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Brian Dooher celebrates after the game. Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Brian Dooher: 'There’s been a kind of a slant here, we’ve tried to pull a fast one'

Tyrone booked their place in the All-Ireland final with an extra-time success over Kerry.

TYRONE JOINT MANAGER Brian Dooher insists their request for an All-Ireland semi-final deferral was ‘a decision based on medical advice’ and rejected any suggestions they ‘had tried to pull a fast one’.

After being hit with a Covid-19 outbreak in their camp, Tyrone’s clash with Kerry was put back twice before eventually yesterday’s game saw the Ulster champions win out 3-14 to 0-22 after extra-time.

Speaking after a breathless and dramatic encounter at Croke Park, Dooher reiterated their decision-making process had been governed by ‘a duty of care’ to their players.

“If this is coming at us to attack us here, which seems to be heading that direction. We made a decision based on medical advice relevant to what happened and where we were. We took the medical advice, we weren’t fit to field, we were told that.

“So I have a duty of care to those players, people mightn’t think that but was I going to put them out and something happened? Fair enough I said no I’m not, I’d take the hit.

“And we were getting (hassle) from the players for doing that, they weren’t happy I pulled their championship on them.

“I don’t want to get into this here now. But there’s been a kind of a slant here we’ve tried to pull a fast one here. It was a factual thing based on the evidence.”

Dooher hailed the character of his Tyrone players.

“You give the players credit there. They put in a big shift there in adversity with the last three weeks or so. The boys, they haven’t been over-trained. It has been a short season so fitness is building.

“They have something inside them that you cannot coach as well. This never say die attitude which is something, you can do whatever you want on the training field, but you cannot coach that.

“The boys worked hard today, they talk about defensive systems, the tackling out the field I suppose is the first line. We had some super last-ditch defending from our full-back line then, who were phenomenal out there. Probably too much last-ditch defending if you ask me, but so be it.

“We were just glad to keep a clean sheet as it gives you a chance. If you are conceding big scores to Kerry you will have problems and we knew that we had enough to work on.”

feargal-logan-speaks-to-his-team Feargal Logan speaks to his team. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Dooher’s managerial compatriot Feargal Logan outlined how difficult the last few weeks have been.

“The week before the Ulster final, was a very, very choppy week. And then there was a night, possibly one, maybe two since then Ulster final, where you were thinking ‘is it worth trying to battle through this?’

“We had great weather and we were outdoors, then we had some bad, bad weather. It seemed to coincide with that. And you’re coming up to training, and everything was on its knees. The numbers were decimated. You’re looking at your physios, your doctors, it’s a big operation now, county football.

“And you’re sort of thinking, is this fair to everybody? To keep bludgeoning through this? And then we had to take our position, which we were prepared to stand on, which was ‘We’ll leave it go. If we have to leave it go, we’ll leave it go’.

“And as I say, the fairness of the situation, the fairness of the Association, the community spirit, the backdrop of ill-health, and the fact that Kerry were decent to us kept us on our feet.

“That was quite a performance today on the back of all that.”

Logan was asked if he felt sheepish in the aftermath of the entire episode?

“What I can say is this. If we had have trained during the lockdown period collectively, or if we had have played fast and loose with the regulations and with the Covid situation…but I have to say, we did our utmost.

“The numbers where we live are significant. Of course you feel sheepish, of course you feel vulnerable, of course you feel weak in moments when ill-health strikes, whether your own house or your own community.

“So of course we come here deeply respectful of everybody that kept us on the road. And we don’t make that point lightly.”

- Originally published at 9:04am.

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48 Comments
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    Mute Peter O Donnell
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:04 AM

    The whole of the country is against you, up Mayo!

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    Mute Pol Mlp
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:13 AM

    @Peter O Donnell: nah I’m from cork and ill probably pull for tyrone to be fair, kind of hilarious watching mayo bottle things every year

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    Mute Gareth Keenan
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:31 AM

    @David O’Rahilly: I hear Kabul is nice this time of year David if you think crossing the border up north is so bad.

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    Mute Desheen
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:35 AM

    @Pol Mlp: bottle? Cork? I’m confused.

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:45 AM

    @Pol Mlp: haven’t you enough of that watching yer own Crowd?

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    Mute AC
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    Aug 29th 2021, 10:12 AM

    @Peter O Donnell: from Dublin and same as yesterday will be shouting for Tyrone.

