Messages

Definately on Sunday this week and, going on form, back to Saturday next week because of the County Final.

County Committee Meeting tonight with Chairmen and Secretaries, full update from Kiddo about midnight 

wee Roddy you have read it wrong.. It always too k the big men to scare of the others,  Brian and Fergal Gormley, ciaran Loughran,  Seamus Mc Callan,  all true greats of Tyrone club football, but the younger generation are i  no doubt are more suited to league football.  Even when Carmen had 2 in a row they still needed to bring on the oldstuff in last years final against Errigal to sort them out - the young guys arent good enough, not the same team at all.  .  The clubs will suffer for failing to give the young lads the opportunities they deserve.  Even if Dromore managed to beat Coalisland, I would put tham as a much better chamspionship winner that the last 2 winners,.

That's the first time I've heard Brian Gormley and Ciaran Loughran referred to as big men but I digress. I'll agree with tram, with the exception of the McGinnity reign in 05 Errigal have been a great team to watch over the years. But I'd disagree with this theory that's Carmen are a workmanlike team and not much more. Yes they work very hard for each other and have been known to grind out results even when they're not playing particularly well, but they always have 10 or 15 minutes of top drawer football in every game. I can't remember what year it was, possibly '04, they played Killyclogher in a replay in Healy. It was a typical Killyclogher game in that period under that man McGinnity again - dogged, hard hitting and start stop. But in the last 10 minutes Carrickmore played some spellbinding football to end Killyclogher's reign as county champions. Fair enough, both Errigal and Carmen can be ruthless and, on occasion, dabble in the black arts but the roll of honour speaks for itself. 12 titles between them in the last 15 championships. Since you're the man asking the question - what's so different in the make up of the Fianna '07 as compared to Killyclogher '03 or Ardboe '98? You have to earn respect from the county and 12 titles speak for themselves.

Unbelievable! Carmen a good league team? Errigal done? O'Neillcup, I'd suggest you look at the roll of honour of your namesake before coming out with statements like that.

If I was pushed I'd probably go for a Moortown / Rock double. Without over simplifying and with all due respect to Killyman, it will take a "game of your life" type performance from 1 to 15 and a very bad day at the office for Moortown for them to win. That's not to say it can't happen - not many gave Killyman a chance v Augher - but Moortown are bound to be about 1/5 with Hughes'.

As for the junior game it's a compelling battle. Both sides have improved immensly under their new managers in the past year. Beragh, barring a blip in the 1st half v Owen Roes, have been ruthless to date in the Championship, putting in big scores v Castlederg and v Brackaville and overpowering Owen Roes in the second half. Rock defeated Drumragh fairly comprehensive, beat Dregish without getting out of 2nd gear and defeated a dogged Clogher side after a replay. For Beragh to win they'll need big games from 17 year old Martin Rodgers, Mickey Ward and Terry McKenna. The Rock seem to have more game winners at their disposal, with men like Ciaran Gourley, The McCreesh's, The Gervan's and the Mullan's all playing major roles. On paper, it's hard to look past The Rock but Palor McNulty has taken more teams out of Junior Football than any other man in the county. I still fancy Rock.

I stand corrected Fear. I knew it was somewhere in the North Tyrone vicinity, though how I mixed up the bright lights of Strabane and the hills of Gortin I'll never know 

The one thing that is certain is that more Coalisland players seem to be making the transition to Senior Football. Possibly that has to do with the reluctance of Errigal to move away from the 'old guard' so to speak, but I'm sure there'll be several interesting battles in the years ahead.

However, whatever about Toner the younger who is an exceptional footballer and McNally - who I'm not convinced of yet - I think it's Conor Bayne and Paddy McNiece that have all the attributes to make it at the highest level

I know it's not really comparing apples with apples (isn't that right Gab  ) but which side did you think where more impressive in the Ulster Minor Championship O'Neill;  Errigal '05 or Coalisland '06

If I'm not mistaken, he's back teaching in Strabane, not 100% sure but possibly in Barrack Street.

