THINGS were so tense in both games in group two at the weekend that right until Shane Walsh’s long-delayed free finally fell short, nobody could be sure of anything.
There was the obvious impact of John Heslin’s late miss in terms of what did happen.
If Tyrone had held on to their four-point lead late on and things finished as they did in Carrick-on-Shannon, Armagh would have finished third.
In a scenario where two teams qualified rather than three, it would have been season-ending for someone else along with Westmeath.
They were brilliant in the group. Last year’s Tailteann Cup winners were given no chance. They had Armagh on the ropes, were level with Galway until they went down to 14 men after 55 minutes, and drew with Tyrone. Creditable is an understatement.
Third place was almost theirs but even their manager Dessie Dolan admits that the strain on the players’ bodies that is created by that extra game is something the GAA need to look at, with a view to just putting the top two through in future.
“In fairness, if you win your provincial title, you’ve two weeks. Galway had two weeks and then they had two weeks.
“It’s a lot easier for them teams that won the provincial titles, and maybe they deserve that extra week. For teams like us, we’re digging into our subs.
“The games are attritional. The group the last couple of weeks was very hard, you’re picking up injuries. The schedule of three games in four weeks for amateur players, it’s too much. They’ve to go to work.
“There’s no rest in it at all. You go training and you’re doing analysis, there’s so much time it takes.
“I feel sorry for the players in terms of the load they have. That’s for the GAA to do… Tyrone are out again next week. I don’t know how, in terms of their welfare, how it’s possible. That’s just the way it is.
“To be honest I’d probably just lose the preliminary quarter-finals, I think two teams would be enough to qualify out of the group. It gives more meaning.
“With the schedule of games, you have to think of player welfare. Tyrone have to go, if they win next week, they’re out the following week again. It’s ridiculous in terms of a schedule.
“If I was just to tweak it, that’s an obvious tweak. It’s the first year the GAA are doing it, I’m sure they’re thinking about things like that.”
That’s the manager’s view. Yet coming off 80 minutes in the searing heat of a thundery-to-sunny Breffni Park, Tyrone defender Michael O’Neill was content enough.
As you might be in his position, having missed so much football over the last year.
“I like playing games, the games have been coming thick and fast,” said the Ardboe man.
“Having to prepare for these games has been really enjoyable. I like the games, but in terms of having an out and out opinion about it, I don’t really, I just like playing football.
“If I’m playing football every week I couldn’t care less, that’s the truth.”
He’d want Tyrone playing a bit better than they did on Sunday. It was a huge collective sigh of relief as the last free failed to come inside the far post, denying Westmeath victory and eliminating the 2021 All-Ireland champions.
O’Neill admits they had “probably sat too comfortably” in the dying minutes, and that their control of proceedings shouldn’t have been let slip.
“I thought we were a bit wasteful in how we distributed the ball, it’s the quality of ball we are putting or is it the right decision at that time.
“Once we got four points up there, we have to control the ball a lot better. It became a game of yo-yo football, that’s not what we set out to play, especially when we get on top, we want to control the game.
“I think we definitely could have controlled that game a bit better and it’s something we’ll definitely have to address this week.”
It’s Ballybofey yet again this week for Tyrone and Donegal’s 11th championship meeting since 2011. It will be the fifth in MacCumhaill Park in that time.
There have been 15 summer meetings since Tyrone last hosted Donegal in Omagh in 1974. Just the 49 years. Luck of the draw, eh?
