It may have been considered something of a cliché in the past but the weekend's league finals proved that football is now well and truly a 20-man game.

Derry O'Connor made a big impression when raising two white flags for Limerick after his 58th minute introduction in the Division 4 decider against Offaly.

Emmet McGuckin pocketed 1-1 for himself against Westmeath while Dessie Dolan proved he still has plenty to offer at this level with three points for the Lake County.

Then there was Dean Rock who grabbed the Division 2 decider by the scruff of the neck after he replaced the below-par Bernard Brogan.

Rock's second point, in particular, drew the bigger cheer of the day from the Hill 16 faithful as it left them with one hand on the league silverware for the first time in 20 years.

Young Dubs display mettle

When yesterday's FL Division 1 final was very much in the melting pot, Jim Gavin's young Dubs proved that they have the appetite for battle.

From a Dublin perspective, that was probably the most pleasing aspect of their 0-18 to 0-17 win, particularly when you consider that their talisman Bernard Brogan didn't enjoy the best of outings by his own high standard.

When their backs were against the wall they came out fighting and the experience is sure to stand them in good-stead later on in the year.

Tyrone, meanwhile, will have drawn plenty of encouragement from their display especially in the light of Stephen O'Neill's late abdication.

Also throw in the fact that Peter Harte was missing and the Red Hand County appears to be shaping up well ahead of their crucial Ulster SFC quarter-final tie against All-Ireland champions Donegal.

Cats and Tipp to renew acquaintances

All roads lead to Nowlan Park this Sunday for the eagerly-awaited HL Division 1A final between arch-rivals Kilkenny and Tipperary.

These two sets of players have enjoyed some memorable battles in recent years and this weekend should be no different.

The Premier County prevailed on a scoreline of 2-17 to 1-19 when the two sides met in round 2 at Semple Stadium.

It would be some achievement for Eamon O'Shea's men if they could repeat the trick in the All-Ireland champions backyard.

That would go some way towards erasing the memory of the debacle that was last year's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to the Cats and would set them up nicely for their tilt at a Munster SHC three-in-a-row. Tweet

Most Read Stories