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    Mute Tom McGirr
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    Aug 29th 2021, 10:33 AM

    @Peter O Donnell: love it. The salty tears making that victory even better. Hon Tyrone.

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    Mute Moya Power-kelly
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    Aug 29th 2021, 11:09 AM

    @Peter O Donnell: and Mayo

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    Mute Moya Power-kelly
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    Aug 29th 2021, 11:11 AM

    @Pol Mlp: I am a dub and ill be up for Tyrone

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    Mute Pol Mlp
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    Aug 29th 2021, 11:20 AM

    @Gerry Campbell: I left myself wide open for this one to be fair

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    Mute Kieran Lynch
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    Aug 29th 2021, 1:25 PM

    @Peter O Donnell: Why do you think that Peter? Did ye all have a meeting while we were self isolatin?. Just come out and be open about youre dislike of anything northern. You have been dancing round it on here for ages.

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    Mute Kieran Lynch
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    Aug 29th 2021, 1:26 PM

    @David O’Rahilly: Prejudiced nonsense.

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    Mute Gus Lennon
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    Aug 29th 2021, 2:52 PM

    @David O’Rahilly: partition alive and kicking in David O’Rahilly country. The O’Rahilly’s by the way are a famous club in Clonoe deep in the heart of the Red Hand county. Not much of a GAA man David.

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    Mute Mehall
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    Aug 29th 2021, 3:35 PM

    @Peter O Donnell: Ay no fair play to Tyrone, they will be hard to beat now. Couldn’t begrudge either team winning at this stage, I think Mayo might have preferred Tyrone. They seem like two similar teams both have a running game and have very good defences. Also they both tackle and Harry and harass each other’s attacking players.

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:12 PM

    @Tom McGirr: Spillane was just dying to accuse Tyrone of gamesmanship after the match due to the rescheduling, you could see it on his face, as Joe Brolly tweeted afterwards “I wonder is Pat puking right now”. In fairness if Dublin/Mayo/Kerry had been in a similar situation as Tyrone were they’d have been given the same gesture by the GAA.

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    Mute Rúraíocht
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:19 PM

    @Peter O Donnell: must be a Donegal lassie. Up Tyrone.

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    Mute Christybhoy67
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:45 PM

    @Peter O Donnell: u do speak for the whole Country, Up Tyrone

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    Mute Liam O'Flaherty
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    Aug 29th 2021, 10:09 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: not a chance?

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    Mute paddy
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    Aug 29th 2021, 12:43 PM

    Kerry cried, bitched & moaned ever since this story broke, not the stuff of champions whatever way you look at it. Was it covids fault that Tommy walsh elected to shoot at the last play or when paul geaney took the shot on when the mark was the right call or when Stephen o brien didn’t know there was a square ball rule or the jack barry aimless clearance? kerry need to own this one, they were building excuses from a long way back, they blamed the November rain in cork last winter, yesterday was a smashing day in croker, lovely team when weaker sides stand aside. Really think they wouldn’t have it all their own way if the other teams in Munster put more effort into football. Very happy for Tyrone, well deserved.

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    Mute Summer Bay Devil
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    Aug 29th 2021, 3:45 PM

    @paddy: Well deserved win, no question. But Kerry offered to have the match played, I don’t recall much moaning about it. Perhaps you can link some of the articles etc where this was flagged? Again, I don’t seem to remember any giving out about rain in November?! Sounds like fairy stories.

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    Mute Pairic Sheehan
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:45 PM

    @paddy: Kerry offered to have the match played. There was no bitching and moaning

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    Mute Pairic Sheehan
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:47 PM

    @paddy: Kerry offered to have the match delayed so it could be played

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    Mute paddy
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    Aug 29th 2021, 5:31 PM

    @Summer Bay Devil: kerry people have done nothing but give out and question Tyrone’s reasons for the whole delay, what was the other option take the walkover and march into the final, Free ticket to the all Ireland final after strolling out of Munster?!huge path on the back there! Kerry are developing a soft center, got wrapped up in the whole sideshow over the last few weeks rather than saying nothing and getting on with it. Excuses is something you wouldn’t normally associate with Kerry but it seems to me that is what they’re about now.

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    Mute paddy
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    Aug 29th 2021, 5:38 PM

    @Pairic Sheehan: did plenty Pairic well ye know it!

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    Mute paddy
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    Aug 29th 2021, 5:40 PM

    @paddy: *out

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    Mute Summer Bay Devil
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    Aug 30th 2021, 2:32 AM

    @paddy: Again, where?! Not one person I know disagrees with playing the match. Are the ravings of Spillane are your only source of info on the matter?

