O’Neill pulling the strings once again

Tyrone 2-15 Kildare 2-11

As 36-year-old Johnny Doyle continues to sparkle and one week after 34-year-old Tomás Ó Sé starred in Omagh, it was 32-year-old O’Neill’s turn to show his class in a thoroughly impressive individual display.

The Clann na nGael man set up both of Tyrone’s goals and then kicked two sublime points in the final three minutes to stave off a late Kildare fightback and qualify for the Division 1 final.

Each effort had the throng in Croke Park ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ in admiration of his accuracy from the tightest of angles on either side of the field.

After Paddy Brophy narrowed Kildare’s deficit to a point with an excellent score of his own, O’Neill collected the ball in the corner of the Hogan and Davin Stand. Confronted by Peter Kelly, he sold him a dummy before arrowing the ball over Mark Donnellan’s bar on his left foot.

Mark Donnelly, a close second to O’Neill in the man of the match stakes, kicked another in the final minute of normal time to lengthen Tyrone’s lead to three but it was O’Neill who put the cherry on the cake.

On the Cusack Stand side this time, he bulleted the ball from his outside of his left boot straight between the posts.

As Kieran McGeeney admitted afterwards, it’s difficult to beat class and that’s exactly what O’Neill provided to save his team just when it appeared Kildare had seized the initiative. He had also been prominent in earlier exchanges, feeding Matthew Donnelly with a subtle hand-pass for Tyrone’s opening goal in the eighth minute.

Although quiet for the remainder of the half, he was back in the thick of things two minutes into the second half when his interception from Sean Hurley set up Mark Donnelly for Tyrone’s second goal.

The manner in which he stole the ball from Hurley was suspiciously illegitimate but was characteristic of the abrasive style O’Neill has now added to his quiver.

It was just the type of intensity that was needed to make a distinction in this game.

Doyle kicked two quick points after the goal but Tyrone cancelled them out via substitutes Aidan Cassidy and Conor McAliskey.

Michael Foley then performed a heroic block on Martin Penrose just as he was about to unleash a goal-bound shot from point-blank range on Donnellan.

Doyle slotted over a free either side of a Matthew Donnelly point but then Tyrone had three scores without reply, Seán Cavanagh kicking a free followed by O’Neill and McAliskey shots.

With 10 minutes left, Tyrone were five points to the good but a Paul Cribbin goal, after Eoghan O’Flaherty had squared the ball to him, threatened to make it an exciting finale. Yet it was another eight minutes before another white flag was raised when Brophy kicked his splendid point.

With perfect timing, O’Neill then took over as his manager Mickey Harte was so thankful for afterwards.

Kildare had led 1-6 to 1-5 at half-time having trailed for the most of the first half. Padraig O’Neill hit three fine points in the space of seven minutes but they had nine wides in their account by the break.

Doyle’s second free of the game in the 23rd minute levelled the game before Niall Morgan stepped up with a long-range one of his own. With the May 26 trip to Ballybofey to face Donegal getting ever closer, Peter Harte’s hamstring injury had tempered Tyrone’s first half.

Brophy’s goal in the 29th minute added further concern when the U21 star forward finished to the net after a plethora of hand-passes had initially given O’Flaherty a goal chance. His shot was well smothered by Morgan, though, but the rebound was pounced on by Brophy.

Cavanagh struck over a free just before the end of the half but it gave Kildare a deserved lead in spite of their wayward shooting.

Referee Rory Hickey was harsh on them on several occasions but by the end, had made some unusual calls against both sides.

Yet it wasn’t the Clare official they were left cursing at the final whistle. That honour belong to O’Neill.

Scorers for Tyrone: Matthew Donnelly 1-2, Mark Donnelly 1-1, S O’Neill 0-4, S Cavanagh (2f), C McAlliskey 0-2 each, D McCurry (f), N Morgan (f), M Penrose, A Cassidy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kildare: J Doyle 0-6 (4f), P Brophy 1-1, P Cribbin 1-0, P O’Neill 0-3, E O’Flaherty 0-1.

Subs for Tyrone: A Cassidy for Harte (inj 24), Justin McMahon for McNamee, C McAliskey for McCurry (both ht), C McGinley for Carlin (inj), A McCrory for Quinn (both 62).

Subs for Kildare: T O’Connor for Flynn (50), S Johnston for Bolton (inj 54), E Callaghan for Kelly (62), A Smith for Doyle (66).

Referee: R Hickey (Clare).