By Off The Ball
Recently retired Dublin footballer Paddy Andrews joined us on Friday’s OTB AM to reflect on a truly remarkable inter-county career in blue.
Sifting through some of the highlights – and lowlights too – since he made the breakthrough in 2008, the seven-time All-Ireland winner set about identifying his most memorable game in a Dublin jersey.
Despite playing and scoring in a number of triumphant finals, Andrews cast his mind back to a game where he believes Dublin delivered something approaching a perfect performance.
Before Dean Rock scored the decisive free-kick in the 2017 All-Ireland final against Mayo, there came Dublin’s semi-final clash with Tyrone. The Ulster champions who had defeated all comers quite comfortably to that point, Andrews recalled the sense of urgency within Dublin’s camp.
“We hadn’t played Tyrone in a few years,” Andrews said on Friday’s OTB AM, Mickey Harte’s side having spent 2016 in Division 2 of the National Football League. “They were flying it, had won Ulster and they had this game plan that was going to beat Dublin.”
After easing beyond Monaghan in the All-Ireland quarter-final, Dublin had a three-week build-up to the semi-final clash with Tyrone.
“We weren’t exactly nervous,” he explained, “but there was a sense of the unknown playing against Tyrone.
“They had this defensive style of play and we had obviously struggled with that playing against Donegal a couple of years previous and we just didn’t know what to expect, really. But the preparation we put in for that game was off the charts.”
“You know, when you do all of that preparation and it just clicks,” Andrews explained, “we ended up winning the game by 13 or 14 points.
“Tyrone were a really good team but we just absolutely shut them down and everything we prepared for came off.
“I remember just the sense of satisfaction after that game, it was probably one of our best performances during the Jim Gavin era – and I played well enough as well which always helps. “That day was just the definition of our hard work and preparation.”
