Harte calm in eye of celebration

Somewhere in the wild, hysterical celebrations that followed Tyrone's victory over Armagh you hear the calm, cautious voice of Mickey Harte. So this is the hardest part of being the Tyrone manager. One of the most memorable days in the county's football history and he's trying to play it down.

"Yeah, there's a lot of celebrating going on around here," said Harte, not fully concealing that look of great satisfaction. "And a lot of people here are looking very happy. But I know we've no cup to show. So we need to be very careful. We've just won an All-Ireland semi-final. Kerry did the same thing a week ago and there wasn't nearly as much celebration.

"So we'll be very mindful of the fact that we're only in the final, and have won nothing yet. That's what has to be dealt with now. We've three weeks to get ready, a luxury we haven't had too many times this summer. And we'll make the best use of that."

Harte, typically, stood cool as ice on the sideline when Peter Canavan stepped up to take the most important kick of Tyrone's football season - that last-minute free. Once it sailed over Harte knew he'd have a hard time containing the pending euphoria.

"Well if it's a pressure kick then Peter Canavan is the man to call for," he added. "He's been at it for so long, and I've seen him do the same thing so many times, even at club level. When it comes to tense games like that, and you're looking for the winning point or the equalising point, there is no better man. And I think it's so fitting that Peter Canavan should get such a point for Tyrone.

"But I have to give full credit and full respect to Armagh. They're a very good side, and just didn't give up. They put us to the pin of our collar. They believe we bring them on, and I think it's very much vice versa because we are taking the best out of each other. I think Armagh can hold their heads high."

Further down the corridors of the Hogan Stand, Seán Cavanagh was having a harder time containing the delight. And who could blame him? It hardly does the midfielder-cum-forward justice anymore when his performance is described as extraordinary. "To be honest I think this is the best ever victory for Tyrone, even sweeter than 2003" - and that's probably not getting carried away.

"I think the Ulster final gave us an extra bit of character," he added, "and that helped us get the job done this time. We knew going into the last 10 minutes that the belief would definitely be there this time to win it.

"Even when Armagh's goal went in I knew we weren't done. Cross my heart, I didn't. Even when Steven got the goal, I knew with the likes of Peter Canavan and Stephen O'Neill up front we were always going to get a couple more points in the last 10 minutes. Our defenders were holding up too, with the likes of Michael McGee starting to attack for us. The whole team dug deep. So I just think we showed the grit and the character that Armagh had been showing all year, and the last couple of years."

As far as Cavanagh was concerned, Canavan was the only man to take that last free: "I think he was actually down on the ground when the free was given," he explained.

"I just went up to him and said please Peter, please take it. I knew he was the only man for the job. I know he's already a legend in Tyrone, but that's going to make him something crazy altogether."

Canavagh then conceded a more telling reflection, and how the substitution of Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney was perhaps the final jolt that Tyrone needed. "I'm not sure that Kieran has been as fit as he likes to be this year, but the presence is still there. And I suppose when he did leave the field it definitely gave us a lift."

Last word came from Conor Gormley, who was keeping things in perspective: "The boys worked their socks off out the field. We've been criticised this year for not closing out games, but I think we showed we can do that now. It was a very tough game, but we know there's a lot of work to be done yet."