UNDERSTRENGTH Tyrone showed the “bit of steel” required to overcome suspensions, injuries, a blizzard and a potent Kildare full-forward line and win a game that could easily slipped away from them yesterday.
Without almost half the team that started last year’s All-Ireland final, the Red Hands made up a four-point half-time deficit and hung on grimly at the death in wintry conditions at Healy Park.
Their first League win of the season will have steadied their ship and joint-manager Brian Dooher said it was the performances of the fringe players who filled the shirts of his absent stars that gave him most satisfaction.
“You have to give the boys credit,” said Dooher who admitted that a draw wouldn’t have been “an unfair result”.
“It was going against them for a long time and they dug deep in the second half. They didn’t panic and they eventually got ahead and held their nerve at the end. It showed there is a bit of steel about them and a real bit of perseverance about them.”
Tyrone trailed by four points at half-time but goals from Conn Kilpatrick and Darren McCurry turned the game their way in the second half.
“The goals were game-changers for us and we could have had more of them but we could have conceded one or two as well,” said Dooher.
“All-in-all, we’re just glad to win the game and we have a lot of learning to take from it. We’re by no means the finished article, we have a lot of work to do before we meet Donegal next week but at least we’re in a better place.
“There were a lot of changes in there, there have been a lot of changes altogether this year with men retiring and things like that and the suspensions forced a lot of changes, but that’s what a panel is for and it showed that there are men there who can come on and do a job for you who you can rely on.
“That’s the real value from today, that’s the message we’ll take from it, that there is boys there.
“The boys who came in had an opportunity to prove themselves – they wanted to say: ‘I’m good enough to be on this team’ and they’re putting their hands up.”
It is early in the season of course, but Tyrone were not in a good place going into yesterday’s game. With one point from a possible four and a quartet of suspensions to deal with stemming from the melee in the closing stages of the loss to Armagh, it was important for the Red Hands to move on with a victory.
They did so and Dooher said he had already “drawn a line” on the events at the Athletic Grounds and their repercussions.
“It’s not going to serve any purpose for me to discuss it again because it’s done,” he said.
“We got our suspensions, we took them and we’ve moved on and the boys will be back and available to us again next week.”
Snow was falling in Omagh as the Kildare team boarded their bus for the long drive home. Once again, Glen Ryan’s talented side impressed in spells but left with nothing to show for their efforts.
“We deserved something out of it,” said Ryan.
“We didn’t get enough scores and we’re coming out of here disappointed. You expect to be competitive, that’s what we want; you shouldn’t be getting a pat on the back for being competitive.”
Ryan’s men had a gilt-edged late chance to win the game but Daniel Flynn blazed the ball over the bar with the goal gaping.
“We put ourselves in those positions and you expect quality players to take them and Daniel is a quality player,” said the Kildare manager.
“It’s good that we’re creating these chances but we’re going away frustrated.”
