Armagh clash may come too soon for Dooher

BRIAN DOOHER cannot yet commit to lining out with All-Ireland champions Tyrone against Armagh on May 31, saying at yesterday’s launch of the football championship in Croke Park that while he was ‘not far away’, talk of him having a 50-50 chance of being fit might be optimistic.

Re-appointed Tyrone captain, he has played just one club game since his return to training a few weeks ago. “I have a long way to go to get back up to the pace of championship football,’’ he commented.

Pointing out that he was just one of a number of players around the country fighting injuries – the source of his difficulties is a groin injury which bothered him in last year’s campaign and which required surgery in November.