Electric Ireland MFC Final: Tyrone finish strongly to clinch ninth title

​Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor football championship final

Tyrone 1-16 Kerry 1-15

By Paul Keane at Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge

A remarkable Tyrone football treble remains on the cards in 2025 after the county's minors secured the Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC title in dramatic circumstances.

Trailing by four points with just 11 minutes to go in Newbridge, and still a point back three minutes into stoppage time, the young Red Hands somehow found a way to win their ninth title.

Peter Colton, whose 52nd minute goal from a penalty ignited Tyrone, tied the game up at 1-15 apiece in the 63rd minute.

The Ulster side then gained possession from the kick-out, worked the ball to Colton who hit the post from play and beamed as Diarmuid Martin gobbled up the rebound and kicked the winning score.

It was Martin's third point of a powerful display having only been drafted into the team for Joel Kerr who was unavailable for the final due to soccer commitments with West Ham United.

Martin figured briefly in the semi-final win over Roscommon as he recovered from injury and took his chance with both hands here, etching his name in Red Hand history.

With the Dalata Hotel Group All-Ireland U-20 title already tucked away, and a senior semi-final on the horizon next weekend, a dream treble of successes is still a possibility.

Colton's 1-2 haul was vital too as was the 0-8 that Eoin Long and James Mulgrew contributed between them. There was a big display too from Padraig Goodman in the number three jersey as Tyrone won their first title at this grade in 15 years.

For boss Gerard Donnelly, it will make up somewhat for the 2021 final loss to Meath which came at the end of his first season in charge.

Three-in-a-row Munster champions Kerry certainly lost no face in defeat. And Ben Kelliher, who finished with 1-2, came close to forcing extra-time with a surging run at the Tyrone's in the closing play of an absorbing contest.

The Kerr situation added an extra layer of intrigue beforehand with conflicting reports around his availability.

The young attacker was eventually ruled out, robbing Tyrone of a vital scoring outlet as Kerr demonstrated with his semi-final goal against Roscommon.

Martin was Kerr's direct replacement and the Fintona talent was at the pitch of the game immediately, scoring a 16th minute point and enjoying a terrific head to head with Tadhg O Slatara.

Tyrone full-forward Long was tracked by Ronan Sheridan while at the other end, Kerry's in-form score poacher Kelliher had Ciaran McCrystal for company.

Kerry hit the interval with a narrow 1-7 to 0-8 lead and, considering they were playing into the stiff wind, must have been content with that.

Alex Tuohy, wearing number 12, covered huge ground for Kerry and chipped a point. It was pretty much the same story for wing-back Danny Murphy who punished Tyrone with his probing runs.

Tyrone briefly led by three points late in the first-half after a Mulgrew two-pointer was followed by a Long single.

But Kerry scores from captain Gearoid White and Murphy were followed by the Kelliher goal just before the break.

Murphy was involved again, playing the pop pass that Kelliher took at speed coming in from the right before rounding the goalkeeper and striking home.

Tyrone restarted the brighter, initially at least, and levelled the game up for the sixth and seventh times before Kerry again pulled clear.

Two-pointers from White and Kevin Griffin left Kerry 1-13 to 0-12 ahead but a simmering Tyrone suddenly came bubbling to the boil.

In the last 11 minutes they outscored Kerry by 1-4 to 0-2, the goal coming from a Colton penalty after sub Matthew F Daly was fouled by Curtin.

Long also struck the post during the Tyrone blitz and fired a separate opportunity just over as Donnelly's side turned the screw impressively.

Tyrone scorers: Peter Colton 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Eoin Long 0-5 (0-3f), James Mulgrew 0-3 (tp), Diarmuid Martin 0-3, Darren McAnespie 0-1 (0-1f), Aodhan Quinn 0-1, Matthew F Daly 0-1.

Kerry scorers: Ben Kelliher 1-2, Gearoid White 0-4 (1tp, 0-1f), Kevin Griffin 0-3 (1 tp, 1 45), Tadhg O'Connell 0-2, Danny Murphy 0-2, John Curtin 0-1, Alex Tuohy 0-1.

Tyrone: Ronan Donnelly; Elliott Kerr, Padraig Goodman, Ciaran McCrystal; Aodhan Quinn, James Daly, Thomas Meenan; James Mulgrew, Padraig Donaghy; Cathal Farley, Peter Colton, Darren McAnespie; Diarmuid Martin, Eoin Long, Pearse McDonald.

Subs: Matthew F Daly for McAnespie 44, Vincent Gormley for McDonald 48, Mark Kennedy for Long 59.

Kerry: Ruairi Kennedy; Eoghan Joy, Ronan Sheridan, Tadhg O Slatara; Danny Murphy, David Sargent, Marcus Clifford; Maidhc O Se, John Curtin; Mark O'Carroll, Gearoid White, Alex Tuohy; Ben Kelliher, Kevin Griffin, Tadhg O'Connell.

Subs: Nick Lacey for O'Connell 44, James Kissane for O Se 52, Padraig O Mainnin for O'Carroll 54.

Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).