The Red Hands lost out to the Kingdom by four points, although Kerry plundered a late goal to withstand a fierce challenge from the Ulster side at Croke Park
Kieran McGeary’s demeanour in the aftermath of Saturday’s narrow loss to Kerry said everything about the mood of the Tyrone camp.
Regret was written all over the face of the 2021 Footballer of the Year. At 31 years of age, McGeary is one of the most experienced members of what is an increasingly well-balanced Tyrone squad with a host of U20 All-Ireland winners coming through to challenge for places in Malachy O’Rourke’s team.
McGeary knows all too well that Championship wins over Kerry are hard to come by.
Saturday was, undoubtedly, a missed opportunity. Nobody outside the camp gave Tyrone a prayer, especially after the Kingdom had whalloped Armagh by 13 points a week earlier in Killarney.
Tyrone tend not to listen to outside noise and they gave the champions one hell of a scare with Armin Heinrich’s last minute goal eventually settling the game in Kerry’s favour.
When it was put to McGeary that the wider public didn’t give Tyrone a hope against Kerry, he replied: “We didn’t care what the general public thought – genuinely didn’t care. If you’re going to come down with no confidence you may as well stay at home.
“That wasn’t a factor. A couple of experts, all the experts had ruled us out. Their own records maybe wouldn’t be deadly in Kerry either so take a look at that.
“It was nip and tuck there. The game plan was going well. I don’t even know the minute exactly but it was going well, point behind.
“I think that they got a couple of simple ones. I haven’t seen any replays yet, but overturned that ’45, Pete Teague’s arm pulled off the clean catch.. . small decisions, you can’t plan for that.
“Paddy (Neilan) did a good job and it’s not easy the tempo of the game, but it’s those factors you can’t plan for.
“We’d done what we wanted to do to that point and then luck didn’t fall in our favour. It is what it is.”
While Tyrone appeared to have some genuine grievances about some big calls that went against them, they also passed up two great goal-scoring opportunities in the second half.
Ronan Cassidy was denied by a great Shane Murphy save while Eoin McElholm’s attempt fizzed over the crossbar.
“You take them, it’s a different game,” reflected McGeary.
“I’m maybe not standing here with a frown on my face. It’s the way it goes, it is why the ’keeper is there. It’s unfortunate so it is – the two lads were brave and they went for it and that’s all you can ask of somebody that age.
“I don’t think we’ve shied away from it at any stage all year and that was the main thing.
“What’s the point in shying away from it? You may as well die on your sword if you’re going to die at all.”
He added: “If you look for the positives you’ll find them. If you want to look for negatives you’ll find them. It was an up and down season.They’re all going to be like that. Nobody has had a deadly season so far.
“Even that team, the All-Ireland champions, have taken two hammerings this year so everyone has had a rollercoaster year. It’s up and down and that’s just the way it is.”
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