Tyrone County Football and Hurling

[Scoring Zone]

Made the brave decision to watch last year's All Ireland final again this evening.

Dublin started off quite sluggishly, they missed a few scores you'd expect them to get. Tyrone had a lot of joy with the early ball in but I think Cian O'Sullivan was struggling with an injury which was a factor. Tyrone were also extremely wasteful in their purple patch early on and could have been 6 or 7 points up as opposed to just 4.

A bad kickout from Morgan cost us the first goal and Dublin tagged on a few quick scores but we actually came back into the game after than and were a bit wasteful on a few occasions on the front foot. The second goal killed us, Meyler gave away a silly free out the pitch when there was no need and then McKernan needlessly over commited and sold himself which led to the second goal.

We completely wilted after the second goal and Dublin just seemed to hungrier to everything. The response wasn't good in that period and the game had eventually slipped away from us by HT. Our decision making went to shit and the players let their heads drop. I thought our defenders held up reasonably well for the most part, McKernan got absolutely destroyed by Con O'Callaghan and it was a failing from Mickey Harte not to change something earlier. Kilkenny also was beginning to grow into the game and get the better of McCann around this point.

On reviewing that, I think the same failings are still happening with McKernan, he is still very young and I don't want to be too harsh but he doesn't sense danger or read the game well. He's a gung ho type player who commits himself far too easily, this was exposed against Cork and Donegal already this year. He's got lots of energy and is physical and can be a good player to bring into games near the end but I don't think he's mature enough for the level of football we are entering into at this point in the year. I think Frank Burns suffers similarly to McKernan in that he overcommits too much when one on one but to a lesser degree.

The two goals were completely avoidable and Dublin were ruthless with them, they didn't play all that well in the first half but we gifted them two goal chances that were ruthlessly taken and it was game over.

Mayo have been in similar situations that Tyrone were in at that stage in the final. I can recall Mayo being 4/5/6 maybe even 7 points down to Dublin in some of their games in recent years and they've came right back at them. They didn't panic or let their heads drop and unfortunately that's where Tyrone fell apart last year. In that period, they lost their heads, panicked when faced with pressure and wilted in the battle, Dublin were targeting isolated Tyrone players and the support play wasn't there like it was in the early parts.

I do think Dublin are vulnerable when you get a run at them, we saw it in Omagh last year when the game looked gone and we nearly reeled them in near the end and we've seen it with Mayo in the past when they've brought themselves back into the game from big deficits. Cluxton is well capable of having a meltdown himself. Tyrone simply have to cut out the silly mistakes and be much, much resilient and composed in the face of setbacks. If you're start feeling sorry for yourself after a setback to Dublin, the game will be over with the snap of a finger.

Did the same after the donegal game - by my count (in no order) Meyler, cavanagh, morgan and mcshane killed us in avoidable forced and unforced turnovers and after donnelly saying on sky in the lead up that dublin's decision making is really high end and we need to bring ours to the next level make ye wonder what goes through lads heads, but defensively hampsey and brennan where brilliant

Re:mckeirnan his biggest asset is his speed and when you put him on someone equal or more pacey your screwed i.e brennan and positionally against cork he bit in on kerrigan and let that loughrey through on goal - just don't make him think!lol

[Angelo]

I agree right up to the Cluxton point. I think when he goes Dublin will be more vunerable

I think Cluxton is overrated in general terms. There's 3 or 4 keepers in the game now every bit as good if not better than him. If Morgan, Beggan or Patton were in goals for Dublin, would they be a worse team? I don't think so.

All goalkeepers have meltdowns and can have spells in big games where kickouts go to pot when pushed up on. The difference is that it's much easier for Cluxton when he has/has had guys like Fenton, McAuley, Flynn, Howard, Connolly, McCarthy, McCaffrey, Scully, Small in that middle third area to hit - players who makes the right move and do the right thing with the ball.

Morgan definitely. Patton - not yet this year but it's only a few games. Beggan - Cluxton much more consistent but maybe not this last year. I think you underestimate Cluxton and his kick outs. He has been phenomenal over the years.

I can't agree.

I don't think Cluxton would give us anything Morgan doesn't if he was in goals for us. He's had his meltdowns before, he had a couple of shockers against Kerry, in the last semi final they played, 2016? He gifted Kerry with a goal and a few points in a matter of minutes. He had a meltdown against Mayo in the closing stages of an All Ireland final that Dublin were winning comfortably and a replay came as a result.

