By Niall Gartland

PREPARATIONS for Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry have been difficult for obvious reasons, but Tyrone joint-manager Brian Dooher is hopeful that they’ll be able to field a team capable of putting it up to the Kingdom.

The double postponement granted by the GAA has been a lifeline of immense significance for Covid-hit Tyrone, but all that aside, they still face a race against time to get themselves in shape for this weekend’s clash with strong favourites Kerry.

Dooher admits that some players may be unavailable for selection, but it also presents an opportunity for some less experienced players to take their chance to help the team.

Dooher said: “We haven’t been able to prepare as well as we’d like, but the extra week is definitely useful and we’ll hopefully get a few more boys back.

“We still won’t have everybody available. We won’t be picking from a fully fit panel but we should be in good enough shape hopefully.”

He continued: “It is what it is, Covid hit us hard and some of the lads have progressed differently. The timelines have been different for recovery and we’ve had to adhere to medical advice.

“But this week will tell us more – we’ll see how boys are faring and we’ll give everyone the best chance they can of featuring.

“There’s a lot of good players in reserve and they’ve an opportunity here, so let’s see what we can do.”

While Tyrone shipped six goals in a chastening Division One semi-final defeat to Kerry back in June, their most recent championship encounter was a much closer affair.

The Red Hands lost out by 1-18 to 0-18 in an All-Ireland semi-final encounter in 2019, and Dooher doesn’t entirely dismiss its relevance even though two years have passed in the meantime.

“A lot of the same players were involved, I’d say you’ll have 80 percent of the personnel back again. I don’t know the exact stats, but it’d be something like that.

“I wouldn’t say it’s not relevant, the two teams are pretty similar. Kerry have definitely progressed and hope we have progressed well enough to catch up with them.

“That’s the question – looking at Killarney you could say we definitely haven’t. We just hope that we’re in a better place now, but you know what, you won’t know until the day itself and obviously are preparations haven’t been ideal.”

All-Ireland favourites Kerry have scored an incredible 21 goals already this season, so nothing less than total concentration will be required from the Tyrone rearguard on Saturday afternoon.

“They scored six goals against us, so we know all about it. They have good forwards who take the opportunity when it arises – other players might be happy to take their point, but if they have the opportunity for a goal they go for it.

“Our defence has been doing well this last few games, and we’ve come through some good battles.

“But Kerry are the top goal-scoring team in Ireland this year so we have to get our house in order.

“If we give up chances, or give the ball away foolishly, we’ll get punished big time.”

The Clann na nGael man also passed on on his best wishes to the Tyrone minor team, whose All-Ireland final against Meath will be played as the curtain-raiser to the eagerly anticipated Kerry game.

“It’s great to see, we’ve been lucky to have some great minor teams over the last couple of years, it seems to be a fairly serious outfit this year.

“Gerard Donnelly and the boys have done well, and it’s good the GAA have put the game on in Croke Park as that’s where those young boys want to be playing, and they deserve the right to play there in an All-Ireland final.

“I’m sure the Tyrone fans will be glad to go down and have a second team to support. It’s good for the future too and hopefully we can bring them through.

“A lot of things can go wrong between u-17s and the early ‘20s but hopefully it’ll work out well for Tyrone in the future.”