McKenna Cup 2024

[gerry]

Group B: Jordanstown, Tyrone, Down, Donegal.

Be interesting what team each put out, after last years incident.

[orangeman]

Mickey won't dare repeat last year's performance, will he ?

[gerry]

Would not surprise me as he want to try out a few players even if they are lined out for colleges.

Who could blame him, ever manager will want their best 15 come may time.

[orangeman]

The burning question os - what is Tyrone's best 15 ?

[Muzz]

The burning question os - what is Tyrone's best 15 ?

Thats why he should use the McKenna cup to get the answer to this question.  Playing established first team players like in previous years has cost Tyrone dear I feel.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Nonsense. Its a myth that Tyrone play more established players than other counties as I pointed out above (apart from Armagh or Down at times - though when Tyrone beat Armagh in the semis in 06 it was Armagh with the much stronger team out). Tyrone used over 40 players last year and actually fielded 2 different 15 's from 1 match to the next. They do play 3 or 4 established players in each game to give a bit of experience to the team. In each game last year were Tyrone met county teams Tyrone had a far less experineced team on than the opposition. If you look at the final Donegal had quite a lot of their starting 15 on whereas their were 2 or 3 players on the Tyrone team who didnt actaully make the final 38 man panel. Also I dont see how other ulster counties can take the micky out of Tyrone for winning the McKenna Cup when most of them have yet to win any kind of trophy this decade. The McKenna Cup is now a very useful competition and great for trying out new players.

[Muzz]

Tyrone Verus Donegal - Pascal McConnell, Paul McGurk, Cormac McGinley, Damien McCaul, Davy Harte, Conor Gormley, Paul Quinn, Kevin Hughes, Sean Cavanagh, Tommy McGuigan, Gerald Cavlan, Christopher Colhoun, Cathal McCarron, Colm McCullagh, Damian McDermott. Subs – Dermot Carlin for Cormac McGinley, Owen Mulligan for Tommy McGuigan, Stephen O'Neill for Christopher Colhoun, Colm Donnelly for Cathal  McCarron, Mickey McGee for Paul McGurk.

Tyrone Dreamer I am not getting at you nor your opinion on the established players within Tyrone.  But as you can see above this was the team that Mickey Harte put out to play Donegal this year.  In the starting lineup alone I would say the 8 in bold could be described as established footballers.  What advantage does this have?  3 or 4 players I would agree with not 8.  Offcourse playing with established players can certainly help the younger less experience footballers around them but this competition lets face it win or lose we aint going to lose much sleep over.  Its nice to win any silverware and we should never lose sight of that but at risking these guys for later competitions I dont think is worth it.

As I say this is only my opinion and you are entitled to yours!!

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Pascal McConnell and Cormac McGinley didnt play against Meath so that leaves 6. That was the most for any of the games and that was because it was the final. 3 of the players who played in that game didnt even make the 38 man panel for the year. The point I was making was that Tyrone dont play more established teams than the other counties despite people trying to use this as the reason for Tyrone continuing to win the competition. If you post up the Donegal team from that night you'll find a much more experienced team. Tyrone also defeated Monaghan, Derry and Cavan last year and in each game the opposition had more 1st choice players on. I think that most of the more senior players apart from Cavanagh only played 1 group game last year and I dont think that 1 game would have a major impact on players seasons. The players would be playing trainig matches anyway and this way new players get an opposition to stake a claim for their place within the county squad.

[gerry]

Have to agree, having being to all the McKenna cups matches last year, although we we did play  some estblish  players we did try out a lot of new players. How else are you going to blood them. 

[Muzz]

Donegal had actually 7 players that played in both the McKenna Cup Final and the Semi-Final Verus Tyrone.  This was Brian McIver's frist year in charge.  This was his fist "competitive" competition.  His first chance to play any player in the county regardless of past honours and to get a real look at them.  Mickey has years of experience with these players right from underage.  He knows them inside out.

My argument is not how many established players other counties play against Tyrone but how many Tyrone play themselves.  I just think Tyrone should put out less than 6 established players in McKenna Cup games and try and give new blood more oppurtunities.  If as your other post suggested there were only 3/4 established players in the team for each game then that would be fine.  I think with playing more you are losing out on potential inter-county experience other players could have gained and could help Tyrone further in the Championship (should the injuries never end).

[orangeman]

If the GPA have their way there'll be no established players at all playing.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Former captain Brian Dooher raised the roof at Kingspan/Breffni Park as Tyrone cruised their way into the McKenna Cup final with a facile 2-16 to 0-8 win over a poor Monaghan side.

Showing 15 changes from the side that carved out a win over Fermanagh last weekend in the NFL, Tyrone had it all too easy as they booked a place in the final against Donegal.

Tyrone were on easy street with goals by man of the match Stephen O'Neill (9th) and Declan Treanor (14th) helping to ease them into a commanding 2-6 to 0-5 interval lead.

Earlier Tyrone almost bagged a third goal in the 19th minute but Tommy McGuigan and Treanor were thwarted in quick succession in a goalmouth scramble.

Frustration in the Monaghan team surfaced in the 41st minute when Eoin Duffy was dismissed for a second yellow card offence after a 'clothes line' tackle on Martin Penrose.

Monaghan needed goals to get them out of trouble but in their only chance, Cormac McGinley did fantastically well on the goal line to deflect Donal Morgan's point blank effort over the bar.

But the night belonged to Dooher whose two brilliant points were the highlight of a classy display by the O'Neill County outfit.

Tyrone were a full nine points ahead, 2-10 to 0-7, when the biggest roar of the night greeted the introduction of long-time absentee Brian Dooher for the outstanding O'Neill.