He's a good keeper but I don't think he is any better than the top 3 or 4 around now. He was the pioneer of keepers looking to find players but I think a number of goalkeepers have caught up with him now. Cluxton's job is just easier as he has better players who are bigger, faster, stronger and smarter than other teams and he has a bigger array of them. You look at the Tyrone side and if it is man for man as it sometimes is then we are going to struggle on kickouts against Dublin, they are bigger, stronger and faster than us in the middle of the pitch.

Mayo have won a lot of the kickout battles with Mayo in the past and they have done so with a goalkeeper who it has became obvious in recent weeks struggles on his kickouts and with no discernible kickout strategy. They have won those battles because they can match and maybe even surpass Dublin in the middle area of the pitch.

[Angelo]

Disappointing results for the minors and u20s today. The minors really should have been much more than 3 points up at HT against Kerry but Kerry upped it the second half and much like the u20s, a stupid red card and a black as well for young McGleenan did for it.

I thought that we look to have some very exciting forwards in both sides. Mark Devlin looks an absolute star in the making, Fullerton and Luke Donnelly also looked good for the minors.

I presume Canavan will be getting some minutes next week against Dublin?

[The Golden Years]

Another game lost along the line. Paul Devlin is clueless.  Just putting it out there. 

[tc_manchester]

I thought the line was worse in the minor match. We got absolutely destroyed on kick outs. The only plan was to land it on top of McGleenan. Kerry did not want to kick it long and we handed them every kick out by having a sweeper.

[Localexpert]

Another game lost along the line. Paul Devlin is clueless.  Just putting it out there.

We have a lad who started and finished all of our championship games last year to win the senior championship and he couldn't even get a place on the squad.  Surely his experience gained of closing out tight championship games would have came in handy yesterday.....

Also took off the considerable scoring threat of Tee Quinn.  What was he thinking?

[In hiding]

Another game lost along the line. Paul Devlin is clueless.  Just putting it out there.

We have a lad who started and finished all of our championship games last year to win the senior championship and he couldn't even get a place on the squad.  Surely his experience gained of closing out tight championship games would have came in handy yesterday.....

Also took off the considerable scoring threat of Tee Quinn.  What was he thinking?

I heard Tiarnan Quinn was carrying an injury from the day/night of the Ulster Final. Landed badly I heard

[skeog]

Paul seems confident that several players will make the step up to senior next year.Be good for competition if this is going to happen.

[inroundthesquare]

The sending off looked very harsh on the highlights. Massive turning point. Also as mentioned in Devlin's teamtalk interview Antoin Fox was a big loss in the centre of defence early on. Cork got through the middle channel a lot in the 2nd half.
Tyrone unfortunately couldn't stop Cork's momentum and even though we went 2 up shortly after their goal it never looked secure. To lose a 7 point lead in an All Ireland semi is disappointing for all involved.

[Localexpert]

Another game lost along the line. Paul Devlin is clueless.  Just putting it out there.

We have a lad who started and finished all of our championship games last year to win the senior championship and he couldn't even get a place on the squad.  Surely his experience gained of closing out tight championship games would have came in handy yesterday.....

Also took off the considerable scoring threat of Tee Quinn.  What was he thinking?

I heard Tiarnan Quinn was carrying an injury from the day/night of the Ulster Final. Landed badly I heard

[In hiding]

Another game lost along the line. Paul Devlin is clueless.  Just putting it out there.

We have a lad who started and finished all of our championship games last year to win the senior championship and he couldn't even get a place on the squad.  Surely his experience gained of closing out tight championship games would have came in handy yesterday.....

Also took off the considerable scoring threat of Tee Quinn.  What was he thinking?

I heard Tiarnan Quinn was carrying an injury from the day/night of the Ulster Final. Landed badly I heard

Seems you have a Tee Bee in your bonnet.

Who

[Angelo]

I wouldn't be too hard on the minor management team. They should have had the game out of sight at half time and I don't think they got too much wrong tactically. Kerry were just more ruthless when the chances presented themselves.

[redzone]

I wouldn't be too hard on the minor management team. They should have had the game out of sight at half time and I don't think they got too much wrong tactically. Kerry were just more ruthless when the chances presented themselves.

What were the tactics?

[In hiding]

I wouldn't be too hard on the minor management team. They should have had the game out of sight at half time and I don't think they got too much wrong tactically. Kerry were just more ruthless when the chances presented themselves.

I agree, I wouldn't blame the u20 management either.

[Angelo]

I wouldn't be too hard on the minor management team. They should have had the game out of sight at half time and I don't think they got too much wrong tactically. Kerry were just more ruthless when the chances presented themselves.

What were the tactics?

Whatever they were they seemed to work. We blew two good goal chances in the first half, hit the post with pointed efforts on three occasions and had one of key players get a silly black card and another player pick up a stupid red card with the game entering the melting pot.