All-Ireland Minor Football final/ Kerry 0-15 Roscommon 0-15: Roscommon manager Fergal O'Donnell only finished his post-match team talk, behind closed doors, as the senior final got under way. He needed to talk to his boys. It's quite possible he informed them they just graduated to manhood after a performance that warmed the sporting soul.
The Ryder Cup may ensure a two-week wait for the replay, in a neutral provincial venue, just when many of them are entering their first year of college so O'Donnell will be preaching abstinence. Maintain the current course and legendary status can yet be bestowed upon them in their own land.
You see this isn't a run-of-the-mill Kerry team. There are bloodlines here, with three sons of former Kerry greats and a full forward who can kick a 60 yard score off either boot.
Despite contributing eight points, six in play, from all angles, it's debatable whether Paddy Curran was even the game's outstanding player.
Tommy Walsh was a colossus in midfield, soon the Kerry seniors will have a Donaghy clone.
After ruling the middle for half an hour, Walsh went underground during a remarkable Roscommon revival before reappearing with one particularly majestic piece of fielding and Kerry's 12th score.
These were his outstanding contributions in a game riddled with more subplots than a Quentin Tarantino movie.
This physically imposing Kerry side streaked into a 0-8 to 0-3 lead thanks mainly to the marvellous Curran, although Eoin Kennedy chipped in with a jinking individual effort only dissimilar to Owen Mulligan's wonder goal against Dublin in 2005 by the colour of the umpire's flag.
Roscommon seemed destined to roll over and have their tummy tickled but suddenly they discovered a scoring rhythm.
The catalyst for the revival was twofold. Donal Shine, another contender for the game's outstanding player, dropped to midfield to put some manners on Walsh and Keith Waldron's introduction after 21 minutes.
O'Donnell sacrificed full-back Mark McLoughlin and midfielder Kevin Higgins.
"We had to make a change. In fairness to the two lads that were taken off, Mark and Kevin, it could have been another five. We were fire-fighting. We were plugging holes everywhere.
"The boys who came in, Niall Carty and Keith Waldron, showed a bit of heart, a bit of fight. Coming off the bench, they hadn't the pressure the lads had going out."
Seconds after his arrival, Waldron reduced the Kerry lead to four points. Roscommon added a further three scores before the interval, two from Shine and another from Conor Devaney, after a clever Waldron delivery. David Flynn even played the captain's role by rampaging forward to earn a free which Shine converted.
Thereafter, we entered the twilight zone as everything Kerry touched turned to vapour. The one-time intimidating Walsh and Garry O'Driscoll partnership went missing. Shine was kicking scores and tracking Walsh in a superhuman performance.
Every break around the middle fell to a yellow shirt with David Keenan happily delivering ball to the inside forwards. Roscommon kicked five wonderful points in succession before Kerry awoke from the nightmare courtesy of a pointed Curran free.
Normal service resumed as Walsh picked a ball out of the sky. Substitute Patrick Curtain and then Curran cancelled out the lead. Curtain miscued a potential killer blow by stubbing wide a clean shot on goal by several yards. Walsh and Devaney swapped scores entering the final 10 minutes.
Around 5,000 Roscommon supporters were now joined by the bulk of the Kerry throng, who no doubt expected the first part of the double to be wrapped up.
Curran kept up the Maurice Fitzgerald impersonation with a beauty off his left. Shine, coolness personified, replied with a long-range free. One minute to go. Thirteen points apiece.
Roscommon gathered the break and sent it to Waldron, who drew a foul from Daithí Ó Sé. Devaney curled the 13-yard free over and it looked like the 55-year wait would soon be over.
David Moran, son of Ogie, had earlier kicked a 45 but his most valuable contribution was to level matters just seconds later.
Then disaster struck as Roscommon goalkeeper Mark Miley fired the kick-out straight at Curran, who duly pointed what was surely the winner?
But wait. Roscommon somehow engineered a 45, which Shine dropped short; the break fell kindly behind O'Gara, who turned and without a glance made sure another hour is required to separate these young warriors.
"There are people talking about Gaelic football and the standards," said Kerry manager John Kennedy in the aftermath. "There is noting wrong with the game when it is played in the fashion it was played today. Hard and tough. Good championship stuff with the right attitude from both sides. Football was the winner here today."
KERRY: T Mc an tSaoir; B Russell, M Moloney, D Ó Sé; S Enright, A Greaney, B Costello; T Walsh (0-1), G O'Driscoll; J Buckley, D O'Shea (0-1), D Moran (0-2, one 45); G Sayers (0-1), P Curran (0-8, two frees, capt), E Kennedy (0-1). Substitutions: P Curtin (0-1) for D O'Shea (34 mins), S Browne for B Russell (36 mins), J Doolan G Sayers (50 mins), R Aghas for S Browne (59 mins), W Devane for J Buckley (57 mins).
ROSCOMMON: M Miley; P Gleeson, M McLoughlin, S Ormsby; P Domican, D Flynn (capt), C Garvey; D Keenan, K Higgins; C Devaney (0-5, one free), J McKeague, D Shine (0-6, four frees); P Garvey, F Cregg (0-1), D O'Gara (0-2). Substitutions: N Carty for M McLoughlin (18 mins), K Waldron (0-1) for K Higgins (21 mins), A O'Hara for P Garvey (48 mins), C Smith for J McKeague (53 mins).
Referee: S Doyle (Wexford).
