Tyrone produced a devastating display at Croke Park to consign Leinster champions Dublin to a humiliating 3-14 to 1-8 defeat. With more beards in evidence than a woodcutter's convention, the O'Neill County men completely destroyed their bewildered opponents with a display of panache, pace, power, skill, hunger and facial hair. All but 0-1 of their huge tally came from play, while hot favourites Dublin simply had no answer as they succumbed to a shock twelve-point drubbing. In truth, the losers never recovered from the loss of their inspirational forward Alan Brogan through injury in the sixth minute, though Brogan's sibling Bernard was their best performer after replacing his older brother. It was the winners who settled into their rhythm from the off, making little of extremely testing conditions to deservedly lead by 2-5 to 1-3 at the short whistle. With the mercurial Brian Dooher leading by example, they hit the ground running after the restart and quickly accelerated into an unassailable position. The sublime northerners enjoyed clear superiority in that opening period and Dublin could have been out of it at the break but for a brave opportunistic goal from Conal Keaney in the 33rd minute. Two minutes later, Joe McMahon steadied Mickey Harte's team when he brilliantly finished to the net, adding to Sean Cavanagh's 26th-minute three-pointer. Davy Harte supplied the third goal for the runaway winners 21 minutes from the end. Dublin started as selected, while Tyrone made a late change to their starting XV with Collie Holmes coming in at midfield in place of Ryan Mellon. There were fears that O'Neill County talisman Sean Cavanagh might not be able to start the game after the former Footballer of the Year went over on his ankle in the changing room before the game, but the full forward was fit enough to take to the pitch for the throw-in. With the floodlights on from the start, as torrential, incessant rain continued to batter the capital and thunder boomed ominously on the Liffey's swelling banks, Tommy McGuigan fired the visitors ahead with a tidy finish into the Canal End on two minutes. Brian McGuigan missed badly after good work by Dooher two minutes later and Dubs fans had an early disappointment when Alan Brogan went down following an innocuous-looking knock. The Sky Blue captain got back to his feet to hit a post but that was his last contribution as he was withdrawn on six minutes to be replaced by brother Bernard. In between, Jason Sherlock was guilty of a poor wide into the Hill. To add to Dublin's woes, Barry Cahill picked up a yellow for some off-the-ball business as both sides struggled to deal with the slippery ball and atrocious conditions. Conor Gormley doubled the Tyrone lead when the whole field opened up in front of the No.6, who finished with aplomb. At the other end, Mossie Quinn missed the range with an effort from play, wide on the left, while the younger Brogan delivered a third Dublin wide after ten minutes. The Dublin wides continued to mount as Ciaran Whelan fisted outside the posts from an acute angle at the end of a lung-bursting surge. Meanwhile, Tyrone were unfortunate when Cavanagh's high shot came back down off an upright to the dependable Stephen Cluxton, who spirited the ball to safety. A soft free awarded against Philip Jordan presented Dublin with their opening score from a simple kick in front of the posts in the 14th minute. Within seconds, Tyrone's defence was torn apart by a Diarmuid Connolly pass to allow Cahill to level the scores after taking a handpass from the industrious linkman Shane Ryan. Dublin should have had a goal on 16 minutes when clubmates Quinn and Connolly found themselves in a two-on-two with the Tyrone full back and goalkeeper, but the former's pass was overhit, leaving the younger forward with no chance. Kevin Bonner went into the book for a deliberate trip before Dooher sliced over a trademark point from 50 metres - off the outside of the right boot from the wrong side - to restore the Ulster team's superiority at the start of the second quarter. Colm McCullagh hit a delightful fourth Tyrone point at the end of a super team move to make it 0-4 to 0-2 to the underdogs. In the 20th minute, Cluxton came off his line to thwart Tommy McGuigan, when it looked like the Tyrone No.13 was in for a possible goal. A pass to brother Brian would possibly have been a better option for the O'Neill attacker, who drove the ball straight at the Dub netsman. Bernard Brogan, Cavanagh, Tommy McGuigan and Conal Keaney all missed chances before the radar-like McCullagh kicked an identical point to his previous one - two on the trot for the dead-eye corner forward. Dooher drove a shot wide after selling a double dummy to two opponents - it would have been a great score but instead was a bad miss. That was the only mistake the Tyrone captain made all day. Dublin were left reeling in the 26th minute when Cavanagh pounced for the opening goal of the game. The strong No.14 rounded his man and fended off