9th All Ireland Minor Title For Tyrone

Sunday 06.07.2025

Tyrone 1-16 Kerry 1-15

Tyrone won their 9^th All Ireland minor title and their first since 2010 when they produced a rousing finish in Newbridge to come from behind to win the Tom Markam Cup.

 

It was a pulsating encounter that flowed one way and then the other but when Kerry went four points ahead with just eleven minutes left to play Tyrone were in trouble. The Red Hands were still behind with three minutes of the allotted four minutes on injury time played but the character and never say die attitude of this group of players once again came to the fore as first of all Peter Colton equalised from as free before his Fintona clubmate Diarmuid Martin won it. It was a brilliant win for Tyrone and it goes alongside the All Ireland U20 title with an All Ireland senior semi final to look forward to next weekend as well.

 

John Curtain opened the scoring for Kerry but a Darren McAnespie free levelled matters before a great score from Colton edged Tyrone in front. Gearoid White and Martin exchanged points as did James Mulgrew and Tadgh O’Connell and after 22 minutes it was 0-5 each with ten different players on target. Mulgrew then hit an outstanding two pointer and Eoin Long followed that up with a free to open the gap to three. That proved to be their last score of the first half though despite having the wind at their backs. White tapped over a free and after wing half back Danny Murphy had pointed they took the lead on the stroke of halftime with a thunderbolt from Ben Kelliher into the top left hand corner of the net for a 1-7 to 0-8 lead.

 

Aodhan Quinn narrowed the gap in the opening attack of the second half before a free from Long in the 33^rd minute levelled matters. O’Connell and Martin swapped points before a two pointer from White had Kerry back in front. Kerry were then penalised for a three man breach with Long knocking over the resulting free but another two pointer from the Munster champions this time from full forward Kevin Griffin. Three points separated the two sides and then came a key moment in the game when a poor kick out was intercepted by Griffin who offloaded to Kelliher and with a goal on the cards Elliot Kerr came out of nowhere to get in a crucial tackle at the expense of a “45” which Griffin converted.

 

Kerry now led 1-13 to 0-12 with twelve minutes of normal time left to play. Tyrone closed the gap with a point before Long drove over with a goal on the cards. In the 52^nd minute Tyrone substitute Matthew Daly won a penalty and Colton smashed it into the top right hand corner of the net for the lead. Murphy replied with a Kerry point to equalise before Kelliher cut in from the endline to fist over the bar in the final minute of normal time. Tyrone had to dig deep again but that was never in question with Colton holding his nerve to convert a long range free before his shot from play came back off the post and there was Martin to react first to send over the priceless winner.

 

 

Tyrone: Ronan Donnelly; Elliott Kerr, Padraig Goodman, Ciaran McCrystal; Aodhan Quinn, James Daly, Thomas Meenan; James Mulgrew, Padraig Donaghy; Cathal Farley, Peter Colton, Darren McAnespie; Diarmuid Martin, Eoin Long, Pearse McDonald. Subs: Matthew F Daly for McAnespie, Vincent Gormley for McDonald Mark Kennedy for Long

 

Kerry: Ruairi Kennedy; Eoghan Joy, Ronan Sheridan, Tadhg O Slatara; Danny Murphy, David Sargent, Marcus Clifford; Maidhc O Se, John Curtin; Mark O’Carroll, Gearoid White, Alex Tuohy; Ben Kelliher, Kevin Griffin, Tadhg O’Connell. Subs: Nick Lacey for O’Connell, James Kissane for O Se, Padraig O Mainnin for O’Carroll

 

Tyrone scorers: Peter Colton 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Eoin Long 0-5 (0-3f), James Mulgrew 0-3 (tp), Diarmuid Martin 0-3, Darren McAnespie 0-1 (0-1f), Aodhan Quinn 0-1, Matthew F Daly 0-1

 

Kerry scorers: Ben Kelliher 1-2, Gearoid White 0-4 (1tp, 0-1f), Kevin Griffin 0-3 (1 tp, 1 45), Tadhg O’Connell 0-2, Danny Murphy 0-2, John Curtin 0-1, Alex Tuohy 0-1

 

Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway)