Dooher pleased to see his side dig out victory

AN EXCITING Ulster Championship clash which eventually resulted in a tightly-fought extra time victory now leaves Tyrone with just seven days to prepare for a mouth-watering semi-final derby next weekend.

There will be little time for the Red Hands to rest or recover this week as they get set to meet Donegal at the penultimate stage. But they’ll not worry too much about the pressures of a busy schedule after a nerve-wracking result on Sunday.

Almost 10,000 supporters packed into Breffni Park to see Tyrone record their first-ever championship victory against Cavan at the venue after extra-time. There was no doubting the delight as they celebrated the one-point win, and quickly refocused on the prospect of a rejuvenated Donegal.

It was a big weekend of action. Tyrone’s victory by 1-23 to 3-16 followed a shock defeat for the Derry team managed by Mickey Harte. His successors as Tyrone manager, Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, will be well aware of the threat posed by their North West rivals now.

“We were lucky enough to get out of Cavan, but in extra time the lads dug deep and got the win. There’s no doubt that things are stacked against us, the facts speak for themselves, but we’ll recover to the best extent possible and get ready for next weekend,” said Brian Dooher.

He also praised the young players whose introduction during the final stages of this clash provided the required impetus to secure the win for Tyrone.

The hope will now be that they add extra strength in depth as the Red Hands maintain their challenge for the Anglo Celt Cup.

“The young boys who came in really got us over the line at the finish. All credit for them and hopefully the experience will stand to them because they dug things out in the second half and in extra time. That’s very important because they stood up.

“We were in a good position at half-time and then got into a better position. Then the black card and we just didn’t really cope with things well. There were a couple of goals conceded and the momentum went to Cavan.

“There were a few wrong options and decisions which put us under pressure. You have to give Cavan credit as well because they did very well, and the momentum was massive. We settled down in extra time and I think we just did enough to get over the line.

“The players put in a big shift for probably nearly 100 minutes of football. It’s tough on the bodies and the challenge is to give them the best chance of recovery this week.”

Now Tyrone’s focus turns to that big clash against Donegal next weekend. Celtic Park in Derry is likely to be the venue for this game, as Tyrone bid to maintain their winning streak over their North West rivals.

“We can only control what we have to do in the next week and prepare as best we can,” added the joint manager.

“None of us will be underestimating the challenge of Donegal. Their performance against Derry was one that I haven’t seen for a long time in the way that they dismantled them. They have to look at it in the context of who they beat.

“We will really have to produce a big performance to get close to them. But we’ll look forward to it in a way and these young boys will as well. We can’t control the one-week turnaround.

“You probably feel for the players who have to go out and do a day’s work this week and then produce another performance next week again. That’s where we’re at and we’ll do things to the best extent possible.”