Canavan says Tyrone never lost sight of Kerry clash

PETER CANAVAN yesterday dismissed suggestions that Tyrone ‘over celebrated’ their All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Armagh three weeks ago, insisting they never lost sight of Kerry and the final.

The scenes in the tunnel under the Hogan Stand after the county’s one-point defeat of Joe Kernan’s men were more reminiscent of a team that had just captured the Sam Maguire itself, sparking suggestions the panel would find it difficult to raise itself for the decider.

There were similar scenes in Croke Park two weeks earlier when the Galway hurlers evicted Kilkenny from the championship. Tyrone will hardly need reminding of the eventual outcome to that particular campaign.

Mickey Harte has already admitted he has considered the possibility of suffering Meath’s fate in 1991 when Sean Boylan’s side survived a marathon season that took in four games against Dublin before falling at the last fence against Down.

In his Hogan Stand column yesterday, Canavan wrote: “Post match, a few scribes picked up on the fact that it was more than just the spectators celebrating - many of our players were jumping for joy immediately after the final whistle.

“After competing in such a tense and exciting match and to win a game of such magnitude when all seemed lost a few minutes previously, it is difficult not to show your feelings of relief and unbridled joy.

“For Tyrone to have lost this game after all that had gone on this summer would have been gut wrenching. Needless to say Mickey Harte wasn’t long in reminding us that no medals or trophies were been given out and that Kerry would be a completely different proposition.”

For Canavan, it was the manner of the win as much as the victory itself that made the day all the sweeter.

Tyrone, he claimed, were marginally the better team in the two Ulster final encounters although Armagh had played the better football at the most crucial stages.

It wasn’t the first time the 2003 All-Ireland champions had struggled to put away opponents this season. Against both Cavan and Dublin earlier in the summer, Tyrone could count themselves somewhat fortunate to salvage a draw from the jaws of defeat.

The suspicion was that, for all their potential, this was a brittle team unable to close out the games that mattered. Little wonder then that they reacted as they did to the victory.

“Going into the last ten minutes (of the semi-final), Armagh were on the ascendancy and had the look of winners. It was make or break time for Tyrone and to my relief the boys really stood up and displayed great character and maturity. The rub of the green that was missing in the Ulster final encounters went our way this time.”

Again though, the 34-year-old is keen to stress the point that no-one in Tyrone is about to get the run of themselves over a semi-final win, even if it was against Armagh.

“In Tyrone, the excitement is obvious among our loyal supporters with the hunt for tickets occupying many of their minds,” he said.

“There is a great sense of anticipation in the county but this is mellowed with the realisation that we are taking on the All-Ireland champions and that it will take a special performance to dethrone them.”