It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing game of football in Semple Stadium.
Moy and An Ghaeltacht’s All-Ireland intermediate semi-final was blighted by hand-passes across the field to a teammate standing five yards away. It was a game wrapped with blanket defences, and littered with poor kick-passing. For sixty minutes.
At half-time – the score was two points apiece.
Bar a couple of explosive bursts from the Tyrone side’s talisman and captain, Sean Cavanagh and the same in response from An Ghaeltacht’s rampaging half back and Kerry rising star, Brian Ó Beaglaoích – this game was absolutely nothing to write home about after a poor hour of football.
Perhaps the most damning reflection of the afternoon’s proceedings was that, despite Moy trailling by one, and eventually two points as the game entered its final ten minutes, they still appeared to be employing defensive tactics.
But then, then the game entered injury time and it all changed. It opened up, with the Kerry side leading by 0-5 to 0-3. They were trying to close the game out, and the last thing they would have wanted would have been for it to open up. The loss of Eanna O Conchobair to a red card just after the half-time break came back to bite them in that regard.
That was when Harry Loughran sucker-punched the Kerry side for 1-1 in injury time to edge this tie. Conall Duffy chipped over from close range soon after for the insurance score and they closed out a 1-5 to 0-6 victory.
A late goal from Moy Tír na nÓg’s Harry Loughran to level the game! pic.twitter.com/PFRSA57DuG
— The GAA (@officialgaa) January 27, 2018
In fairness to the two teams, the bitter cold and windy conditions didn’t help things, but this game won’t live long in the imagination.
Winners, and now All-Ireland finalists Moy won’t give a damn about that, though. The Tyrone and Ulster champions looked a beaten docket, but to their credit, they never thrown in the towel.
For An Ghaeltacht, this will be tough to take. They were the better side in Semple Stadium – but this is the cruelty of sport.
Sin sin ! Tá sé thart. An bua ag @AnMhaigh 1-05 acu agus 0-06 ag @AnGhaeltacht . Sár chluiche. ar @GAA_BEO @TyroneGAALive @Kerry_Official #TheToughest #GAA pic.twitter.com/xgtV7Zx8Ip
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 27, 2018
Moy will play Roscommon champions Michael Glaveys in the All-Ireland final, after they defeated Matty Forde’s Kilanerin by 0-13 to 0-11.
