Tyrone opened their Allianz NFL Division 1 campaign with a hard-fought win as they beat Dublin 1-18 to 1-16 at a floodlit Croke Park on Saturday night.
Over 79,000 turned up for the league opener with both sides taking the field wearing specially commissioned jerseys to mark the GAA’s 125th anniversary.
Luckily for journalists and commentators alike the commemorative outfits were discarded before the throw-in as their was no numbers on the back of the jerseys.
While most appeared to be enjoying the carnival atmosphere, rookie Dublin manager Pat Gilroy looked anxious for the game to get started.
And it was the St Vincent’s man’s side who started brighter with Jason Sherlock almost opening the scoring but his shot shaved the post and went wide.
However, it didn’t take the All-Ireland champions long to get into their stride and they took the lead in the fourth minute when Stephen O’Neill lost Alan Hubbard and rifled the point over the bar.
The Dubs hit back a minute later after a good advantage was played by the referee to allow Bernard Brogan to maintain the pressure and the breaking ball fell to Conal Keaney who duly pointed.
The first black book of the game was handed out to Tyrone defender Michael McGee after a high challenge that could easily have been deemed a yellow card.
And Keaney punished the Red Hand county from the resulting free to double his points’ tally and give Dublin the lead.
Sean Cavanagh should have levelled the game a minute later when Dublin keeper Stephen Cluxon under hit a clearance.
Eoin Mulligan did make it all-square in the 11th minute after Dublin failed to clear due to a bad hand pass from Dennis Basstick.
And a minute later Stephen O’Neill was quickest to the breaking ball, beating two Dublin defenders and hitting a magnificent point from distance.
Tyrone pushed further ahead in the 14th minute when O’Neill clipped over a very soft free and again two minutes later, O’Neill made it 0-05 to 0-02 with another free-kick from thirty metres out.
Dublin should have stayed in touch when Brogan got the better of his man but lost control and shot wide from a difficult angle.
And despite the Dublin pressure, Tyrone broke the length of the pitch with Sean Cavanagh finishing off the move with a point.
Fearing an anhiliation, Dubs boss Gilroy made his first change bringing on Shane Ryan for Ross McConnell with only twenty minutes on the clock.
The change, however, did not have the desired effect as Tommy McGuigan pushed the visitors five points clear with a well-taken point.
Eventually, Dublin got back on the scoresheet as Keaney scored a free, but Dublin looked well and truly beaten as Colm McCulloch broke clear on the wing and sublimely hit a point with the outside of his left foot.
Dublin hit back straight away as they broke down the left with Ciaran Whelan moving up from midfield to calmly slot a point with his left foot.
But Tyrone looked unbeatable as O’Neill grabbed his fifth point of the game, dropping short for a McCulloch pass, to turn and shoot over.
Then Whelan tried to use his experience to slow the game, going down under a Cavanagh challenge, but it was the Raheny man that was accused of diving and received a tick from the not-too-impressed referee.
Dublin captain David Henry reduced the gap to four points in the 29th minute but Tyrone went straight up the field and Stephen O’Neill scored from an impossible angle before Sean Cavanagh put six points between the team with their next attack.
Bernard Brogan grabbed his first point of the game with a well-taken free in the 32nd minute and Jason Sherlock also got his name on the scoresheet on the stroke of half time.
Sherlock’s quick thinking allowed him to steal a few yards on his marker and his quick turn and point allowed Dublin go in at the break trailing by only four points.
Whatever Gilroy said to his charges at half-time, it seemed to have the desired effect as the Dubs upped their performance from the start of the second half.
Ger Brennan opened the scoring in the second period with a fine point from forty yards and then Sherlock narrowed the gap to two points soon after.
A goal in the 41st minute maintained the Dublin surge as Brogan burst through and slipped the ball under the advancing John Devine in the Tyrone net.
Colm McCulloch levelled a minute later with another fine point and Tyrone should have scored a goal but for some indecision amongst the forwards; an awful mix up after a sublime through ball that deserved better.
Tyrone eventually got the goal they deserved in the 45th minute.
Eoin Mulligan latched onto the cross, rounded the keeper and tucked the ball home, before engaging in an impromptu face off with the Hill 16 faithful.
Tyrone moved further ahead, 1-13 to 1-09, before first-half substitute Shane Ryan was replaced by Paul Flynn in the 47th minute, and this time it worked for Gilroy as Brogan burst through and took his point well
The floodlit match was proving a very entertaining affair as the teams exchanged points with some lovely football being played on both sides.
Dublin forward Bernard Brogan was one of many who rose to the occasion as he narrowed the gap to two points in the 53rd minute.
But Tyrone always looked like they had a bit extra every time Dublin got close as O’Neill grabbed his first point of the second half to maintain Tyrone’s three-point advantage.
However, Dublin were not lying down and Brogan, once again, scored a fabulous free-kick from out on the left wing. after some Jason Sherlock trickery drew the foul.
Then Conal Keaney got on the end of the breaking ball to reduce the gap to a point.
The high-intensity match was starting to take its toll as Tyrone midfielder Aidan Cassidy had to receive treatment for cramp with ten minutes remaining.
Dublin had two chances to draw level but Keaney’s long effort dropped short into the hands of John Devine and then Sherlock fired wide from in front of the posts.
Then in the 68th minute, Colm Cavanagh – barely two minutes on the pitch – received the game’s only yellow card for a reckless challenge and Keaney levelled the game with a huge point from the right touchline from the resulting free-kick.
A moment of magic by Brogan in the 70th minute gave the Dubs a slender lead and an eye on the two points but once again Tyrone stepped up a gear and Cavanagh levelled as the game moved into injury time.
Two injury-time points from Cavanagh and O’Neill put the game out of sight as the All-Ireland champions proved that little bit too classy for the hard-working Dublin side.
Cue the fireworks.
Dublin: S Cluxton; P Andrews, D Bastick, A Hubbard; B Cullen, G Brennan, B Cahill; R McConnell, C Whelan; J Brogan, D Henry, T Diamond; C Keaney, J Sherlock, B Brogan.
Tyrone: J Devine; M Swift, Justin McMahon, M McGee; D Harte, R McMenamin, P Jordan; E McGinley, A Cassidy; T McGuigan, C McCullagh, Joe McMahon; S O'Neill, S Cavanagh, O Mulligan.
