Tír Eoghain vs Luimneach

[never kickt a ball]

McMahon boost for Tyrone
14 March 2007


Joe McMahon is on course for a return to the Tyrone team after undergoing surgery on a groin problem in Germany last month.
McMahon recently returned to full training, and is expected to be in contention for a starting place when Tyrone take on Limerick in their next league outing on Sunday week.
"I might be ready to play against Limerick. I have played a challenge game with the club and a practice match with Tyrone and it has gone okay," hesaid.
Doctors at the hospital in Munich where McMahon underwent the revolutionary surgery guarantee that a player will be back in training within 7-10 days of having the procedure and McMahon returned to training within that timeframe.
His team-mate Philip Jordan underwent surgery on a similar problem last week at the same hospital and expects to be back playing within a month.
Tyrone boss Mickey Harte has already been boosted by the return of long-term injury victims Brian Dooher and Conor Gormley, but this has been offset by fresh injuries to Sean Cavanagh and Cormac McGinley.

http://www.hoganstand.com/Tyrone/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=74234

[Star Spangler]

O'Neill is wasted at full forward imo.  His biggest strength is his ability for going past defenders and scoring from distance.  He's not the man to be dropping long balls on in the square.  Mulligan has shown in the past that he can win dropping ball from a standing position and that's what a full forward needs to be able to do.  I'd have him a full forward and O'Neill somewhere in the half forwards.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

O'Neill is wasted at full forward imo.  His biggest strength is his ability for going past defenders and scoring from distance.  He's not the man to be dropping long balls on in the square.  Mulligan has shown in the past that he can win dropping ball from a standing position and that's what a full forward needs to be able to do.  I'd have him a full forward and O'Neill somewhere in the half forwards.

Fair point, but I could see him being named there but dropping back as the situations require.

[tyroneman]

SON has played much better over the past few years when named at FF then allowed to drift and look for the ball than when he has started in the half forward line.

Am I the only one who thinks (going back to NFL v Galway 2003) that Mellon could do a job in MF?

Woulod get a few scores, good fielder of the ball................

[Fuzzman]

Does anyone else agree that there are too many times we find it hard to win long balls into our FF line.

Usually Stevie and Mugsy are always being held or pulled and they find it hard to make space although usually without McGuigan the ball in is not the best and is often too slow so that when they make a run, by the time they get the pass the defender has caught up with them.

I believe they have begun training twice a week this week onwards.
I agree that Mickey will use this anti Tyrone national feeling now to galvanise the squad and create a new hunger for this year.
I think he has developed his motivational skills a lot with the help of that guy Bart and knows how to change things around.
Has he become a wee bit like Mourinho and doesnt care what people think of him now as he's held bent on winning a 3rd AI and not just being Mr nice guy who rests on his laurels.

[tyroneman]

I thiink one of the biggest problems we have at the minute is the crazy solo run some of our lads seem to make each and every time they get the ball.

when we won in 2003 and 2005 we raced forward, short passing and working the ball in early to the FF line

against Donegal and Cork we just seemed to get the head down and run with the ball until surrounded by 2/3 players, eerie memoreis of Kerry SF 2003 coming back.

Maybe the lack of a CHF fulcrum is hampering this but surely we can learn (Carlin) from lessons to dat....

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I thiink one of the biggest problems we have at the minute is the crazy solo run some of our lads seem to make each and every time they get the ball.

when we won in 2003 and 2005 we raced forward, short passing and working the ball in early to the FF line

against Donegal and Cork we just seemed to get the head down and run with the ball until surrounded by 2/3 players, eerie memoreis of Kerry SF 2003 coming back.

Maybe the lack of a CHF fulcrum is hampering this but surely we can learn (Carlin) from lessons to dat....

To be fair here, it was his solo runs that opened it up against Dublin in the 2nd half when he proved almost impossible to dispossess, however, that is not to say that that will work against stouter defending (and it hasn't), and that is what he hasn't quite accepted yet. If he can learn to judge better when to solo and when to offload he'd be much the better for it!

[Star Spangler]

Usually Stevie and Mugsy are always being held or pulled and they find it hard to make space

The point is a good full forward doesn't need much space to win long balls coming into the square. 

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Usually Stevie and Mugsy are always being held or pulled and they find it hard to make space

The point is a good full forward doesn't need much space to win long balls coming into the square. 

Maybe he's (Stevie O'Neill) rediscovering his form (And Brian Dooher too):


O'Neill's Sportswear sponsored O'Nolan Cup.
The final of the O'Nolan Cup Floodlit Tournament final sponsored by O'Neill's Sportswear was held at Páirc Mhic Sioghair on Friday night past (16th March) and it was a Tyrone victory with Clann na nGael defeating Derry side Dungiven by 1-8 to 0-5 in a keenly contested affair.

Tyrone star Stephen O'Neill hit the only goal of the game and only for some excellent netminding by both goalkeepers there could have been at least half a dozen goals.

Dungiven were minus a few regulars for the game but the Clann men were inspired by the Tyrone pairing of Stephen O'Neill and Brian Dooher and at the end of the hour they were deserving winners...

