McKenna Cup 2024

[Gold]

Gerard Cavlan was top dog -- good one Fionntamhnach!!
Very Appropriate!

[Norf Tyrone]

Cathal McCarron landed three for Tyrone

Is he not one of the collage fellas?

[ziggysego]

Poor first half, that Donegal will kick themselves over. Should have had the game finished up by then, only for missing a sinful of points.

Tyrone were much the better team in the second half, with Calvan being my MOTM. Great points from McCarron and super goals from McCullagh and Cavanagh.

Thought that Hughes second yellow was harsh and the replay footage when I got home proved that.

As to the comment about it being an unfair home advantage to Tyrone. Two points to add to that:

1) Donegal had home advantage in 2004
2) Crossmaglen get home advantage in the Armagh County Championship final every year

[never kickt a ball]

Cathal McCarron landed three for Tyrone

Is he not one of the collage fellas?

No McCarron is a Tyrone player who goes to St Marys and has never played for them. (I thought he got 4 points). McCaul on the other hand has recently played for UUJ and also played for Tyrone tonight. Could be some controversy ahead. That's all some journalists were interested in after the match. The Ulster Council will probably await the referees report and then decide what action (if any) to take.
Very poor first half with Donegal in particular shooting a lot of wides. Their shooting was terrible. I thought it was that they weren't used to the lights but then they played well enough under them in the National League recently. Main action of first half was the replacement of C McGinley as he had picked up a yellow and tick. Tyrone led 0-4 to 0-2 at half time and when Donegal leveled after HT it looked like game on. Tyrone came to life in the second half just before and after Kevin Hughes was sent off for two yellows. From then on you would have thought Donegal had the man short. O'Neill and Mugsy came on to assist the cause and O'Neill played the remainder of the game very deep. Wouldn't read too much into the result as Tyrone were in a similar position in 2004 and Donegal recovered to collar them in the Championship a few weeks later. However it was yet again an experimental Tyrone side who came through in the end.   

[Orior]

Some of the shooting by Devenney reminded me of a Division 4 club match. And Tyrone can shove their soccer skills where the sun dont shine.

[never kickt a ball]

And Tyrone can shove their soccer skills where the sun dont shine.

What under the floodlights Orior?

[Tyrones own]

  Now Now Orior,
Its only the McKenna Cup.

[ONeill]

Some interesting performances.

Colhoun's direct running and speed of thought was impressive. McCarron knows where the posts are, although I see similarities with Mark Harte. Devenney roasted McGinley with the first ball he got and dragged him everywhere. Cormac is a horses for courses fella. Could probably handle Donaghy and Clarke but the likes of Devenney or Gooch would destroy him.

For all the euphoria at home at the plethora of talent, I'll still maintain that our best starting line-up is the 2005 team minus PTG. Up front we were rather toothless first half. Plenty of 'Penrose' type footballers.

Cavlan has it still.

[J70]

2 smashing goals! Donegal are poor!

Everyone has been talking us up for the past two weeks, after writing us off after the Armagh game. Now the backlash will start again.

We'll see what the summer brings, but building a team like Donegal up after a couple of league games or dismissing us as no-hopers after a McKenna Cup game is nonsense. Hopefully McIver will make good use of the lessons learned tonight. That's the most important thing in the long run.

[Tyrones own]

  " I'll still maintain that our best starting line-up is the 2005 team minus PTG"

Maybe but i'd go for Cavlin over Hughes/Holmes anyday and McCullagh/Mellon is a no brainer!

[Over the Bar]

Did anybody record the game off TG4?    I set the dvd but on the wrong channel! 

[sam03/05]

2005 team is a strong team without doubt.
However its nice to have like men like Mulgrew, Cavanagh, Marlowe, Carlin, Cavlan, Hughes, McCaul all pushing for places thats something we didnt have in 2005. These players would get into any county team in the land.

Anyone know when he will pick his squad? and how many he intends to pick?

[never kickt a ball]

Anyone know when he will pick his squad? and how many he intends to pick?

From his interviews Mickey intends to have a panel of around 36/37 of which he will name 30 on match day. He has a panel of around 45 at the moment so he will lose around 8/9. I'd say he has a fair idea of those 8/9 at this stage and they will hear very very shortly.

[never kickt a ball]

Tyrone set for Council showdown

Tyrone are set for another disciplinary showdown with the Ulster Council over their decision to play two students in Saturday's McKenna Cup final.
It comes just three weeks after Tyrone had points deducted for fielding four university players against derry in the group stage of the competition.
The Red Hands made late changes to their announced line-up to include Cathal McCarron and Damien McCaul.
They beat Donegal 2-9 to 0-5 in the final at Healy Park.
Ulster Council spokesman Martin McAvinney said they would be examining the referee's report before deciding what action to take.
"The report is the key. We will look at what is in it in relation to the regulations which we put in place for the Dr McKenna," he said.
"Everybody signed up to those regulations as such, although we are aware that there were problems with our regulations or things that needed to be changed in them."
McCaul and McCarron were not included in the team announced by Tyrone on Friday.
But they both started as Mickey Harte's men went on to win the cup for a fourth successive year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/6373463.stm

[Sandy Hill]

However its nice to have like men like Mulgrew, Cavanagh, Marlowe, Carlin, Cavlan, Hughes, McCaul . These players would get into any county team in the land.