'Please God we have one more to go with the seniors' says Tyrone manager after clinching minor title
The Tyrone treble remains in play - on both fronts. Kerry suffering at the Red Hand stubbornly persists.
Before we go parsing through this golden era of underage Tyrone talent and before we explore the latest chapter in Kerry's difficult relationship with Ulster opposition, a brief moment for the cast of this minor final.
A collective salute to the 16- and 17-year-olds who stepped onto the Newbridge stage and served such a captivating spectacle. A crazy and chaotic hour's fare. Nine times level. Both sides scoring more into the breeze than when it was behind them. Youthful logic, huh.
Kerry's 1-2 power surge, into the breeze, to turn a three-point deficit into a two-point lead at half-time. Tyrone's self-belief and belligerence, when four behind into the same breeze and the clock in the final quarter, to find a narrow path back into contention.
Peter Colton's phenomenally composed finish of a 51st minute penalty. Matthew F Daly's determination to provide a match-winning cameo.
Gearóid White and Kevin Griffin, at the far end of St Conleth's Park, allowing the elements to carry their two-point kicks. Ben Kelliher treating the endline less of a trapeze rope and more a wide-open motorway for him to charge along before cutting in at whatever junction he deemed most profitable. He kicked one goal, might have had three. All manufacturing work was his own.
There were also mistakes. A whole catalogue of them. Kerry had a goal chance not taken and three two-point misses when in second half ascendancy. When momentum went north up the road, Tyrone showed a maddening persistence to kick the title straight into the Kerry dressing-room.
After 1-2 in three minutes to seize a 1-14 to 1-13 lead on 52 minutes, the Tyrones misses began multiplying.
Elliott Kerr was off target, as was Thomas Meenan. Colton smacked the post. James Mulgrew's effort landed short. Daly added to a wides collection spiraling out of control.
In between this flood of squandered opportunities, Kerry pair Danny Murphy and Kelliher, the latter a superb point considering the attention of three white shirts, snuck the Kingdom back in front 13 seconds shy of the hour.
Colton brought stalemate when a Tyrone sideline at halfway became a scoreable Tyrone free for dissent. There'd been an earlier second half breach of the new rules that also cost Kerry a white flag.
The 63rd-minute winner was almost no winner at all. Colton again rattled the post. Diarmuid Martin gathered the breaking ball and brought Tyrone to nine on the All-Ireland roll of honour. Kerry watched the presentation aggrieved at no equalising free for Ben Kelliher in the last play.
This was no eight-year famine ended, this was just a step or two higher on the ladder than recent editions had managed. Right now, and as has been the case for the last couple of seasons, there's not an underage factory in the country to rival the Tyrone production line. Three Ulster minor crowns since 2021. Five Ulster U20 crowns since 2019. Four All-Irelands - three U20 and this minor - in the past four years.
The Tyrone clean sweep of minor, U20, and senior All-Irelands in 2025 still has a pulse. A stronger pulse again is the clean sweep bid for minor, U20, and senior knockout victories over the green and gold.
'We kicked wides four years ago that cost us [the 2021 minor final] and we were kicking wides and hitting posts again and you just think, 'this isn't my day again'. Just relief. I'm just unbelievably happy to have won this game,' said manager Gerard Donnelly.
'It's unbelievable, and even if we had lost today, it would still have been an unbelievable year. This just helps, and look what the 20s have done. Now please God we have one more to go with the seniors.'
For Kerry, more Ulster-inflicted misery. In four of the last six minor campaigns, Kerry have been knocked out or beaten in the decider by Ulster opposition. In their last two U20 campaigns, Tyrone bettered them at the semi-final and final stage. In the last two Hogan Cups, Ulster opposition bettered Mercy Mounthawk Tralee at the semi-final and final stage.
The upper hand is the Red Hand.
SCORERS FOR TYRONE: P Colton (1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free); E Long (0-5, 0-3 frees); J Mulgrew (tp), D Martin (0-3 each); A Quinn, D McAnespie (free), MF Daly (0-1 each).
SCORERS FOR KERRY: B Kelliher (1-2); G White (0-4, tp, 0-1 free); K Griffin (0-3, tp, 0-1 '45); D Murphy, T O'Connell (0-2 each); J Curtin, A Tuohy (0-1 each).
TYRONE: R Donnelly (Eglish); E Kerr (Errigal Ciaran), P Goodman (Fintona Pearses), C McCrystal (Loughmacrory); T Meenan (Killyclogher), J Daly (Eglish), A Quinn (Errigal Ciaran); J Mulgrew (Kildress Wolfe Tones), P Donaghy (Carrickmore St Colmcille's); C Farley (Beragh Red Knights), P Colton (Fintona Pearses), D McAnespie (Aghaloo O'Neill's); D Martin (Fintona Pearses), P McDonald (Loughmacrory), E Long (Cookstown).
SUBS: MF Daly (Eglish) for McAnespie (44); V Gormely (Carrickmore St Colmcille's) for McDonald (48); M Kennedy (Glenelly St Joseph's) for Long (59).
KERRY: R Kennedy (Kerins O'Rahillys); R Sheridan (Duagh), E Joy (Ballymacelligott), T Ó Slatara (Churchill); D Murphy (Listry), D Sargent (John Mitchels), M Clifford (Firies); M Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht), J Curtin (Ballyduff); M O'Carroll (Dr Crokes), G White (John Mitchels), A Tuohy (Austin Stacks); B Kelliher (Dr Crokes), K Griffin (St Michael's Foilmore), T O'Connell (Tarbert).
SUBS: N Lacey (Kerins O'Rahilly's) for O'Connell (44); J Kissane (Moyvane) for Ó Sé (52); P Ó Mainnín (Lios Póil) for O'Carroll (54).
REFEREE: T Murphy (Galway).
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