Dublin earn their reputation on the field

Winning teams sometimes come from nowhere, earning their reputation purely on the field rather than through fragile talk of potential.

It rings true with this Dublin minor team, now in the All-Ireland football final in a summer when their maturity was perceived to be a little ways off. It's been 13 years since the county last enjoyed success at this late stage and 17 years since they last won it outright.

On this performance they are sure to present Tyrone with a major challenge in the final, but manager Paddy Canning will still have learnt a few useful lessons here. Only when the task at hand was fully evident did Dublin hit full flight.

Part of the apprehension before yesterday afternoon came from their route to the semi-final, where Dublin were largely untested and ended up with a sparkling scoring record. Kerry, it was assured, would be different, and the freewheeling Dublin forwards were finally set to meet their match.

And for most of the hour's football it remained that way. Despite Dublin's greater share of possession and more settled opening, the sides were level at 2-6 each at the break and level again at 2-9 going into the final 10 minutes.

Then Dublin pulled up their socks and made commitment count. John Noonan edged them ahead before quick thinking between Mark Taylor and Niall McAuliffe converted the decisive free. Dublin had regained their confidence and while Kerry played out the game without another score, substitute Martin Whelan and midfielder Padraig Brennan capped the win with two sugar coated scores.

Throughout the game, however, Kerry made the wiser use of the rarer possession they got. Mark O'Connor had his eyes wide open at centre forward and Conall O Cruadhlaoich was vividly dangerous whenever he edged towards the goal.

Yet Kerry's problems had started from the very beginning. Dual player Declan O'Callaghan maintained his scoring threat with two opening frees, followed by McAuliffe's fine effort from play.

After just six minutes, Noonan had found the net following a ball from wing back Paul Griffin and Dublin were six points clear. O Cruadhlaoich managed to chip a few points back but then on 20 minutes, Dublin's burly captain Barry Lyons fended off three Kerry defenders to slip in a second goal, and regain Dublin's ominous lead.

Just moments later Kerry punched back when O'Connor flew a ball to Colm Cooper, who laid it on perfectly for Sean Courtney to claim the goal. Then two minutes before the break, O Cruadhlaoich got a glimpse of the goal and thundered his shot into the net before Paul Copeland had any idea what was coming.

With another free O Cruadhlaoich cancelled out all Dublin's hard work and it was clear the game would be anyone's taking.

Taylor put Dublin back ahead after just 15 seconds after the restart and even though they followed that with a couple of disappointing wides, the blue forwards still showed the greater spark. Full forward Graham Cullen added his name to the score sheet and Dublin appeared back in control.

There was still time for one more lapse in concentration. Cooper fired over two for Kerry and then the re-appearance of O Cruadhlaoich levelled the sides once more.

That was also the final warning that Dublin needed, and their impressive spirit brought them through as deserved winners.

DUBLIN: P Copeland; D Galvin, M Fitzpatrick, G Dent; P Griffin, B Cullen, B Lyons (1-0); P Brennan (0-2), D O'Mahony; N McAuliffe (0-3, two frees), M Taylor (0-1), G Brennan; D O'Callaghan (0-4, three frees), G Cullen (0-1), J Noonan (1-1). Subs: D McCann for Dent (28 mins), M Whelan (0-1) for G Brennan (36 mins), C Corrigan for Taylor (58 mins).

KERRY: B Sheehan; S O'Neill, R O Flaithearaigh, B Sugrue; F Griffin, M Slattery, W O'Sullivan; D Walsh, P Kelly; R McAuliffe (0-1), M O'Connor, S Courtney (1-1); C Cooper (0-2), D O'Sullivan, C O Cruadhlaoich (1-5, four frees). Subs: K Donaghy for Kelly (25 mins), D Bohane for Sugrue (half-time), D Kelliher for O'Connor (36 mins), G O'Shea for O Cruadhlaoich (63 mins).

Referee: C Broderick (Down).