Dooher happy with victory for nervy Tyrone

Tyrone joint-manager Brian Dooher was happy to see Tyrone pick up a first win since the Ulster quarter-final as they finished strongly to see off Clare at Omagh.

Two first-half goals from Niall Devlin had the Red Hand on top although the Banner stayed in the contest, keeping the gap to four points at the break.

That was still the difference with 20 minutes to play but from there Tyrone outscored their visitors by 1-09 to 0-02 to win at a canter, with Clare’s cause not helped by a straight red for midfielder Darragh Bohannon.

“It was edgy enough all through the first half,” Dooher said on RTÉ’s Sunday Sport.

“A very nervous performance. We started the second half similarly but then got a few scores and got that bit of breathing space.

“They got playing more football and expressed themselves a bit more. The sending off in the last 10 minutes made a big difference as well.

“We’d like to have had more of a cushion going in at half time but it wasn’t to be. To be fair to the lads they dug deep in the second half. Their backs were to the wall and they came out well.”

Dooher was particularly happy with Devlin’s goal-scoring exploits adding: “In the first half Niall was exceptional. He carried that through to the second half; he was exceptional.

“He was knitting things together. [He was] putting out fires at the back and getting forward and scoring. You couldn’t ask any more of a corner back than that.”

The defeat for Clare leaves them on the brink of exiting the championship, with a victory against Donegal later in the month the only way that they can make it to the knockout stages.

Banner manager Mark Fitzgerald reflected on a harsh lesson feeling that the game slipped away from his side in the latter stages.

“At one stage we hit the post and that would have brought it back to three,” he said afterwards.

“Whatever effect that had on us, the game got away from us in the final stages but I think most people would admit that it wasn’t a 3-15 to 0-10 game.

“It’s not a fair reflection but such are the margins at this level. If you don’t take your chances you get punished.

“We went in at half time four down and that was because of the goals. Tyrone got down the middle a little too easy. The third goal he’s just taking a chance, I don’t mind that.

“We were probably a little off it, collectively, going forward so we’ll have to look at that – there’s huge learnings at this level.

“The challenge for us now is to see if we can do something there [against] Donegal and we’ve two weeks to try to get ready for that.

“It’s difficult and Tyrone are a really good side but we want to be at this level and sometimes you’ve got to take days like this.”