Feature: Close calls on the big day

Neutrals will be hoping for a classic All-Ireland final to cap off the season. Sometimes the final has been a non-event but Michael McMullan looks back over the last 10 to have been decided by no more than three points.

2005 Tyrone 1-16 Kerry 2-10

ONE of the all-time great finals as Tyrone rubberstamped their 2003 semi-final win over the Kingdom. Peter Canavan bagged 1-1 with Owen Mulligan and Steven O’Neill each kicking 0-4. It was Mulligan who made the goal for Canavan with a measured pass. Victory was the icing on Tyrone’s cake in a season they needed 10 games to win the All-Ireland via the back door.

2010 Cork 0-16 Down 0-15

IT was Down’s first ever All-Ireland final defeat after both teams navigated their way through the backdoor to contest the season’s biggest Sunday. Benny Coulter and Martin Clarke were the key players for James McCartan’s side on their way to Croker. On the day, they played second fiddle for Cork in spells but came within a whisker of clinching victory in a one-point defeat.

2011 Dublin 1-12 Kerry 1-11

AFTER a 16-year drought, it all came down to one last kick and Stephen Cluxton held his nerve at the crunch moment. On a wet afternoon, his stoppage-time free into Hill 16 was the score that began Dublin’s amazing run of All-Ireland successes. Another key moment was Kevin McMenamin’s goal when he came off the bench to turn the tide earlier in the half.

2013 Dublin 2-12 Mayo 1-14

MAYO shot into an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead before a Bernard Brogan goal tied the game. The Dubs still trailed by a point at the break and in a hotly contested second half, Brogan hit a second goal with current Mayo boss Andy Moran finding the Dublin net. Dublin were two ahead going into stoppage time and Cillian O’Connor’s late free wasn’t enough to save Mayo.

2014 Kerry 2-9 Donegal 0-12

KERRY had the minor title in the bag from the curtain raiser, the first of the five-in-a-row. Then in the main act, a high ball to Paul Geaney engineered an early goal for the Kingdom but Donegal bounced back. They had chinned Dublin in the semi-final and found themselves in a decent position. A slice of bad luck saw Paul Durcan’s kick-out land in the arms of Kieran Donaghy who bagged a game-defining goal.

2015 Dublin 0-12 Kerry 0-9

PAUL Geaney’s point levelled matters at 0-4 each before Dublin set the tone for the game. Bernard Brogan, Jack McCaffrey, Paddy Andrews and Philly McMahon all fired over to give Dublin a four-point interval lead. With their oceans of experience – and class – Dublin were always going to be difficult to reel in and Kerry’s grip on Sam continued to slip in the second half.

HEAD TO HEAD…Noel O’Leary up against Martin Clarke in the 2010 final

2016 Dublin 1-15 Mayo 1-14

DESPITE conceding two own goals, Mayo battled back with late points to force a replay. The second instalment was another tough battle. Lee Keegan and Diarmuid Connolly both found the net and the game went all the way to the last play. Mayo had a chance to force extra time but Cillian O’Connor was off-target as the Dubs claimed the two in-a-row.

2017 Dublin 1-17 Mayo 1-16

THIS is always talked about as the day Mayo had their best chance of ended their famine in a belter of a final from start-to-finish. There were goals from Con O’Callaghan and Lee Keegan in a cracking encounter. It came down to one last kick with Dean Rock converting to clinch three-in-a-row.

2023 Dublin 1-15 Kerry 1-13

A GOAL from Paul Geaney had the champions ahead at half-time but Dublin were far from finished. A goal from Paddy Small that helped Dessie Farrell’s side back on track with Paul Mannion clipping over a handful of points. It took a strong finish to ensure the Dubs got their hands on Sam once again.

BIG SCORE….Aaron McKay scored the only goal of the 2024 final

2024 Armagh 1-11 Galway 0-13

IT was a battle all the way to the end for Armagh against a Galway side who lost the final two years earlier. The game was decided when Stefan Campbell squared a pass for Aaron McKay to palm home the game’s only goal. A late block from Joe McElroy will also go down in Armagh folklore.