Tyrone 1-18 Dublin 1-16:ON A night of celebration, the least promising aspect of the night's events greatly exceeded expectations, as somehow Dublin managed to hold on to an at-times rampant Tyrone and take the match right down to the wire.

Pessimists will note that the Leinster champions, having taken the lead in the 70th minute, still contrived to cough up three points in injury-time and blow what would have been a sensational start to Pat Gilroy’s management.

But that’s harsh on the team whose second-half revival turned a tediously unbalanced match into a cracking contest worthy of the occasion and also ignores the scale of Tyrone’s superiority for much of the match.

Fittingly, it was two of the All-Ireland champions’ transcendent personalities who settled the matter.

Footballer of the Year Seán Cavanagh hadn’t had the most rewarding of evenings in the company of Denis Bastic, who had a promising full-back debut, but when something needed to be done he was there and kicked two points in quick succession to flip the one-point deficit into a narrow lead, which Stephen O’Neill embellished before the whistle.

Cavanagh ended up with four points from play, an encouraging yield for an off day, but it was O’Neill who supplied the pyrotechnics long before the first switch was thrown in the post-match display.

Eight points, all but two from play, were representative of his sheer quality on a clear, cold night.

One point in particular laid down an early marker for score of the year. Having turned Alan Hubbard inside out on the Canal end-line, O’Neill drove over the ball from what looked like almost 180 degrees.

Mickey Harte’s team are so practised in their support play that players move effortlessly up and down the field; Dublin struggled in the first half to keep up with the constant ebb and flow of their opponents’ movements.

There were additional first-half malfunctions. Stephen Cluxton’s kick-outs weren’t going well and, out the field, misdirected passes needlessly turned over possession.

One bright spot was the form of Jason Sherlock, back in his AllIreland role at full forward. He gave All Star full back Justin McMahon plenty of trouble, but the absence of a reliable supply meant his contribution was fitful.

Centrefield was under pressure and Ross McConnell, his trials at full back now ended, paid a high price for losing early contests to Aidan Cassidy by being replaced after 20 minutes.

After half an hour Tyrone led by six, 0-11 to 0-5, and the spectre of another wipe-out just months after their rain-swept demolition in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final, stared Dublin in the face.

A couple of points before the break and an equally significant wide by Colm McCullagh – who otherwise showed every sign of maintaining last year’s quantum leap in his performance levels – when a goal chance beckoned, reduced the deficit to four, 0-7 to 0-11, by half-time.

The second half opened with a point from Brennan, symbolic in that it suggested the Dublin defence had permission to be more adventurous than in the first 35 minutes and also because it marked a turnaround in the centre back’s form.

From then on, the centre back was a more recognisable presence, spoiling in defence and using his head to work ball up the field.

Sherlock added a point and when Brennan’s accurate delivery armed Bernard Brogan with a goal -scoring chance, he held his nerve and slid the ball into the net. Five minutes back and Dublin led.

Tyrone’s response was sharp and after O’Neill rescued a ball from going wide in the 45th minute and teed it up for Owen Mulligan – whose sharpness and shape were further good news for the champions – to strike another Croke Park goal against Dublin, followed by a McCullagh point, there was once more four between the teams, 1-13 to 1-9.

Conal Keaney, who had demonstrated flashes of quality in the first half, raised his game after half-time, but was unable to convert a 49th-minute goal chance, which John Devine saved although replacement Paul Flynn took his point on the rebound.

Dublin were for long phases now dominating the game. Ciarán Whelan put in an immense display in the middle and pushed the team forward.

But the single most damaging aspect of the second half for the team was the number of serviceable chances that were dropped short.

Having eventually exploited their dominance to pull level with a Keaney free, Dublin hit the front when Bernard Brogan found his range after a good move featuring Brennan and replacement Brendan McManamon.

Referee Marty Duffy won praise for his “common-sense” performance, but turned a blind eye to a couple of obvious yellow card offences before finally issuing one to Colm Cavanagh for a high challenge.

The restraint might have been in keeping with the spirit of a match in which the new rules appeared to work very well, but inconsistency will make a mockery of the new dispensation.

TYRONE: J Devine; M Swift, Justin McMahon, M McGee; D Harte, R McMenamin, P Jordan; E McGinley, A Cassidy; T McGuigan (0-1), C McCullagh (0-3), Joe McMahon (0-1); S O’Neill (0-8, two frees), S Cavanagh (0-4), O Mulligan (1-1). Subs: PJ Quinn for McGee (57 mins), K Hughes for Cassidy (62 mins), M Penrose for McCullagh, C Cavanagh for McGuigan (both 66 mins), C Holmes for C Cavanagh (69 mins, yellow).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P Andrews, D Bastic, A Hubbard; B Cullen, G Brennan (0-1), B Cahill; R McConnell, C Whelan (0-1); T Diamond, D Henry (0-1), J Brogan; C Keaney (0-5, three frees), J Sherlock (0-2), B Brogan (1-5, two points frees). Subs: S Ryan for McConnell (20 mins), P Flynn (0-1) for Ryan (47 mins), K Bonner for Diamond (52 mins), B McManamon for J Brogan (65 mins).

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).