a persistent challenge to blast past Cluxton for a tremendous major. Suddenly, it was 1-5 to 0-2 and all Tyrone's scores had come from play, while Dublin managed just one score from open play up until then. Cavanagh kicked wide after Tyrone were denied a clear free from in front of the sticks as Ciaran Whelan executed a sliding tackle. Cavanagh had his retribution as he caught the Dublin midfielder with a hefty shoulder moments later. Whelan was hit so hard that he knocked down Collie Holmes directly behind him as he fell. In the 33rd minute, Tyrone goalkeeper John Devine handed Dublin a lifeline. The Dubs had gone 18 minutes without a score but the custodian came off his line under a long, dangerous delivery, which Keaney got to first to flick the ball brilliantly to the net. A bad error in the Tyrone rearguard but a superb piece of improvisation from Keaney. On the stroke of half time, Tyrone replied in incredible fashion with their second goal. After great work on the left by Brian McGuigan, Joe McMahon fired home a magnificent goal. Latching onto McGuigan's pass, the Tyrone No.12 placed the ball into the postage stamp to re-establish the six-point gap. Brogan #2 closed the first-half scoring in injury time after Cavanagh and Whelan both got yellow cards with their opposition players and supporters baying for red. At the break, the underdogs, who had been the best team for 35 minutes, led by five, 2-5 to 1-3. Within 30 seconds of the restart, the outstanding Dooher stretched the gap with a great point off his left foot to make it double scores after leaving Collie Moran for dead. Tommy McGuigan defiantly kicked another into the Hill after sterling work from the marauding Ryan McMenamin and Dublin were in trouble, 2-7 to 1-3. It was shooting practice as McCullagh added a third Tyrone point in two minutes off that trusty left peg. McCullagh's third score left eight between them and Dooher became the second Tyrone player to find the woodwork before Davy Harte's rugby tackle on Bonner presented Quinn with a 41st-minute free, which he clipped over in spite of some goading, 1-4 to 2-8. With the rain finally stopped, Keaney kicked an exquisite Dublin point in the 43rd minute as the tension mounted and the Metropolitans closed within six points again. Cavanagh silenced the Hill again with another precise finish - Tyrone's eleventh score from play! On 49 minutes, Tyrone struck a fabulous goal. They moved the ball majestically from back to front, before Davy Harte was played through with no more than half a chance. The wing back didn't hesitate for a second, blasting a stinging shot into the net. Now the gap was ten: 3-9 to 1-5. Brogan pulled back a neat solo Dublin point off his left foot, but Dublin were enjoying less than 40% possession on their own patch against a side buzzing with confidence and playing wonderful fluent football. Harte raided forward to kick a stunning point at the start of the final quarter. A foul on Tommy McGuigan in the 55th minute gifted Cavanagh the Red Hand County's first and only score from a free and the big man made no mistake - 3-11 to 1-6. Paul Caffrey had already made four changes by the time his opposite number brought on his first replacement - Martin Penrose - on 57 minutes. That statistic tells the story of this game. More amazingly hard work by the visitors culminated in a McMahon point and the faithful began to depart the Hill before the hour mark on a wretched evening for Dublin football. When Enda McGinley pointed superbly off his right foot on the hour, it was apparent that this was going to be a glorious day for Tyrone. Dooher kicked another spectacular point two minutes later and Vaughan replied with a consolation point for the shell-shocked Dubs from a free. There was a huge roar of approval when marathon man Dooher was replaced by Mellon five minutes from the end. There were cameo appearances from All-Ireland medallists Kevin Hughes and Eoin Mulligan, and Brogan grabbed a late point for the Leinster champions after substitute Paul Casey had rattled the bar. Dublin lost their discipline in the closing seconds but the bottom line is that they were totally outclassed by a truly magnificent Tyrone team on the day. Tyrone - J Devine; C Gormley (0-1), Justin McMahon, C Gourley; D Harte (1-1), R McMenamin, P Jordan; E McGinley (0-1), C Holmes; B Dooher (0-3), B McGuigan, Joe McMahon (1-1); T McGuigan (0-2), S Cavanagh (1-2), C McCullagh (0-3). Subs - M Penrose for T McGuigan (56), D McCaul for Jordan (63), R Mellon for Dooher (65), K Hughes for Holmes (66), O Mulligan for B McGuigan (68). Dublin - S Cluxton; D Henry, R McConnell, P Griffin; B Cahill (0-1), B Cullen, C Moran; C Whelan, S Ryan; C Keaney (1-1), J Sherlock, K Bonner; T Quinn (0-2), D Connolly, A Brogan. Subs: B Brogan (0-3) for A Brogan (7), P Casey for Connolly (48), M Vaughan (0-1) for Sherlock (54), B McMenamon for Quinn (54), E Fennell for McConnell (63). Ref - A Mangan (Kerry). Tweet

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