Fresh thinking stirs new Tyrone into a potent cocktail

The thirst for tragedy will demand that Mayo’s final meltdown commands much of the analysis, but truly this was an All-Ireland masterclass from Messrs Logan and Dooher

Tyrone joint-managers Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan lift the Sam Maguire Cup. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Tyrone. They’d mind mice at the crossroads, wouldn’t they? Live under a sparrow’s wing. There may be all manner of reference points from where Saturday’s fourth All-Ireland title, came from, from June’s mauling in Killarney to the whole Covid conundrum.

But in the art - and that it is - of delivering the best of themselves in the most intense crucible, frankly this was peerless.

Individuals subjugating themselves for the greater good, no matter the cost. The trick to holding your hand over a lighting candle until the flesh burns, a Washington socialite was once asked?

The trick’s not minding.

The thirst for tragedy will demand that Mayo’s final meltdown commands much of the analysis, but truly this was an All-Ireland masterclass from Messrs Logan, Dooher and their players.

There was never a moment when they looked rattled or vulnerable to being torpedoed off course. In that regard, the missed penalty by Mayo’s Ryan O’Donoghue in the 42nd minute cannot be overlooked. It was Tyrone’s gut-check moment and would have catapulted Mayo into a lead for the first time since the game’s early exchanges.

The penalty miss was followed within four minutes by the first goal for Tyrone. That it was in such close proximity isn’t the most painful part for James Horan and co as they reflect on the county’s 14th loss in an All-Ireland decider and their 11th since the last victory in 1951.

It was that a precise aerial delivery from Conor Meyler over the Mayo cover was flicked to the net by Cathal McShane. At several points in the first half, Aidan O’Shea drifted into such advanced areas for Mayo, one on one with Ronan McNamee. Not once did Mayo test McNamee’s pulse. The first time Mayo threw O’Shea a bone, it was closer to his ankles than over his head.

Gaelic football is a tremendously precise pursuit nowadays and the thought of doing anything as reckless and irresponsible as testing the opposition defence’s handling skills is anathema to many inter-county coaches.

Tyrone, under the new management of Brian Dooher and Fergal Logan seem to be stirring their game into an agreeable and efficient mix. The second, and decisive goal, came from a booming Niall Morgan kickout, flicked on by the excellent Kilpatrick to McKenna who placed Darren McCurry for the easy finish.

Tyrone are turning into a footballing foxtrot: slow, slow, quick, quick slow. When they set up offensive plays, it is because of their proficiency in the essential art: shooting. Kieran McGeary and Padraig Hampsey rounded off two drawn out and very deliberate bouts of Tyrone possession in the first period to kick a pair of wonderful points.

The Ulster champions led 0-10 to 0-8 at the break. When Mayo scored after 16 seconds, Tyrone’s corner forward Darren McCurry felt the cold drape of Padraig O Hora’s sarcasm around his shoulder. How does that feel, wee man? Mayo laughs didn’t last long. McCurry was at the sharp end when Tyrone went in search of a spearpoint, kicking points and winning frees. The Edendork man of the match laughed last, with 1-4.

As frenetic and threatening as Mayo looked going forward in the first period, everyone had Tyrone shadows for company. The eye-to-hand co-ordination of the defending was startling at times but when Mayo moved the ball from back to front, they created openings.

Including the penalty miss, Horan’s men passed up four proper goals chances over the piece, even if one was a brilliant block by Niall Sludden from Conor Loftus. Earlier Ronan McNamee did a passable impression of Conor Gormley circa 2003 in denying Aidan O’Shea. The Breaffy man might have let McNamee slide on by and had an easier finish but Mayo is a footballing memoir of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ at this stage.

Tommy Conroy burst clear of the Tyrone cover three minutes after the break but pulled his goal effort wide. Even O’Donoghue’s penalty run up seemed to have put keeper Morgan on his backside, and yet the fates laughed harder still.

The profligacy only served to emphasise Tyrone’s admirable decision-making in the key passages. With ten minutes remaining, Mayo were still alive, 2-10 to 0-13 in arrears but Tyrone went long in search of Peter Harte and he pulled down a superb mark, which he converted.

By their standards of exactitude, Darren McCurry’s goal chance in the 31st minute, only denied by Rob Hennelly’s flailing right leg, was prosecutable under the Offences against the State Act. McCurry could have scooped up possession, delivered via another Morgan boomer and a McKenna flick (notice the pattern?), and sat Hennelly down. Late on, with the story of the summer almost written, Darragh Canavan had a goal chance smothered but McCurry tidied up the afters to ensure Tyrone left with something tangible.

“June 12 seems like a year ago,” Logan said afterwards in relation to the six goal mauling Tyrone shipped against Kerry in Killarney. “We learned a lot about movement, and cuts and intensity and we had a great night afterwards in Killarney. We were lucky it was a League semi and not the cut-throat of championship. And we learned against Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan and then Kerry again before today.”

It’s all rather Lazarus. As convincing as Tyrone’s final performance was, and the six-point margin it delivered, Logan wasn’t beyond addressing the idea that they had ridden their luck at times along the way, quoting Paidi O Se and his grain of rice. There was an acknowledgement too that the surge and impetus from the semi-final was immeasurable.

What for Mayo now? What damage does this cause a county that, in football terms, has been ravaged and burned already? Not many saw the second coming of Horan delivering another All-Ireland opportunity but this time there was no Dublin or Kerry awaiting them in the final. Cautious final hope gave way to great expectation.

It was a scenario relished in Garvaghy, where football’s great dream-wreckers were lab-testing September strategy.

And perfecting their final performance.