Dublin manager Jim Gavin paid tribute to the never-say-die character of his team after Saturday night’s Allianz Football League Division 1 draw with Tyrone.

It looked like their 30-match unbeaten run in League and Championship was about to end when they trailed by five points in the second-half.

But they kept plugging away against a well-organised Tyrone defence and in the end salvaged a share of the spoils thanks to an injury-time Dean Rock free.

“I suppose to them it probably demonstrates the values, the environment, the culture that the team has in terms of sticking with our particular game plan and our process that we've spoken a lot about and what it means for this team to play its attacking brand of football and to keep believing in it,” said Gavin.

“We've played a lot of teams that don't believe that's the way the game should be played but certainly we believe you should go at the game and I think that was demonstrated there in the last quarter of the game, five points down, missed a penalty and they could have said 'well, to hell with this, it's a cold windy night in Dublin and I'd prefer to be somewhere else'.

“But no, they showed great mental character once again, great mental resolve and particularly the players that came into the game. We gave game time to a number of players who mightn't have got much in the last number of seasons, new players as well, they understand the values we believe in and they stuck at it.

“Of course there were mistakes made, absolutely there were, the pleasing thing is that they never gave up and stuck with it to the very end and, you know, we could have won.”

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte was pleased with the effort of his players too but admitted it felt like a point dropped rather than one gained having held the upper hand for much of the game.

“It's never over until it's over, no matter how many points you are up against Dublin you always know that you are under threat,” he said.

“They're a quality side, they're capable of turning things their way in an instant. The sending off obviously didn't help us, it's hard enough to play them with 15 men, with 14 it's just that bit harder.

“I think we were a bit wayward with some of our finishing. If we had of been a bit more clinical in that department then we could have been in a better position. But I can't take anything away from the players. They worked their socks off, difficult conditions.

“When it was five-up, whatever it was, it's a point lost in that context but, yeah, it would have been cruel not to get at least a point tonight because I think our play, our performance, deserved at least a point. I don't think anyone would have begrudged us the two points if we'd got them.”

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