An old-fashioned shoot-out thrilled and enthralled a crowd of 21,192 at St Tiernach’s Park

Last year's All-Ireland finalists Tyrone came through a draining battle when they just couldn't shake off a game Derry challenge in the Ulster Championship preliminary round in Omagh.

Cork captain Seamus Harnedy will come face to face with the referee who has sent him off twice in the last 15 months in Sunday week’s Munster SHC Round 1 game against Tipperary.

An hour after last June’s extra-time qualifier defeat to Tyrone in Navan, by which time even the most vocal of Meath supporters had composed themselves, manager Andy McEntee took part in a radio interview.

The suspicion throughout Andy McEntee’s three-season reign as Meath manager is that he’s always been just one big win from turning things around.

Kieran McGeeney had to settle for a draw on his first return to Kildare as an opposing manager after Jimmy Hyland earned the home team a share of the spoils with the last kick of the game.

Just how far can Mayo’s Ballintubber go based on this resilient performance? That debate is for another day after they dug out a one-point win against Tourlestrane, the Sligo champions, in this low-scoring yet thoroughly absorbing Connacht GAA Club SFC quarter-final.

YESTERDAY’S events in Thurles told us more about a man who wasn’t on the field than one who was. If anybody was in doubt about the Westmeath man taking charge of the All-Ireland final, they aren’t now.

Clare needed every one of their 20 scores to edge out a valiant Offaly side that refused to give in.

Five Munster finals, four wins and one draw; Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s championship managerial record against Cork is almost as good as it gets.

Meath 0-19 Tyrone 2-14

I’m led to believe Stephen Cluxton had blood in his mouth following that first-half clash with James McGivney, so the conspiracy theorists won’t be happy.

Tyrone escaped from Navan with a narrow win and a place in the second round of the Qualifier series, squeezing out a courageous Meath side in an extra-time thriller.

Fermanagh 0-12 Armagh 0-7: Where to now for Armagh and the five-year revolution under Kieran McGeeney after this limp, uninspiring, and naive performance, during which they went an entire hour without scoring from play?

I came in for a bit of criticism during the week about Offaly football matters, which I’ll come back to shortly, but I’m never going to shy away from calling it like I see it. At referees seminars, I would have been known for speaking my mind, whether I was right or wrong, and it’s an attitude I’ll be sticking to here, writes Brian Gavin.

On Damien Comer’s last visit to MacHale Park, referee Paddy Neilan sent him for an early shower.

Galway football captain Damien Comer has credited Paddy Tally with bringing greater directness to the county’s attacking play.

“Surprised is probably an understatement.”

Kildare 0-18 Tyrone 1-16: Kildare manager Cian O’Neill hit out at referee Paddy Neilan for a series of “embarrassing” mistakes that may have cost his team a vital Allianz league point.

Have no doubt, this was a huge win for Kieran McGeeney and his troops, writes Declan Browne.

A Jamie Clarke goal in the 70th minute propelled Armagh into the fourth round of the qualifiers, writes Eoghan Cormican

Down have emerged from the depths of despair to challenge once again for Ulster football glory.

What does it say when yet again a match official is unable to take matters into his own hands during a game, asks John Fogarty.

Donegal begin their quest for a seventh successive Ulster SFC final appearance on Sunday when Antrim roll into Ballybofey.

Jim Gavin has stoked the embers of his simmering row with Éamonn Fitzmaurice, insisting that his Dublin team is not cynical and that such claims are influencing referees.

When most of us look back on yesterday’s drama at Croke Park, it will be the image of Dean Rock’s 75th-minute free cannoning off the Kerry post that will emerge from the fug of time and stand out in our mind’s eye as the last act on a stage that delivered an absurd amount of drama.

Allianz FL Division 2

Derry 1-07 - Down 1-15: Down boss Eamonn Burns was thrilled after watching his side destroy Derry to chalk up successive National League victories and move clear of the bottom two in Division Two.

Connacht MFC final: Galway 0-7 Sligo 1-4

Daniel St Ledger turned to referee Paddy Neilan late on Saturday evening and enquired how much was left on the watch. “12 minutes”, replied the Roscommon official. “It felt like an eternity,” the Carlow football captain admitted yesterday.

Down 1-17, Galway 1-16: Kevin Walsh was left regretting Galway’s wastefulness as Down came with a late charge to snatch a valuable win which moved them to the top of Div 2 in the Allianz Football League.

Brosna reaction: Dave Curtin didn’t wait for Paddy Neilan to raise the black book, he knew his All-Ireland was over.

Corofin 2-13 Ballintubber 1-7

Cavan 1-17 Scotland 0-6

There was no flurry of black cards in Tuam yesterday in a low key FBD clash, as Roscommon referee Paddy Neilan took a logical and common sense approach, to the introduction of the new rule changes for football.