Defeat will sting for every single one of the Monaghan panel but it was heart-breaking to see Wylie slumped on the pitch after the final whistle.
There are times, and it happens to most of us, when you play one of the games of your life and still end up a loser.
You know you have left it all out there and have done your job but you feel empty inside. You look around the pitch and your teammates are broken. The race is run.
In time, one hopes Wylie will look back on today with some sense of personal satisfaction but there will always be frustration at a job nearly but not half done. He may well get rewarded with an All Star for his summer’s efforts but he won’t be at Croke Park on that first Sunday in September and it will hurt.
On Saturday, despite some errand kicks from placed balls, your heart went out to Shane Walsh. The Galway forward had hit some dazzling scores and stood up to the Dubs but walked off with a team well beaten.
Less than 24 hours later and it was even worse for Wylie.
Conor McCarthy and Conor McManus had played well, Vinny Corey was at his tenacious best and Rory Beggan had another fine game but Wylie was Monaghan’s star man.
He was an absolute rock for the Farney and another unfortunate to be in his sphere of influence got very little change. Conor McAliskey, Niall Sludden and Richie Donnelly all felt his presence and lost duels to the Ballybay clubman.
Driven on by the likes of Wylie and McManus, Monaghan went from three points down to leading the match 0-12 to 0-11 but a scampering Peter Harte run opened them up and a breaking ball was slammed home, soccer style, by Niall Sludden.
If Sludden’s goal renewed Tyrone’s belief, Harte’s two late points drained Monaghan’s.
Malachy O’Rourke, post-match, made a great point about the paltry three minutes of added time being allotted but the men out on the pitch could only work with what they had. Monaghan looked dead and buried but they fashioned three scoring chances in those final three minutes.
They took two of them – Kieran Hughes with a point and Wylie charging forward to point from an acute angle – but missed the third when a far advanced Beggan pulled the trigger but got under his attempt at story-book heroics.
There was injury time to the added time and Tyrone crazily kicked for a score, and missed, when retaining possession seemed the logical move(s).
Monaghan’s players put one tired, ragged leg in front of the other and heaved up-field but the whistle blew and they were beaten men.
As Tyrone celebrated their return to the All-Ireland final – their first since 2008 – the players in blue slumped, crumpled or consoled. The RTE cameras cut to Wylie as he sat on the turf and asked himself was their more he or his team could have done.
The answer to the first is definitely but Wylie had given his all for the cause and had defeat smack him in the gut.
It happens. It hurts but it happens. Sport is like that sometimes.
And it will mean little to him now, or for the next few days, but his performance was rightly lauded by knowing GAA fans, and players, across the country, no matter their allegiance.
Drew Wylie did not deserve to be on the losing side today
What a mountain of a man. Great player pic.twitter.com/L5yHRk4pkh
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) August 12, 2018
Would of loved to see him and the rest of the squad win the all Ireland. Tough times for these men but will be back stronger
— Connaire Harrison (@connaire14) August 12, 2018
Colm Cavanagh and Drew Wylie were immense not just today but all year hopefully both get a well deserved all star 🌟 #MONvTYR #RTEGAA #monaghan #tyrone #GAA #crokepark
— Glen Archbold (@glenarchbold) August 12, 2018
If Drew Wylie was minding you then you’d be fine I’d say…in fact I’m sure of it #TYRvMON
— Fergal Burke (@fergaljburke) August 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/Murtough91/status/1028674389934522375
Monaghan seem to be forever punching above their weight but the knock-out blow, this time out, came via a Tyrone team that simply would not be denied.
Monaghan are down and out but they’ll be back and Wylie will be with them.
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