser]

Just back home, what a day!
Tyrone were fantastic, worked so hard for every ball.  Mickey displayed today what a great panel he has.
Packie was immense given the circumstances and knowing the measure of the man he would never wish to win an All Ireland in those circumstances yet performed admirably.  The Devine family can be very proud and lovely touch by Dooher at the speech.
Great occasion and as mentioned no other sporting event can come close. 
Cannot help but think Kerry's attitide was more concerned with trying to assert 'authority' rather than focus on their individual battles today, basically they were too focused on trying to stop Tyrone rather than play their own game.  This played into Tyrone's hands. 
All in all a great game and I got my picture taken with John 3:7 today on the pitch at the end!   

[DoYerJob Linesman]

as a derry man, all i can say is fair play to Tyrone, a first class side and well deserved, brilliant stuff

Thanks Hoof.   

[comethekingdom]

First of all - Congrats to Tyrone.

Hats off to them especially to MH. He really is a genius and if we had him as manager then I think we would be untouchable!
This game was won by Tyrone for the following reasons :
1. MH - as stated above. He reads the game and does all the right things to stop the opposition.
2. No plan B by POS - when there was limited success with the high ball in on top of the FF line.
3. P McConnell turned the game for Tyrone - made 3 fantastic saves that could have turned the game if Kerry had got the goals.
4. Kerry wing forwards - Brosnan and Sheehan were poor and this was Kerry's worst line all year. Poor Brian today - he missed a few very kickable scores too.
5. Kerry wasteful in the 1st half - 7 wides!

Anyway as Tomas O Se said - we'll be back next year. Thanks to this Kerry team for great days over the last no. of years. They owe us nothing.

[Bogball XV]

As a Down man with limited respect for Tyrone after McGuigan's cynical gamesmanship and Canavan's diving of 2003, I have been converted this year and now vindicated! This year's Tyrone are a different team - less of the mouthing and codding of referees, more direct football, even greater intensity, and without doubt the best managerial brain in the business.

I was talking to somebody about this yesterday and he pointed out that since PTG has left the ranks, they've really cleaned up their act.

[Gnevin]

Anyone else think Darragh O Sé was very cynical this season epically after the ball had been played?

[Benny Barnaveld]

Anyone else think Darragh O Sé was very cynical this season epically after the ball had been played?

I did not think so.
I think he has been great at times this year. I know he got the line twice, but he has taken his medicine.
I did sorta push Cavanagh today, but it was not even a yellow IMO, there was no power in it all. If O'Se wanted to hurt him he would have.
He was a joy to wtach in the first half today, pity the legs let him down in the second.

[Bogball XV]

Anyone else think Darragh O Sé was very cynical this season epically after the ball had been played?

honestly didn't see a change there, gooch has become a dirty wee bollox over the past 2/3 years all the same.