Extract from a report on the match at www.strabanegaa.org.

[uselessfootballer]

Largely just to bump this back onto the first page, a stab at a starting 15.

Written with the assumption that none of the U-21s can feature, that Cormac McGinley isn't fit and with a strong desire to keep Peter Donnelly as far away from the starting 15 as possible.

1. P McConnell

2. Ricey  3. C Gormley 4. M McGee

5. D Harte 6. E McGinley 7. D Carlin

8. Kevin Hughes 9. R Mellon

10. B Dooher 11. Mugsy 12. G Cavlan

13 S O'Neill   14. P Rouse 15. C McCullough

With Stevie being given freedom to drop off the ff line and with the hope that Joe McMahon would get a run out for the most of the 2nd half.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Largely just to bump this back onto the first page, a stab at a starting 15.

Written with the assumption that none of the U-21s can feature, that Cormac McGinley isn't fit and with a strong desire to keep Peter Donnelly as far away from the starting 15 as possible.

1. P McConnell

2. Ricey  3. C Gormley 4. M McGee

5. D Harte 6. E McGinley 7. D Carlin

8. Kevin Hughes 9. R Mellon

10. B Dooher 11. Mugsy 12. G Cavlan

13 S O'Neill   14. P Rouse 15. C McCullough

With Stevie being given freedom to drop off the ff line and with the hope that Joe McMahon would get a run out for the most of the 2nd half.

Could be close, if all the U21s are out of the equation, though I wouldn't mind Kelvin Hughes getting a proper (2nd) run out at midfield, with Ryan Mellon given another chance in the left corner. Justin Mc Mahon would be an option at CHB too.

[ONeill]

I can see a relatively unchanged line out with Donnelly and Kel Hughes getting another chance. I think the FF line will be Mellon/O'Neill/McCullagh.

I'd like to see, though it'll not happen,

10 Dooher 11 Cavlan 12 Mellon
13 Mugsy 14 O'Neill 15 McCullagh

Scoring has been a problem and you'd like to think 13 and 14 would see to that. However, that formation would normally depend on Sean Cavanagh seeing enough possession around the middle third. With him absent, big games (or last chance saloons) needed from our midfield pairing with Mellon helping to dung out.

[ClosetotheHarte]

Largely just to bump this back onto the first page, a stab at a starting 15.

Written with the assumption that none of the U-21s can feature, that Cormac McGinley isn't fit and with a strong desire to keep Peter Donnelly as far away from the starting 15 as possible.

1. P McConnell

2. Ricey  3. C Gormley 4. M McGee

5. D Harte 6. E McGinley 7. D Carlin

8. Kevin Hughes 9. R Mellon

10. B Dooher 11. Mugsy 12. G Cavlan

13 S O'Neill   14. P Rouse 15. C McCullough

With Stevie being given freedom to drop off the ff line and with the hope that Joe McMahon would get a run out for the most of the 2nd half.

Could be close, if all the U21s are out of the equation, though I wouldn't mind Kelvin Hughes getting a proper (2nd) run out at midfield, with Ryan Mellon given another chance in the left corner. Justin Mc Mahon would be an option at CHB too.

Yes, I'd like to see Justin in there somewhere, and Enda further up the field where we've had a problem lately. His goal against Donegal was the best attacking moment of that game so I'd be inclined to keep him up there to help out Mugsy and Stevie, who'll be looking for a return to form.
Not sure who to play in the middle but I would like Hub back and hopefully he can improve steadily in time for the Championship. Don't know who I'd partner him with, maybe the other K Hughes should get one more (final?) chance. Wouldn't mind seeing Rouse get a start too.
It has become an important game this one, that's for sure, and with the break we should be able to get ourselves back on the right track.

[ONeill]

I've a gut feeling we've seen the best of Hub, hope I'm wrong. Enda McGinley will not be named in the half backs although, if Mickey has seen enough of Donnelly, Enda may play alongside either Hughes in the middle. Has done that before to great effect.

[realredhandfan]

Anybody got up to date times on both Tyrones games this weekend.  And TV coverage of Limerick anyone? 
Big Enda could do with a midfield opportunity,(fitness is currently poor) as he fared there most of 05.  Mellon at midfield (now we are talking final chances) is another possibility, and Hub (I think he has been rubbish for 2 years) as well, but its a tired pick of options for there.  i maintain Sean Cavanagh has been Tyrones midfield for the past 2 years and we didnt appreciate him fully - he is Tyrones best footballer and MVP bar none.  As a Tyrone supporter My fear is that if Kelvin H dosent make it and star pulling the performances that he has been producing from club week in and out for 5 years then we are looking at a sub power partener to Big Sean,  Now is the time to develop these guys and he has had at least 10 less chances than some of the other options and many years less experience.  Relax, dont get the knives out yet, iTs national league,  My other concern is the fact that I believe our best football this year has been in the Mc Kenna cup asnd my fear is that we have now abandoned much of our youth for the older guys and some of them well may be slighltly over the hill.