Peter Pan

PETER THE GREAT they refer to him in Tyrone and beyond. It’s a name borrowed from history and it reflects the high esteem in which Peter Canavan is held.

He is one of Gaelic football's modern greats, with a warm personality to match his wonderful talent, and his reputation almost supersedes the fact that he doesn't hold an All-Ireland senior medal.

Time may be running out for him in the inter-county arena, but at club level this could be the year he and his Errigal Ciaran team-mates make the breakthrough.

Nemo Rangers are blocking their path to a first-ever appearance in the All-Ireland club final in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day, just as they did nine years ago. Then, the Cork side triumphed 1-13 to 0-11 after extra time in the semi-final, (before going on to easily win the last of their six titles against Castlebar Mitchels).

Next Sunday they clash again. For Canavan and Tyrone, 2002 was another year of unfulfilled promise.

A first ever league title, easily gained against Cavan in Clones added to All-Ireland Under-21 success in the previous two years confirmed the potential in the side.

"Expectations were certainly higher last year," he agrees. "Then again it's an easy excuse for teams when they fail to do well in the championship after a good league run. It was too easy to blame it on the fact that we won the league.

"The only thing with regard to winning the league was that our physical training suffered, because we wanted to do well in the competition. We didn't do the same stamina work we had done in previous years.

"Maybe it was what was needed for the championship in late summer. It was all ball work in March, April and May just to get ready for the League games. I'd say that was the only hindrance."

Against Sligo in the qualifier game in Croke Park, Tyrone played their best football in the opening quarter, leading 0-9 to 0-3 before conceding 1-11 and managing to add just three more points to their total. Clearly, the manner of their collapse was harder to take than their actual defeat.

Canavan accepts that it is difficult to measure the significance of success at club level in relation to the county set-up. But, of course Errigal Ciaran's victory in the county championship offered some small consolation, while continuing progress in the competition offers its own rewards.

"From a Tyrone point of view it can only be good if their club teams are doing well on the national stage. There are plenty of examples whereby clubs have gone on to win All-Ireland titles Galway and Armagh, for instance and the county has followed suit. It would definitely be a boost for football in Tyrone if we were to succeed this year."

By and large, Errigal Ciaran's reputation in the current championship was built on their three-game marathon with three-time winners Crossmaglen Rangers.

Canavan smiles when he thinks back to the very first game, in Omagh, when they were eight points behind and playing poorly.

"It just looked as if there was no way back. But you were hoping that the referee would blow the final whistle. It was one of those days," he recalled. "But, we managed to get a draw out of that and we haven't looked back since. The second day we were nine points down at half-time, but we had the advantage of a strong breeze going into the second half. Those games really made the team, in so far that we struggled to come out of Tyrone. Our football definitely improved and the team gained more confidence with the win against Crossmaglen."

After that they went on to beat reigning All-Ireland champions Ballinderry in the Ulster semi-final and Enniskillen Gaels, which proved difficult enough, in 'dreadful conditions'. It's too early to say if the current team 'younger and probably smaller' is better than the one which failed in the 1994 semi-final. It will be easier to make a judgment if they get over Nemo.

"We felt very unlucky back then not to have made it through to the All-Ireland final at least. We had a great game with Nemo Rangers down in Newbridge and it went to extra time before they won it. Certainly we had our chances. In a way, it's ironic that Nemo should be standing in our way again, but any team coming out of Ulster team would have to be expecting to meet them there or thereabouts. They have a terrific record over the past 10 or 15 years. It's no surprise that they are there."

Their knowledge of Nemo is largely based on what they have seen of the team in action in games shown on TG4 and on personal experience. While accepting that most people will look on Colin Corkery as the main threat, he himself has been impressed by the contribution of Alan Cronin and Joe Kavanagh to the attack.

And, he is aware of the potential of former Cork minor captain James Masters, who has impressed in a few games as a substitute.

"They have an abundance of talent. It would be wrong of us to be concentrating solely on Colin Corkery," he adds. He is an admirer of the big full-forward.

"When you look at Colin you see class, that's what you see," he comments. "When he gets the ball anywhere near the goal at all you are in trouble. And both Tyrone and Errigal Ciaran would have suffered at his hands, in that he can be ruthless. If you concede a free within 50 yards, very seldom will he miss. He's very consistent and very accurate within that range. That's how big a threat he is to us. But, obviously, as with any forward, we would be hoping that the supply going into him will not be all what he wants!"

Asked about the prospects for Tyrone this year, he readily agrees that the fact of Armagh succeeding last year will increase the pressure on them. On the other hand, it will give them an added incentive.

"It has been a kick up the ass for Tyrone, sitting and watching then doing it when, at the start of the year we would have seen ourselves being on a level playing field with them. It would give us a bit of optimism, or encouragement, to see what can be done when everybody gets their heads together and thinking the one way.

"We have a new manager in Mickey Harte and he is very single-minded. Basically it's the same panel of players with the exception of five or six. It will surely be a new approach to training. Certainly we will be approaching the year with new optimism."