Dermot Carlin Column- Tyrone’s late rally showed promise

IT was quite amazing that Tyrone were still within touching distance of recording a win last weekend at Clones as the closing stages approached because, for much of the game, Armagh had played all the football.

However, things can change quickly, and the introduction of Eoin McElholm and, to an extent, Ben McDonnell really helped us. In the first half, Tyrone had struggled with their kick-outs, largely because Niall Morgan had limited options due to a lack of movement from players further up the pitch.

Look at Ethan Rafferty, Armagh’s goalkeeper, and how he was able to find his midfielders or have other players running onto the ball.

I would imagine Armagh had the highest percentage of successful kick-outs. Tyrone always seemed to be two or three points behind. Armagh broke with great pace whenever they turned possession over, and Oisin Conaty had a great game for them.

Darren McCurry was superb, and Darragh Canavan started brightly but faced the challenge of being marked by three or four players, making it incredibly difficult. Additionally, Armagh’s slick passing created angles, and Rory Grugan was orchestrating much of their attacking play, which resulted in points for them.

But for all that, Tyrone were still very much in the game approaching half-time. That was a positive.

Even though we felt we hadn’t performed at our best, we were still not far away from the All-Ireland champions. The return of Padraig Hampsey was a massive boost.

Tyrone didn’t play well but still could have won the game. Armagh may discuss things like refereeing decisions, but we could highlight a few of our own. For example, Ethan Rafferty should have been penalised for a tackle on Darragh Canavan, and in my view, the foul that led to Armagh’s winning point was not a foul.

We trailed by five points early in the second half and were six points down as we entered the final quarter. From the 14th minute of the second half, there was a noticeable energy and injection of pace from the bench.

Eoin McElholm immediately won possession and forged forward, and Ben McDonnell also won important possession. Peter Harte and Padraig Hampsey provided experience, and it really gave Darren McCurry more support, causing Armagh problems.

I had concerns before the game, especially after the performance against Cavan in the quarter-final, which I felt was below standard.

However, there are positives. Look at the impact of the subs who were introduced: Mattie Donnelly and Mark Bradley are still there, ready to come in, which will be vital going into the All-Ireland series.
It would be good to see a towering figure like Brian Kennedy or Conn Kilpatrick go into the square, which could add another dimension.

But we’re not far away. It’s only four or five months since Malachy O’Rourke became manager, the U-20s are still in contention in Ulster, and there’s a lot going on.

We’ll have to wait a few weeks for the next match. The players will be glad of the break to work on areas that need improvement and secure the necessary improvements as we look ahead to the All-Ireland series.