Peter Canavan: Dropping into the qualifiers could work in Tyrone's favour

Tyrone's path to the All-Ireland quarter-finals could ironically be easier than Donegal's, says Peter Canavan...

It is four days since Tyrone exited the Ulster Championship but the mood in the county is not too despondent.

If Tyrone had gone up to Ballybofey last week and got annihilated, as many people did predict, then we wouldn’t have been looking forward to the rest of the summer. As it stands, the Tyrone supporters that travelled last Sunday got value for money.

They saw a team that was highly motivated, played at a great level of intensity and with great spirit. They came up against a very experienced and well-organised Donegal side and it came down to the fact that the home side were more economical with whatever possession they had.

The facts of the matter is Tyrone had more attacks than Donegal, they had more shots on target and created more goal chances. They also won the kickout battle. If you considered all of those stats before the throw-in you’d have said Tyrone had a great chance, but it was their lack of efficiency moving forward that really cost them.

It came down to Michael Murphy, who was well marshalled to say the least throughout the game. He stood up when Donegal needed him most with three fabulous scores. Tyrone had opportunities from dead ball situations, and goal chances, that we weren’t able to take.

You’ve got to give credit to Donegal though. It was an absorbing encounter. It was typical Ulster Championship football from the point of view that no quarter was given. 

Disappointing

The only downside of it was the amount of sledging that went on from players on the both sides. This was disappointing to see and it overshadowed a fantastic battle. In this regard I didn’t think the referee or his officials covered themselves in glory. It was a part of the game where they seemed to lose control. It could have been dealt with much earlier.

I would not expect the rest of games this year to be played in a similar manner. I expect officials to become more prominent. Sledging is probably something that has crept into our game bit by bit over the years. It certainly wasn’t that prominent when I was playing.

It now appears that some players think this is how you get inside the mind of your opponent. It’s not part and parcel of Gaelic Games, no matter what people might say or think. It’s something that needs to be eradicated sooner rather than later.

If both Donegal and Tyrone do reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals, I think Tyrone will have gotten there without needing to play to a very high standard.

It was a massive ask in Ballybofey for Tyrone’s U21s, such as Rory Brennan and Cathal McShane. But where else are they going to gather experience than playing in the white heat of battle? If they learn from it they’ll be better players.

It’s going to be ironic if Tyrone reach an All-Ireland quarter-final much easier than Donegal will. And if both teams do reach the last eight, and I believe they will, I think Tyrone will have gotten there without needing to play to a very high standard, in games which will not have the same edge as an Ulster Championship match.

Donegal on the other hand, face another physically challenging match against Armagh, and if they win that they are up against Derry or Down in the semi-finals. It’s one really tough game after another and Tyrone’s path to the All-Ireland quarter-finals could turn out to be much easier.

Time for Cavan to deliver

The Ulster Championship continues this weekend as Cavan and Monaghan do battle in Kingspan Breffni Park. I think Terry Hyland has mentioned himself that Cavan can no longer use the word potential. It is four years since the won the first of four successive Ulster U21 titles. A lot of those players are now in their mid-20s and should be playing at the peak of their powers. It’s time for Cavan to deliver.

In many people’s eyes, Cavan are approaching Sunday’s game in a similar vein to how Tyrone went to Donegal – as rank outsiders. That will suit Cavan to come under the radar and there is nothing that will give their supporters and players more satisfaction than beating their nearest rivals.

Monaghan are going to have to guard against complacency. They’re a team that doesn’t handle the favourites tag too well. Some of Monaghan’s best performances in recent years have been when their backs have been against the wall. If they can guard their complacency and are braced for a physical battle, you’d expect Monaghan to just about shade it.