All-Ireland Minor Football final replay/ Roscommon 1-10 Kerry 0-9: There must be a dozen reasons why Roscommon and not Kerry are All-Ireland minor champions for 2006, and the first two are obvious enough.

From lunchtime on Saturday the RN number plates were lined up two miles out the road from Ennis, and by throw-in time there were 17,382 in Cusack Park - the Roscommon supporters outnumbering Kerry by about five to one. And at the end there was that wild, hysterical outpouring of emotion that some counties get to enjoy maybe once every 50 years - which is slightly less than the 55 years Roscommon had waited to claim this particular title.

When the deal went down, with that kind of support and craving for success, Roscommon were the only team that could win.

One more obvious reason why Roscommon are All-Ireland champions is their manager, Fergal O'Donnell, who famously captained Roscommon to the Connacht senior title five years ago. He took over the job at the start of the season when it appeared no one else wanted it, and while the county always had hunger, he had the ambition and talent to satisfy it.

"I just wanted to be competitive on June 25th, our first game against Galway. In fairness, they were as good a team as we met, and once we got over them I knew we'd a good chance in every game.

"Even when we won the Connacht title we weren't thinking about the All-Ireland. Beating Meath was big though, and now we've beaten Kerry to top it off. It's amazing now when we look back.

"It's been a serious effort though, and I'd say we trained as hard as any senior team. That's what it took. Fellas even decided to keep it going during the Leaving Cert and made huge sacrifices there.

"They're a very focused bunch, though. I think nine of this team are going on to third level in Galway, so they're pretty clued in. And all the management and backroom have been in the same effort. We've about 43 with us on the bus, and everyone can take credit."

And could this be the start of something big for Roscommon football? "Sure it's great for the county, yeah, but we still need to get more structures in place. We're a long way behind on underage development and that, but maybe we've a bit more bargaining power in relation to fitness and strength and all that.

"I hope they won't be rushed through, as well. They need to get into the gym for two or three years to build themselves up. But they're very committed, very focused, and if we can keep them together you never know."

The majority of reasons why Roscommon are champions, naturally, were on the field of play. After the classic draw in Croke Park six days previously the replay came loaded with anticipation, and it didn't disappoint. Another epic battle ensued and while Kerry always fought hard, Roscommon were the undisputable victors.

From goalkeeper Mark Miley to forward David O'Gara and every position in between they produced the biggest playmakers. Miley, for a start, was inspiring, and now boasts going the entire minor championship without conceding a goal. More importantly, his kick-outs were a revelation: in the drawn match Miley so nearly blew Roscommon's day when he kicked straight into the hands of Kerry's Paddy Curran, who promptly fired over what looked like the winning score.

O'Gara managed to level it again but Miley was in danger of being spooked for life.

"I was having nightmares about it all week, could hardly sleep at all," recounted Miley on Saturday. "I only slept for two hours last night. But I was down at my local pitch in St Dominic's at 7.30 on the Monday morning, with 10 balls, kicking them out, collecting them, and doing it again. I practised again on the Monday evening, and every day this week, just practised hitting them out towards the wing."

That's the kind of commitment behind Roscommon's triumph. Tommy Walsh, Kerry's towering midfielder, who caught a sensational 15 kick-outs in the drawn match, managed maybe three catches on Saturday, as Miley's tactic of keeping the ball away from him worked a treat.

In contrast, Roscommon's midfielders reached fresh heights. Going into the last 10 minutes, with the game level at 1-6 to 0-9, the final surge for victory was exclusively Roscommon's. Donal Shine and David Keenan were untouchable at midfield, with Shine hitting the final three scores, two from play. Kerry wouldn't score for the last 18 minutes, and as Roscommon won something like the last 10 kick-outs it was easy to see why.

Throughout the game Roscommon's defence was sensational, with Stephen Ormsby and team captain David Flynn frequently showing the way. Kerry's danger man, Paddy Curran, hit six points from play in Croke Park, but this time only touched the ball half that number of times. He collected four frees but Roscommon otherwise smothered his threat.

Roscommon's forwards saw so much possession that the only criticism is they squandered a lot of it (14 wides, in fact, nine in the second half). O'Gara finished off the crucial goal just 90 seconds into the second half when a Conor Devaney free was left to hop around the goalmouth, and substitute Alan O'Hara hit another crucial score on 51 minutes to restore Roscommon's lead, 1-7 to 0-9, after Kerry had hit four unanswered points to edge themselves in front.

Fintan Cregg, who ran tirelessly, hit possibly the point of the match just before half-time yet there wasn't one player in the blue and gold who left the field without giving his all. Embraced by their supporters afterwards, every one of them were heroes.

For Kerry, it was a day when few things went to plan - and concluded with a red card for substitute Jamie Dolan. Yet manager John Kennedy had no complaints: "It was a real battle, we always felt we were in there with a good chance, but fair play to Roscommon. We were beaten by the better team on the day, and we've no arguments about that. When we went a point up I though we could have held it and gone on to win, but they got the goal, and that was the difference.

"But we can't ask any more of our lads. We've had a tremendous run, a great year, and they're all quality fellas. They're gutted now and they're down, but these lads will be back. It's a stepping stone to go on to bigger and better things for some of these lads, and I've no doubt they will."

ROSCOMMON: M Miley; P Domican, P Gleeson, S Ormbsy; N Carty, D Flynn, C Garvey; D Keenan, D Shine (0-6, four frees); F Cregg (0-1), D O'Gara (1-1), K Waldron; P Garvey, J McKeague, C Devaney (0-1). Subs: C McHugh for McKeague (40 mins), A O'Hara (0-1) for Garvey (46 mins).

KERRY: T Mac an tSaoir; B Russell, M Moloney, D Ó Sé; S Enright, A Greaney, B Costello; T Walsh (0-2), D Moran; P Curtin, G O'Driscoll, J Buckley; G Sayers (0-1), P Curran (0-4, all frees), E Kennedy (0-2) Subs: D O'Shea for Buckley (half time), S Browne for Costello (38 mins), J Dolan for Curtin (59 mins).

Referee: P Hughes (Armagh).