Brian Howard has described the ugly scenes witnessed as Dublin and Tyrone clashed in the Healy Park tunnel on Saturday night as a "rare" event.

He told OTB AM that he was not present when tempers initially flared as the teams returned to their dressing rooms:

"If you were watching the game I sprinted off first. So I was in, sitting down in the dressing room, I didn't actually see what happened.

"When the lads came in we obviously had another half so it was straight back into the 'focus zone.'"

"Obviously, when you hear a bit of a commotion going on outside, you go out and have a look. At that stage, whatever happened, I don't actually know [what happened], was all finished."

"It's a very rare thing, whatever happened, it's just two very competitive teams that have a bit of history."

Allianz Football League Division 1, Healy Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone - Tyrone edged out the All Ireland Champions in stormy conditions INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Howard on rivalries

When asked if he had been caught up in rivalries which had overheated elsewhere in his career, Howard said he did not believe he has played in any matches which had turned violent:

"All the games I have been involved in have been clean games. There's nothing that is over the top."

Offering a final thought on the Omagh skirmish, he concluded:

"I think, from what I've heard, it was more just pushing and a bit of shoving. Obviously, it doesn't look great - for either team and just in general - but it is a rare event."

Tyrone challenge

The 2019 All Star told Off The Ball that he always relishes the chance to go toe-to-toe with a Tyrone side:

"Speaking from Dublin's perspective, we love playing Tyrone because they bring a different challenge. Both physically and mentally. You have to be in the right headspace."

The Dubs were on the wrong side of this meeting, as Mickey Harte's side secured a victory with three points to spare.

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