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    Mute Liam O'Flaherty
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:10 AM

    And you did! You’ve replaced Dublin as the least popular country in Ireland. C’mon Mayo!

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    Mute Tom McGirr
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    Aug 29th 2021, 10:26 AM

    @Liam O’Flaherty: Christ how will Tyrone sleep at night now that Liam O’Flaherty has said they are the least popular county on the 42 comments section?

    Tough one that, but maybe they will be fine now they have an All Ireland final to prepare for. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it you bitter dose.

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    Mute Seamus O'Caolaidhé
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    Aug 29th 2021, 12:44 PM

    @Tom McGirr: least popular‘country’ no less

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    Mute Kieran Lynch
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    Aug 29th 2021, 1:27 PM

    @Liam O’Flaherty: we were always the least popular, how dare you.

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Aug 29th 2021, 3:31 PM

    @Liam O’Flaherty: Dublin least popular county why is that?

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:13 PM

    @Liam O’Flaherty: Ye up for the bridesmaids? I’ve never seen such a team of there supporters to be coxky and abnoxous yet nothing to show for it.

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:14 PM

    @Liam O’Flaherty: No way, us Dubs love being the least popular county, you can’t take that away from us , COYBIB ;-)

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    Mute Sean O Callaghan
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    Aug 30th 2021, 3:32 AM

    @Liam O’Flaherty: clever boy, “least popular country”. God Help Us. Knock and the house of prayer in Achill will be overrun in the next fortnight

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    Mute Diarmuid #STAYATHOME
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:37 AM

    As a Cork man what matters is the great Satan known as Kerry are out. LOL. After that I’m looking forward to a great final. Don’t mind who wins

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    Mute Sam Walsh
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    Aug 29th 2021, 10:14 AM

    @Diarmuid #STAYATHOME: What the matter petal you still upset over the Munster final or could it be last weeks embarrassing defeat to Limerick

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    Mute Diarmuid #STAYATHOME
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    Aug 29th 2021, 11:03 AM

    @Sam Walsh: oh dear Sam who got out the wrong side of the bed and doesn’t understand humour lol

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    Mute Moya Power-kelly
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    Aug 29th 2021, 11:08 AM

    I’d loved to see Tyrone win and team who all their team got Cronavirus at the same time and all recovered at the same time and can come back at beat a team who didn’t have the virus in my books deserve to win Sam and they where even able to play extra extra time one can but wonder if it’s fact or fiction?

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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:10 PM

    @Moya Power-kelly: adversity brings a team together. We’ve all been told Covid can be like light cold or you don’t notice it at all among healthy players. This was precautionary.
    Questions need to be asked about Kerry’s fitness not about Tyrone’s unless you’re saying getting COVID is performance enhancing :-)

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    Mute Charlie
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    Aug 29th 2021, 4:23 PM

    As a Dub I would like to congratulate Tyrone on their victory over Kerry! However I will be shouting for Mayo for the final, I think they deserve it at this stage, the loyal following they have year in, year out is tremendous. Being narrowly beaten in finals and semifinals was heartbreaking for them, I hope it’s their time.

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    Mute a
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    Aug 29th 2021, 3:26 PM

    Rumour has it the WHO are enroute to Omagh to freeze the DNA of the panel of players. Tbe miracle of Omagh is the codename for the
    mission.

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    Mute Sean O Callaghan
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    Aug 30th 2021, 3:36 AM

    @a: Mayo will be in Knock praying for one.

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    Mute Paddy D
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    Aug 30th 2021, 4:45 PM

    @a: Mayo better get on a magic bus. Also I heard Tyrone have a good corner forward Baba o Reilly !

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    Mute David Dolan
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    Aug 29th 2021, 11:36 AM

    It will be nice for mayo to lose to someone different this time…

    Joking…..

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    Mute Sean O Callaghan
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    Aug 30th 2021, 3:37 AM

    @David Dolan: lovely to see them being beaten all the time

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Aug 29th 2021, 9:44 AM

    And ye succeded Brian,full stroke,but shur ye are there now.

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    Mute Greg
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    Aug 29th 2021, 7:01 PM

    Should not have been allowed to play the semi final , putting people at risk . Let’s hope Mayo win Sam and bring Gaelic Football back to the top of Irish ☘️ sport

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    Mute Ger Murray
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    Aug 29th 2021, 6:05 PM

    A kind of new Normal.

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