Messages

No Gortin haters this week?
Liam Og Massey and Sean Og McAteer will need to be on top form to take down high flying Ardboe - Lucky to beat us last week.

Gortin have been competitive in all their games so far and will feel disappointed not to have seen out a few more results when games have been in the balance.

Ardboe have had the opposite start to this seasons league compared to last year. Last year they couldn't get going at all spending most of the season in the relegation positions until a great finish to the season got them safe. Whether

Mattie Donnelly not far off.

Mattie Donnellys been exceptional this year. He's the oldest player in that squad but not many come close to him in terms of work rate or consistency.

Worst tyrone performance I've seen in a long time but I'll take it.  Can't be as bad the next day

You mustn't have seen Tyrone play mayo a few weeks back.

Didn't Galway win u21 AI in 2013?

Apologies it was minor 2013 and u21 2016 with that mayo team.

After so many years of Dublin domination and sheer negativity around the sport, do the supporters of the eight quarter-finalists not feel extremely privileged to be at the centre of a festival of football in a near enough sold out Croke Park this weekend?

Good times 😁

The four teams from Ulster have never had the privilege of reaching the quater finals by beating a couple of weak teams like Dublin or Kerry used to.

Privileged is not understanding why there would be negativity around the team dominating the sport having an unfair advantage then expecting them to be grateful and privileged for having a fair championship format.

I don't mean this as a dig at the lad, he's a very successful footballer, but is Ben McDonnell really the 3rd best MF in Tyrone? He's the only MF named among the subs. There's a fairly steep drop off in quality among those subs, Harte and McElholm aside. I suppose Dublins subs are as bad if not in fact a bit weaker than ours.

There's a fair few lads who have been great footballers and an a few who could become great footballers but the bench doesn't stand out in the way Galway's or Armagh's do.

Galway have a bench of comer, Culhane, Molloy and Cooke. Armagh can call on Mackin, mc Kay, mc cabe, Duffy, Hughes, Callum O'Neill and hall. It's a fairly incredible bench.

Who would be some of the best midfielders in Tyrone club football that aren't playing for the county?

Richie Donnelly and paudi mcnulty would be up their although are arguably past their best. Cormaic Donnelly has been playing great stuff for our club although didn't seem to be fancied when he was in the county team last year. Conor O'neill and McHugh are up there although still might be a bit young. Mcgleenan would have been seen as a county midfielder but hasn't really kicked on from his underage days.

I can't really think of too many more at the top of my head. It's certainly a position that lacks depth in Tyrone.

Gortin V DryL tonight

A very impressive Gortin side really beat them off the park, scoreline certainly does not do them justice, dominated in all areas. All be it a very poor performing DryL side, but still couldn't break Gortin down, without Kennedy they are cert to not get a point?

Is this forum not giving Gortin the respect they deserve?, they have been close in all previous results, with a very dangerous full forward line surrounded by what seemed like hard enough workers can they do the impossible of staying up?

On a side note, that DryL goalkeeper seems to be able to give it but not take it.

The rest of D1 was as predicted despite Ardboe and Galbally dishing out a trimming.

I was impressed with gortin when they played Galbally and they look to have been competitive in their other games.

Gortin deserve to be playing div 1 football after winning the intermediate league and will get deserved respect if they can maintain their place in senior football at the end of the league. Only a team who many would see as out of their depth would be receiving credit for being competitive and winning 1 in 5.

[Derry should be the front runners for the next two seasons.]

Tyrone fully deserved their win. On the balance of play 5 to 7 point margin would be a better reflection.  14 points separated the sides at the end with how ruthless Tyrone was and Louth far too wasteful. All the Tyrone players talked well after the match all knew they were in tough game regardless of the margin in the end, sounds very competitive at club and schools level and that keep them ticking over for the U20 grade. 

Should be another Ulster winner of this competition next year with the last two U17 All Ireland finals all Ulster finals. 

Tyrone's team over the next two years wouldn't stand out as much as the previous 4. Although Conor Devlin, Conor O'Neill and Ruairi McCullagh are still underage which is a good starting block. Derry should be the front runners for the next two seasons.

Derry are indeed the team to watch at this age group for 2026 and 2027.

Derry were the team to watch last year and this year as well sure. Those 3 tyrone u20 teams that won all Irelands in the last 4 years didn't win minor all Irelands with the same group. Multiple players that won it this year are still underage for next year.

There's only been 1 team this century that won an all Ireland minor title and went on to win an all Ireland at u20/21 with the same group which was mayo in 2010/2013.

A lot of quiet confidence around Armagh both among supporters and neutrals. I think Kerry are ready for an ambush, they'll be absolutely gunning for Armagh. Everything is set up for a Kerry victory. Armagh need to dominate the middle and make it count. Kerry have nothing to lose

Quiet confidence? Armagh are literally the current champions and bookies favourites to win the game.