Tyrone - J Curran; P McGurk, C McGinley, C McCrory; P Quinn, P Marlow, M Penrose; G Cavlan 0-1, K Hughes; A McCarron 0-1, T McGuigan 0-2, D Treanor 1-0; P Rouse 0-3, S O'Neill 1-5, N Gormley. Subs - D McDermott for P Marlow, C Colhoun 0-1 for D Treanor, B Dooher 0-2 for S O'Neill, P Jordan for C McCrory, M Murphy for K Hughes.

Monaghan - P McBennett; D Morgan 0-1, J Coyle, C Flanagan; JP Mone, J Hughes, S Fitzpatrick; P Finlay 0-3, V Corey; P Meegan 0-1, M Daly, E Duffy; R Woods, B McKenna 0-1, N Corrigan. Subs: S Gollogly 0-1 for M Daly, T Freeman 0-1 for R Woods, D Mone for P Meegan, D McArdle for B McKenna, C McManus for J Coyle.


There was no way Harte was going to risk losing the final by not playing  some 1st choice players against a very strong Donegal team. The semi final team above shows just how much experimenting Harte was prepared to do during the McKenna Cup -15 changes from the previous league game. It exposes the myth that Tyrone put out stronger teams than the other counties.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Tyrone into McKenna Cup semis
Saturday, 20 January 2007 21:17
Tyrone qualified for the Dr McKenna Cup semi-finals with an impressive attacking display in a 0-14 to 0-10 win over Cavan under the Breffni Park floodlights.

But the Ulster Council could decide whether they play any further part in the competition, with a probe into their use of ineligible college players due to be completed this week.

Tyrone's slick movement and support play caused problems for the hosts right from the start, and they had built up a four points lead inside the opening 10 minutes, with Sean Cavanagh, Aidan McCarron, Christy Colhoun and Kelvin Hughes all on target.

It was not until the 18th minute that Cavan got their first score, a Gerald Pierson free, and their lack of penetration up front was clearly worrying manager Donal Keoghan.

He switched Dermot McCabe from midfield to full-forward, and the move had an immediate impact, the flame-haired skipper rising high to take Sean Brady's long delivery and hit his side's first score from play.

Tyrone led by 0-06 to 0-03 at the break, but Pierson's accuracy from placed balls helped Cavan close the gap to a point.

But with Ryan McMenamin and Dermot Carlin giving them a dynamic attacking impetus from the back, the Red Hands cut loose.

Paul Rouse nailed on three points, Cavanagh hit a gem, and McMenamin also got in on the act with a cheeky effort as Tyrone went six clear with 10 minutes to play.

Cavan did produce a late flourish, but there was never any doubt about the outcome.

Cavan: E Elliot, A Forde, K Fannin, M Cahill, J Crowe (0-01), M McKeever, P Brady, L Mulvey, D McCabe (0-1), M Reilly, S Brady, M Cunningham, L Reilly, G Pierson (0-05, 5f), R Gallagher.

Subs used: E Reilly for Gallagher, N Walsh for S Brady, J Reilly (0-02, 2 frees) for L Reilly, C Mackey (0-01) for M Reilly, M McDonald for Mulvey.

Tyrone: J Devine, P McGurk, C McCrory, M McGee, R McMenamin (0-01), P Quinn, M Penrose, Kelvin Hughes (0-01), S Cavanagh (0-02, 1f), D Treanor (0-01), G Cavlan, A McCarron (0-02, 1f), N Gormley, P Rouse (0-03), C Colhoun (0-02).

Subs used: C McGinley for McCrory, D Carlin for McGurk, C Donnelly (0-01) for Hughes, R Mellon (0-01) for McCarron, Kevin Hughes for Penrose.

Referee: S McGonagle (Donegal)

Again a lot of experimenting done in that game with only 3 outfield players who started against Meath in the championship playing, though McGee was ruled out with injury for it.

[orangeman]

There seems to have been a fair bit of experimenting done ok but when it cam to championsip, Mickey reverted to the tried and trusted. He remianedloyal to his winning troops - I don't think he'll show the same loyalty this time around.

[never kickt a ball]

Gaelic Life Dr McKenna Cup Fixtures
All Sunday games at 2.00 p.m.: All midweek games at 8.00 p.m.
(Extra time to be played if required in Semi finals & Final)

Wed 2nd Jan: Section B
Donegal v UUJ at Ballybofey 

Sun 6th Jan: Section A
St Mary's v. Fermanagh at Lisnaskea
Armagh v Derry at Crossmaglen

Section B
UUJ v Tyrone at Omagh

Section C
Queens v Antrim at Casement Park
Cavan v Monaghan at Kingspan Breffni Park



Wed 9th Jan: Section A
Fermanagh v Armagh at Kingspan Breffni Park
Derry v St Mary's at Celtic Park

Section B
Tyrone v Down at Omagh

Section C
Antrim v Cavan at Casement Park
Monaghan v Queens at Castleblayney

Sun 13th Jan: Section A
St Mary's v Armagh at Crossmaglen
Derry v Fermanagh at Celtic Park

Section B
UUJ v Down at Newcastle
Donegal v Tyrone at Ballyshannon

Section C
Queens v Cavan at Kingspan Breffni Park
Monaghan v Antrim at Ballybay

Wed 16th Jan: Section B
Down v Donegal at Newry

Sat 19th Jan (7.30pm) : Semi Final: (1) Winner of Section B v Winner of Section C

Sun 20th Jan (2.00pm): Semi Final: (2) Winner of Section A v 4 th Placed Team

Sat 26 th January (7.30pm): Final: 1 v 2


http://ulster.gaa.ie/news/ucNews/2006-07/nov07/news010.htm