All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final Group 2 Phase 3

DUBLIN 1-16 TYRONE 0-13

By Michael Devlin at Healy Park

Just like last year’s All-Ireland final, six points was the difference on an intriguing afternoon at Healy Park where Dublin’s win over Tyrone ascertained the details of next weekend’s semi-final schedule.

Dublin play Mayo on Saturday, while Tyrone will go up against Kerry the following day in the final four showdown at Croke Park.

The teams that lined out in Omagh today were unrecognisable to those who have taken the field so far this summer for their respective counties. Mickey Harte made a wholesale 15-for-15 swap from the side that took on Cork a fortnight ago, while his opposite Jim Gavin, having named a somewhat more familiar team in the match programme, rang the changes before throw-in, with only David Byrne and Jonny Cooper holding onto their starting places from the last game with Roscommon.

The star attraction was always going to be the returning Diarmuid Connolly. Making his first Dublin senior appearance since the 2017 All-Ireland final, his name was loudly appreciated when read out over the loudspeaker as the teams warmed up. one of the game's most effervescent talents, his afternoon showing was far from mesmerising, yielding a point, several wides and a black card dismissal.

A clean sheet for Evan Comerford and a worthwhile run-out for Sean Bugler that ended with 0-3 to his name would have satisfied Jim Gavin, who was able to keep most of his star names in cotton wool for a week in the run-up to Saturday's clash with Mayo.

Mickey Harte too will be heartened by some of the performances of his usual bench-warmers. Connor McAliskey led the attack all afternoon for the Red Hands, while Declan McClure, David Mulgrew and debutant goalkeeper Benny Gallen all put in fine shifts.

Conall McCann got the home side on the board with a slick move after 30 seconds that was lifted straight out of the Cathal McShane playbook. Dublin’s response was immediate, a Paddy Small point and three clinical Costello frees. McAliskey fired over point from a direct Richie Donnelly pass that put the score at 0-4 to 0-2 to the visitors in an interesting opening 10 minutes.

Sean Bugler pointed next for the Dubs, before McAliskey spurned a glorious goal chance for Tyrone after collecting a lofted ball in behind Dublin’s defensive line, Comerford doing well to divert away the Clonoe attacker’s effort.

Donnelly (2) swapped points with Small and Costello thereafter, with the latter having a sight of goal himself when a Dublin breakaway move presented a man over, but they failed to capitalise on the advantage.

The half wore on, and McAliskey sent over his second point and Costello his fifth to keep the lead at three in favour of Dublin. Ten minutes of error-strewn play went by without either team adding scores, and the sides went down the tunnel with the game paused at 0-8 to 0-5.

Kevin McManamon flew out of the traps to slot over in a relentless start to the second half. McAliskey and Coney were on target for Tyrone while Costello and Bugler furthered their Dublin tallies.

Goal chances then came in the 43rd minute. Conall McCann barrelled through the heart of the Dublin defence, but his shot cannoned down off the bar and back out into play, where McAliskey’s follow-up was deflected wide. In the next attack at the other end, a long Diarmuid Connolly ball was palmed down by Bernard Brogan into the path of Costello, but Gallen smothered the shot and the ball was cleared to safety.

The gap was still three points as the game neared the hour mark, at which stage Connolly’s point eventually gave the Dublin support in the Gortin Road end goal their roar his name. His black card for a deliberate pull down brought similar cheer from the Tyrone crowd two minutes from normal time.

A Brogan point, a goal effort diverted over by Liam Rafferty, followed before Niall Sludden came off the bench to bring the margin to four as the assistant’s board read seven additional minutes, during which Eoghan O’Gara palmed in a goal to extinguish Tyrone’s fight for the day.

Dublin scorers: Cormac Costello 0-6 (4f), Sean Bugler 0-3, Eoghan O'Gara 1-0, Paddy Small 0-2, Kevin McManamon 0-2, Paddy Small 0-2, Diarmuid Connolly, Paddy Andrews 0-1, Bernard Brogan 0-1.

Tyrone scorers: Connor McAliskey 0-5 (2f), Richard Donnelly 0-2, Kyle Coney 0-2 (2f), Conall McCann 0-1, Conan Grugan 0-1, Niall Sludden 0-1, Darren McCurry 0-1.

DUBLIN: Evan Comerford; Rory O'Carroll, David Byrne, Andrew McGowan; Eoin Murchan, Johnny Cooper, Robert McDaid; Sean Bugler, James McCarthy; Eric Lowndes, Cormac Costello, Diarmuid Connolly; Kevin McManamon, Paddy Small, Paddy Andrews.

SUBS: Philip McMahon for D. Byrne (HT), Michael Darragh MacAuley for J. McCarthy (HT), Bernard Brogan for J. ooper (44), Eoghan O'Gara for P. Small (44), Cian O'Connor for R. O'Carroll (55), Peader Ó Cofaigh Byrne for C. Costello (67).

TYRONE: Benny Gallen, Ciarán McLaughlin, Pádraig Hampsey, Liam Rafferty; Tiarnan McCann, Aidan McCrory, Michael Cassidy; Ben McDonnell, Declan McClure; Richard Donnelly, Kyle Coney, Conan Grugan; David Mulgrew, Connor McAliskey, Conall McCann.

SUBS: Hugh Pat McGeary for P. Hampsey (HT), Rory Brennan for M. Cassidy (37), Brian Kennedy for R. Donnelly (38), Michael McKernan for T. McCann (55), Darren McCurry for C. McCann (60), Niall Sludden for D. Mulgrew (67).

REFEREE: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)