By Barry O’Donnell

RELIEVED Tyrone minor manager Gerard Donnelly said that the heroic late revival by his young braves in reaching Friday’s Ulster final showdown with Derry underlined all they ask from their squad.

The hosts played second fiddle to Cavan for long spells on Saturday on home soil and appeared to be sliding to a heavy defeat when they fell eleven points in arrears just past the three-quarter mark.

However, Donnelly insisted that a never-say-die spirit should be engrained in whoever dons a Tyrone jersey and that was evident again.

“I keep going back to that day in the Rock and losing that league final,” said Donnelly, who led the county to Ulster and All-Ireland minor glory last season.

“We said to the boys, if the game is in the melting pot again then what is your character like. Can we battle and can we fight?

“We talk about the heart, the grit and the determination of our boys and that was on show there. I am just so proud of them.

“That game was lost 10 times,” Donnelly added. “Cavan were absolutely brilliant, as we knew they would be. Amid our jubilation I do feel for them as they were winning for the whole game but we just nipped them at the end.”

Donnelly was pleased that his side were able to avail of the advantage of playing against 13 men in the closing stages with two Cavan boys expelled from proceedings

“Cavan were flying and for most of that 60 minutes we weren’t where we wanted to be you can’t pretend otherwise.

“We plugged away. We didn’t panic and kept going for our ones (points), believing that the two pointers and goals would come.

“Cavan maybe panicked a bit as you do when you are that far ahead and their tackling became rash.

“I don’t think they can have any complaints about the double yellow or the black for a trip. So, the numerical advantage definitely helped us as we were attacking with two extra men.

“When we got the goal we sensed we could get level. We then missed a couple of chance late on and you think maybe it’s not going to be our day but we just kept piling on the pressure and got there which is great.”

Biggest plus

Donnelly felt that the biggest plus point from the win on Saturday is that Tyrone are now assured of competing in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland minor series whatever the outcome of Friday night’s Ulster Final with Derry.

“There is nothing won here yet but it’s great no as well to be in the ‘A’ competition for the All-Ireland. You are in the last eight of the All-Ireland as well so that was the big prize today. We have six days to recover, that would have taken a lot out of us,” he added, looking ahead to Friday in Letterkenny’s O’Donnell Park.

“We just ask them to die with their boots on when they go out there. For the first half, we didn’t really do that but when we went for it, the lads showed what they are all about. We are in another final and I am so proud of them.

“But Derry will look at that and think this Tyrone team are there for the taking so we have a lot of work to do.”