EirGrid All-Ireland U20 Football Final
Courtesy of GAA.ie
TYRONE 1-20
KERRY 1-14
By Francis Mooney at Laois Hire O’Moore Park
Tyrone turned on the style to win their second Eirgrid All-Ireland U20 football title in three years with a magnificent display of attacking football at Laois Hire O’Moore Park Portlaoise as they shattered Kerry dreams of a first triumph since 2008.
All but two points of the Red Hand total came from play, with centre forward Eoin McElholm leading the way with seven of the best, followed closely by Ruairi McCullagh and Ronan Cassidy, with five each.
Corner back Joey Clarke laid on a wonderful display and got forward to fire in his side’s first half goal as well.
Kerry were always chasing the game, but managed to trim the deficit back to three points in the closing stages with a Luke Crowley goal from a penalty, before being slammed back by another devastating scoring burst from the Ulster champions.
Daniel Kirby and Eddie Healy had Kerry in front by the eleventh minute, cancelling out early scores from Eoin McElholm, and Ronan Cassidy, and with playmaker Odhran Ferris creating chances with his clever angles of running, they took the game to the Ulster champions.
But Tyrone went back in front with a well worked 14th minute goal, scored by corner back Joey Clarke.
He was always on the move, and got on the end of a move involving Shea O’Hare, Gavin Potter and Cassidy to fire in a shot which was deflected past Michael Tansley.
The Red Hands were growing in confidence, and with players in support from deep, sliced through the Kingdom defence to create another couple of goal chances, but Gavin Potter and Cormac Devlin both smashed their shots against a post.
Rob Stack Ferris worked hard to ignite the Kingdom challenge, and two more Dillon points kept them close, but they were turned over on a number of occasions by a defence in which sweeper Callum Daly was highly effective.
And Tyrone hit four of the last six points of the half to establish a firm foothold in the contest.
Ruairi McCullagh was twice on target, with McElholm and Devlin adding scores, before Dillon, with a mark for his fourth of the afternoon, and Healy responded for the Munster champions.
At the break, the Red Hands led by 1-8 to 0-7, and with the wind in their backs in the second half, they pushed further ahead through McCullagh and Odhran Brolly.
Kerry, with Charlie Keating driving at the Tyrone defence, responded with a Ryan Diggin score and a brilliant Dillon effort, but a couple of vital interceptions from Clarke.
The Red Hands were now pressing the Kerry kick-out, and carved out another goal chance, this time Cassidy denied by a fine Michael Tansley save.
Moving into the final quarter, Shea O’Hare’s pace was as hot as ever, and Tyrone reeled off five on the spin to go eight clear.
But with Charlie Keating, Eddie Healy and Ferris driving their side forward, Kerry stuck to their task and never stopped believing.
They pulled back a goal from a Luke Crowley penalty, and then Crowley narrowed the gap to four.
But the Red Hands were never going to let this one slip, and a late volley of scores, including a couple of McElholm gems, carried them to triumph.
Tyrone scorers: J Clarke 1-0, E McElholm 0-7, R McCullagh (1f), R Cassidy (1f) 0-5 each, Cormac Devlin, O Brolly, C Owens 0-1 each.
Kerry scorers: L Crowley 1-1 (1-0 pen), C Dillon 0-8 ( 3f, 1m), E Healy 0-2, D Kirby, E Boyle, R Diggin 0-1 each.
TYRONE: C McAneney; J Clarke, B Hughes, Conor Devlin; S O’Hare, M Rafferty, O Brolly; R Fox, C O’Neill; Cormac Devlin, E McElholm, G Potter; R McCullagh, R Cassidy, C Daly.
Subs: F Nelis for Conor Devlin (38), C Donnelly for Brolly (44), N Grimes for Potter (53), R Donnelly for Cassidy (61)
KERRY: M Tansley; M Lynch, D O’Callaghan, G Evans; C Keating, D O’Connor, C Lynch; R Stack, E Healy; D Kirby, O Ferris, T Kennedy; C Dillon, A Crowley, L Crowley.
Subs: R Diggin for O’Callaghan (29), P Lane for A Crowley (h-t), F Murphy for Kirby (45), E Boyle for Stack (46), A Segal for Evans (48), C Owens for McCullagh (58)
Referee: P Neilan (Roscommon).