Kerry have nothing to lose? Not even their dignity? Kerry got to the quarter finals without having to play a division 1 team. Derry and Cavan have been knocked out of the championship after having to play a division 1 team in every championship game they had.

If Kerry are satisfied having beaten cork, Clare and Roscommon and have nothing to lose and are hoping for an ambush against the Ulster runners up then they have truly fallen from grace.

Have a feeling both Monaghan and Meath will upset the odds this weekend.

Big 2 points for donaghmore in their relegation battle vs gortin. Derrylaughlin, gortin and pomeroy look like the most likely to go down although pomeroy still have Mcgeary and burns to come back so could still turn it around.

Gortin haven't lost by huge margins in any of their games but other teams will get stronger when their county players return which will make it tougher. Derrylaughin even with Kennedy have a mountain to climb.

Could see derrylaughan beating gortin on friday.

Talking to a boy from Gortin the other night in Eddie's (greencastle), and he reckons Gortin home game is a big advantage due to it being a 'fortress'. Never heard the likes of it.

D'laughan by 4

Derrylaughan to lose by 10

Gortin Definitely is a toughplace to go understand also Derylaughin have a few men missing still. big game for both teams could be a draw and might be looked at later in the year as a missed oppurtunity for whichever side picks up a few points as the year goes on.

Softspot for the loughshore clubs I hope they can pip them at home.

An away fixture at gortin throughout all those years they were in intermediate football was always known to be one of the toughest away fixtures for any club so in fairness he wasn't far wrong calling it a fortress. Although now that they are up against the best clubs in the county it could be a different story.

Based on what I've seen from both clubs so far this season I'd certainly have gortin as favourites. Gortin were competitive against omagh, Galbally and donaghmore while Derrylaughan got absolutely hammered by all 3. Not sure if conroy will be back for Derrylaughan which could make a big difference for the away team.

[For all our fast quick players we slow the game down too much.]

No harm but if we start McCurry, Dara and Dazzler we'll be beat. Our worst performances have always come with 3 small forwards on the team. Those 3 and Ruari and McElholm are just all too similar.

It's annoying how, after so much underage success that and the return of the excellent Teague and Brennan to the squad we're a bit threadbare in the half-backs and half-forwards. McKernan's loss really punches a hole in our defence. Anything to be said for starting Quinn or Burns in place of McKernan? Quinn is certainly a better attacker than defender.

Would tend to agree. If McCurry, Dara and Bradley were all firing on full cylinders I could see the point of starting them. This year our only reliable scoring threat was McCurry.

I think much has been made of the earlier Armagh championship game when we ran them close to the wire. Truth be told we were only so close thanks to some unbelievable shooting from McCurry. We haven't really solved getting early ball into the forward line or kicking long range scores. For all our fast quick players we slow the game down too much.

Think there is a good bit more work to be done with Tyrone. Just hope it doesn't end up in a hiding.

Definitely part of the problem is we've a lot of athletes out in the middle but not enough passers with natural ability. Conn, McGeary, Daly, Seanie and to an extent Matty haven't really an eye for a pass in the way that Harte or Richie Donnelly have. Add in the fact that the front 3 Dazzler, Dara and Sparky play on top of each other and block out each others runs.

It's not that we necessarily need a top class passer of the ball but just a bit of common sense when passing to those lads. The amount of times the likes of canavan or McCurry is out in front of his man and the ball is kicked high into them benefiting the defender rather than kicking it in front of them so it bounces into their chest.

Does anyone know why the championship draw was reverted to open draws after each round ? What was wrong with pre planned games?
Maybe the money spinners in Garvaghy trying to pit our lads and Trillick in another final.

If it was money related then surely it would make more sense having clubs who bring bigger support rather than Errigal vs Trillick. Have you never been to dunmoyle during an Errigal home game? There would be a bigger crowd in Tiffy's than there would be Errigal fans in Dunmoyle.

Fairly favourable draw for cookstown, clogher and Strabane in the junior championship. Drumragh vs glenelly is probably the standout tie along with a local derby between augher and eskra.

Some tasty draws in the intermediate championship which has pitted some of the favourites against each other with Coalisland vs eglish and clonoe vs greencastle. Moy and beragh will be happy with their draw and the remaining fixtures could be seen as 50/50 games.

The senior draw has produced a tasty parish derby between Galbally and donaghmore as well as a stand out game with 2 of the favourites for the championship between Dungannon and Trillick. Can't see many clubs being too disappointed with their draw.

Does that draw carry through to quarter or is it open draw again?

There will be an open draw for the quarter finals.