WHEN THE FOOTBALLER of the year nominees are announced later this year, there’s every chance Niall Morgan will find himself in the running for the big prize.
In recent years netminders Stephen Cluxton and David Clarke were selected among the top three players in the country and it’s an honour that could fall Morgan’s way following his best year in the Tyrone jersey.
The number 1 position on the All-Star team is virtually guaranteed after a commanding performance by Morgan in the All-Ireland final.
In the dressing room on Saturday, the Edendork man was watching Cristiano Ronaldo’s second debut with Manchester United on his phone.
“I’m a big United fan,” he said at Tyrone’s homecoming in Omagh.
“Obviously his debut was yesterday and I really didn’t want to miss it. I was watching it in the dressing room and Brian (Dooher) came over to talk to me and I had to quickly get the phone away.
“It helped to relax me, I’m a very nervous person so it was great to have something that was a bit of a distraction leading up to the game. It was an overall great day, Ronaldo got two and we won an All-Ireland. Hard to beat.”
When Morgan stepped onto the field, he was confident and composed. As well as nailing three score from dead balls, he was involved in creating goal chances, played his sweeper-keeper role to perfection and made a couple of crucial saves.
The early stop on Bryan Walsh, when he rushed off his line and stayed big before blocking the shot, was of particular importance to the Tyrone challenge.
Over the 70 minutes Morgan was happy to come off his line, link play, take the ball on and deliver long-range passes into his attack.
Because Tyrone lost all 11 of their long kick-outs against Kerry, midfield was the one area where it was felt Mayo had an advantage coming into the game. However, Conn Kilpatrick and Brian Kennedy proved reliable targets. Morgan’s restarts did huge damage against Mayo as 1-3 arrived directly off them.
He had plenty of big moments on Saturday evening.
1. Kick-out to Kennedy and pointed free
Morgan’s very first kick-out of the day inside 30 seconds was a short one to Conor Meyler that didn’t travel beyond the 20m line. It resulted in a hop ball in front of the Tyrone posts. It wasn’t a good start for Morgan, but he was quickly into his groove.
With his third kick-out, Tyrone create space in the 10 and 12 channels by keeping their entire team narrow from the half-back line up.
It was clearly a set move. Brian Kennedy makes a dart towards the flank and Morgan kicks a slicer towards him. Kieran McGeary makes a run and it’s flicked into his path by Kennedy, who managed to get his body in front of Ruane.
Loftus gives chase but can’t keep up with McGeary, who cuts inside and is fouled by Michael Plunkett. Morgan trots up field and drives the free between the posts to open up his account for the day.
2. Kick-out to Kilpatrick for McCurry score
In this instance, Morgan turns down the opportunity to go short after momentarily considering it.
He instead opts to land it on top of Kilpatrick. Morgan’s club mate has taken up a position well inside the Mayo half of the field. Isolating Kilpatrick high up the field is a tactic Tyrone used throughout the game, most notably for Darren McCurry’s late goal.
Kilpatrick initially looks outnumbered given the presence of Kevin McLoughlin and Ruane. But Tyrone have support coming in Conor McKenna and McGeary.
The former Essendon Bomber collects the break from Kilpatrick’s flick and kicks it straight into McCurry, who has engineered enough space to curl it over.
3. Carry forward for McGeary point
Mayo are set-up defensively as Tyrone hold onto possession. Morgan was already involved once in the play when McGeary kicks it back to his goalkeeper on the 45.
Morgan takes his time in possession and scans his options. Realising every Tyrone player is being tightly marked, he carries it forward.
Kennedy smartly moves off his marker Conor Loftus as Morgan injects some pace into his solo run. Loftus is drawn to Morgan, who slips a pass to Kennedy.
With time to get his head up, Kennedy moves it onto McCurry. McGeary comes around on the loop, swinging it over the bar from a pocket of space like a rugby out-half nailing a drop goal.
4. Long pass for McCurry goal chance
Walsh puts a poor delivery in between McLoughlin and Tommy Conroy that’s easily read by Morgan.
He’s out quick to clean up the danger and immediately bursts forward. The safe option here is to lay off a handpass to a team-mate and return to his goals. But playing it safe isn’t in Morgan’s DNA.
Mayo stand off Morgan, unsure as to who should leave their man to stop the Tyrone goalie.
Morgan spots a two-on-two inside and delivers an exquisite pass from the outside of his boot on top of McKenna. It’s the first time in the game Oisin Mullin is caught out with a ball over his head, but not the last.
McKenna manages to divert it into McCurry’s path. The 27-year-old takes a chance and races beyond McKenna as Padraig O’Hora is caught out. In fairness to the defender, the last thing he was expecting was Morgan to put such a peach into the full-forward line.
In the end, McCurry is desperately unlucky to see his soccer-style finish turned away by Robbie Hennelly.
It was a chance from nothing created by Morgan’s ingenuity and confidence in making such a high-risk pass on the biggest day of his career. It’s easy to see this is a player who is deployed at midfield with his club.
5. Long kick-out for McCurry goal
On 57:56, Morgan swings his leg at a kick-out. 11 seconds later it’s in the net. Mayo have pressed up high as they chase the game, and Tyrone have again isolated Fitzpatrick high up the field.
After drawing Mayo in, Morgan picks out Kilpatrick on the attacking 45. Tyrone are ready and send runners in numbers to the midfielder’s feet. He knows not to mark the ball, because well over half of the Mayo team have been taken out by the long kick. Tyrone smell blood.
Kilpatrick fetches it in the clouds, swivels and slips it to McKenna. Darragh Canavan’s run across the goal is unselfish as he’s unlikely to get the pass, but it creates space for McCurry at the back post.
McKenna’s no-look flick leaves McCurry with a tap-in.
Tyrone have a second goal, with a lightning attack from one end to the other finished off by Darren McCurry in another body blow for Mayo #RTEGAA #MAYOvTYRONE
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) September 11, 2021
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A booming kick-out, catch and two handpasses later, the ball is in the Mayo net. It summed up how Morgan’s fingerprints were over much of Tyrone’s good play throughout.
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