By Alan Rodgers

A COLD January night in 2010 enveloped with a deep blanket of fog will be far removed from the hothouse atmosphere expected in the Croke Park heat when Tyrone take on Kerry in an intriguing All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday.

Two players provide the link between this latest clash in the 2025 race for Sam Maguire, and that much more modest occasion 15 years ago. But the intervening seasons have brought the brilliant duo on from talented youngsters to veterans with all the experience gaelic football has to offer.

That night Peter Harte and Mattie Donnelly made their starting debuts for the Red Hands. Cavan were defeated by 2-17 to 1-14 to book a place in the semi-final of the McKenna Cup. Mattie scored three points, and the characteristics which have made Peter such an integral and important part of the Tyrone team were clearly evident too.

Since then, the two have soldiered loyally in the famous Red Hand jersey. Three Ulster titles, an All-Ireland title triumph in 2021, an All-Ireland Final appearance in 2018. Success at club and county level. The highs and lows and still they serve. Put simply, Petey and Mattie remain just as important to the Tyrone cause as they have done since that modest career-start win over the Breffni men all those years ago.

It will be so different on Saturday of course. The quest for Sam is taking centre stage, and Mattie and Petey will have central roles, just as they have had so often since the 2010s.

“Myself and Niall [Morgan] and Mattie are very similar, we love football,” remarked Harte.

“When you play this long, you put an awful lot of your life into it, and you do grow an appreciation of trying to make the most out of it, if you can. Very soon you’ll not be playing, you’ll be coming down with your family to watch matches, so you want to make the most of it when you are playing, and please God, over the next couple of weeks we can do that.”

Now a new generation of players are coming through, and the Errigal Ciaran clubman is delighted that they’re already making their mark.

“Thankfully, we have some great young lads and we’re starting to see just how good they are,” he remarks.

“We’ve seen them in club football a lot, and just hoping that can continue. As we’ve seen over the years, you need a big impact in the last few minutes in Croke Park to win these games.

“In Croke Park, you’re basically playing on a new surface. You play with new footballs and when it’s greasy mistakes just seem to happen more readily.

“We have plenty of things to learn and work on, but there was great grit and determination in the last 10 minutes against Dublin to wrestle the game back in our favour.

“We have been the ones that were watching over the last few years, sitting at home and not getting to Croke Park on the bigger days. You probably appreciate it more in the latter part of your career, but it’s great to be back, but it’s about making the most of it now.”

Petey Harte and Mattie Donnelly have been almost ever present in the ranks since their debuts in 2010. The Trillick clubman has come back from a number of serious injuries, his fierce determination to return clear in the intense rehab.

Like Petey, he’s determined to make the most of this opportunity. Both were part of the 2008 All-Ireland winning Minor team, and in the week that Tyrone won the Thomas Markham Cup again, would love to be preparing for yet another All-Ireland Final come Sunday morning.

“We came to Croke Park to get through to the last four and that’s what we’ve done, so you have to be glad about that,” said Mattie.

“This stage of the competition is about winning, whatever way you can do that. Dublin were formidable, littered with legends of the game and we had to earn our win.

“People talked before that game about needing to record a statement win. I’m not sure we needed that to validate this team.

“We know that the performance against Dublin won’t do the business the next day. I’m looking forward with an eye to the next day. There are four quality teams in the semi-finals.

“It’s great to be still there – it certainly beats watching on.”

Watching on, of course, is something that these two stalwarts have never been good at. An All-Ireland Final beckons and, if Tyrone are to win, then strong performances from Petey Harte and Mattie Donnelly are virtually guaranteed.