TYRONE JOINT MANAGER Feargal Logan hailed all the relevant parties that helped them in getting today’s All-Ireland semi-final played after his team claimed a dramatic extra-time victory.
After a fractured build-up to the game that featured two fixture deferrals as Tyrone’s squad was hit with Covid-19 cases, Logan reflected on their eventual victory.
“It was quite a game. I thought it was going to go to penalties almost and the reaction is that we were treated very fairly by the Association, by Kerry and we were appreciative – more than appreciative – of all that we got when ill-health struck our camp.
“We’re more than thankful for that. If we say too much in that sense it sounds as though you’re patronising. It’s very sore, All-Ireland semi-finals are very sore defeats but we thank everybody that stood with us and gave us a fair go at this because two weeks ago we were potentially out of the competition and that’s the relief that I feel.
“I have to commend the association, Kerry and everybody that bore with us and I have to commend the Tyrone players who represented the county today with distinction.”
Logan outlined the challenging period that his squad had faced before today’s 3-14 to 0-22 success.
“Resilience is born out of adversity and, as I sit here, I sit here and say absolutely sincerely that the last month, from the week before the Ulster final, in Tyrone football has been horrendous.
“Of course, that brings with it a narrative, different slants are put on things and that can cause all sorts of different upset and emotion but we got back in the football vein about a week ago and at the start of the week so it worked, it did work.
“We’re just delighted to be heading to an All-Ireland final. It was great to be here in the flesh and listen, I’m just delighted that we managed to get over the line. We appreciated the opportunity and we managed to grasp it there today.”
Tyrone’s substitutes made an mipression with Cathal McShane scoring 1-3 and Darragh Canavan playing a role in the critical goal at the end of normal time.
“Yeah well that’s Brian’s job really,” said Logan.
“Listen, if you win substitutions are brilliant. If you lose they can be the other way. You know, certainly they had a bit of impact and Darragh Canavan puts a bit of fizz into things when he gets on too. Again, you’re balancing the odds and I nearly had to start thinking about penalty-takers for substitutes, it got that bad but listen, just delighted that it worked out.”
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