p the cold night sky, the Dubs and our lovely neighbours Tyrone reminded us what this GAA lark is really all about. Surely this will go down as an all-time NFL classic, and we'll be doing well to witness a better game during the whole of the 2009 season.I was under the impression that nights in January were for heavy slogging matches, unbearable training runs, and the sweat dripping down your face forming speedily into ice. Yet here were two teams producing an excellent game of football, with fantastic individual performances on both sides. Tyrone started off in the first-half as if it was August 16. Their movement of the ball and clinical finishing was unstoppable. 1-18 is big scoring in the middle of winter (and they hit that same tally against Monaghan in their previous game in the McKenna Cup). Stephen O'Neill has been their chief protagonist, looking like he's raring to go for the year ahead; and Tyrone in general look like a team on a mission to defend Sam. Bad news for the rest of us.
Dublin's renaissance in the second-half was largely down to Ciaran Whelan turning up at midfield, and Bernard Brogan carrying a serious attacking threat. What a great player he's turning out to be. However, Pat Gilroy has a lot of work to do on this showing as Dublin looked every bit as naive at times as they have done over the past couple of seasons. Time will tell.
Down in Kerry, Jack O'Connor cut a familiar figure on the sideline as he watched his side tear up new McKenna Cup champions Donegal. The Ulstermen had no answer to the forward threat of Cooper, Tommy Walsh and Darren O'Sullivan. But star of the show was David Moran. He's spent a season or two doing an apprenticeship in the half-forward line, but at midfield yeterday he was simply brilliant, totally dominating from start to finish. O'Connor is talking about readying Kieran Donaghy for the Derry match in March. Isn't that something to look forward to?
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