Cool finisher stays on after cameo

Bang! Bang! Two clear shots, two stinging goals and in an instant, Eugene O'Neill's season was alive. On a windy night in Thurles, the affable Cappawhite man is happy to relive the stunning moments of his half-hour against Wexford in the All-Ireland semi-final replay.

"I was delighted the last day after coming on - everyone hopes to score coming into a match but to get 2-1, I suppose 'twas a good outcome from half an hour.

"I was itching to get in. I saw very little action this year and I said if I got my chance, I'd give it a lash and make the best of it. I'm glad I did."

O'Neill announced himself as a thoroughbred finisher back in 1996 as a prodigious minor in Tipperary's successful crop, finishing as top scorer in the competition.

His form was such that a year later, he was in the Tipperary senior team, lining out at full-forward against Clare's Brian Lohan, the masterful Clare defender, who shredded reputations young and old just for fun.

"I don't remember all that much about that day now, I was very young. The hype of the thing was incredible but I suppose it didn't really affect me, as an 18 year old, going out against Brian Lohan. I had nothing to lose."

O'Neill's form, like that of his team, has been less sure-footed since. His rate of progress has been fine but the brief nature of Tipp's subsequent championship challenges and the emergence of fresh talent such as Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly saw him having to fight for game time.

"1999 was the only year I played no game at all. Other than that I have played around 11 games for Tipp. A fella told me the other day that I have scored 6-21 in those games so I suppose that isn't too bad.

"It is up to management to decide who gets in the team and we have lads of such potential coming though that places are hard to get," he observes.

The unfortunate exclusion of Brian O'Meara from the All-Ireland final had already facilitated a starting place for O'Neill but his claim became compelling after the Wexford game.

His first goal is bound to become a favourite memory of the summer among Tipperary fans.

"It came from a brilliant pass from Eoin Kelly. Spot on. I was inside, I called for it and he gave me a great ball in wet conditions. It was a brilliant pass and left me clear.

"The second one was half a chance - Eddie Enright passed it out to me and it was a 50:50 thing, I gave it a lash and luckily enough, it went in."

His haul has propelled him back to the first 15. "I was hoping big time for a start all right after the last day," he admitted.

Like the rest of the Tipperary squad, O'Neill paid close attention to Galway's lacerating form against Kilkenny.

Although the manner of the win was surprising, O'Neill reckons the breakthrough to their first final since 1993 was inevitable.

"Had to come, with all the minors and under-21 titles they were winning," he says.

He is familiar with a number of the Galway players, having played against them in the '96 minor championship and the under-21 competition three years later.

"Those were both hard games, very close, and I think Sunday will be a right tough match as well."

Eugene O'Neill

Age: 23

Club: Cappawhite

Height: 6ft 0ins

Weight: 11st.

Honours: Munster SHC 2001, All-Ireland MHC 1996, Munster U-21 1999, NHL 1999, 2001, Young Player of the Year 1997.