Good memory snapper, 1-13 to 3-6 it was, Austin Donaghy missing a free with the last kick of the game that should have made it a draw. Off the top of my head those that would have been involved from both teams would be Peter Ward, Fabian O'Neill, Hugh McNulty, Mickey Garry, Eoin McCusker and Sean McDonnell for Dromore and Peter Donnelly, Paddy O'Farrell and Paddy Early for the Fianna. I remember O'Farrell referencing Paddy Early's transfer from Brackaville in his speech.

What about Semi Final refs Porky?

Orangeman, the process seems to be - in a nutshell;
Cathal Daly makes the fixtures, Aodhan Harkin distributes them, and Michael McGoldrick is the only man with the power to call them off.

Don't forget, they're all doing the best possible job in difficult circumstances and none of the 3 are infallible. Every team will try and pull a fast one every now and again to try to get a fixture to work to their advantage. Whatever the ill-feeling in your club over the reserve final debacle, 2 wrongs don't make a right. It's a wise decision to call the games in question off.

Head on the block time.

These are thieved from Lone Shark at Ladbrokes

Dromore  -  5/4     
Coalisland -  9/4    
Donaghmore - 9/4    
Cookstown - 7/1

Friday 21st September @ Healy Park, Omagh
WJ Dolan Tyrone SFC semi-final @ 8:15pm
Dromore v Cookstown

Judging by the above odds Dromore are clear favourites. And rightly so. Championship Final in 04, Semi Finals in '05 and '06 and a couple of league titles as well. Only the Green White and Gold of An Charraig Mhor has denied them to date. Surely the breakthrough has to come, like it did for Carmen in the mid 90s? The addition of Raymond Gallagher has given them another quality forward, and with the coming of age of lads like Cathal McCarron, Sean O'Neill, Shane McMahon, Shaun 'Snowy ' O'Neill and Eoin McCusker it has added to an already solid spine of the team. However, top drawer performances against Trillick and Galbally have been forgetten in the wake of their Quarter Final against Kildress.

Cookstown, on the other hand, have reached a semi-final of a championship few would have predicted this time last year. After their exploits of 2005 under the legendary Frank McGuigan, 2006 was truly horrible for the Father Rocks, until the last couple of games when they inexplicably found a bit of form and avoided relegation from 1A despite maybe picking up 4 points in the previous 20 games and getting dumped from the Championship by Edendork. This year appeared to be going along the same lines until a change of management a week or 2 before the Championship shook them up and they once again turned in an inexplicable performance to dump Ardboe. In their QF they always had too much for Edendork and won relatively comfortably. A few quality minor sides in 02, 03 and 04 haven't came through yet, and this could be their big opportunity.

The odds suggest a comfortable Dromore victory, but I wouldn't be so sure.

For Cookstown, Paul McGurk will be expected to pick up and nullify Colm McCullagh, a job which he is well capable of doing. The half back line and midfield are easily Cookstown's strongest areas and will need to provide an attacking presence, in particular Marty Murray and Gary Fitzpatrick. And finally, a fit Owen Mulligan needs to take responsibility and lead by example and get the best from Gilmore, Cummings and Hughes - all of whom can be potential match winners.

As for Dromore, they need a big game from Ricey. Generally when Ricey plays well Dromore play well. Joe Campbell needs to forget about the last time he was under lights at Healy Park. I believe Dromore lost against Carmen last year when Joe Campbell was subbed. Despite not playing particularly well, it was the catalyst that brought Ronan McGarrity into the game and ultimately changed it. Joe has a point to prove come Friday - if selected. Finally, Dromore need to forget it's a Championship Semi-Final. They just about fell over the line in 04 against a Dooher and in particular an O'Neill inspired Clann na nGael. The Kildress performance reeked of the pressure starting to build up.

If Dromore can't deal with the pressure and under perform again, then Cookstown will take them in a big upset.

Sunday 23rd September @ O'Neill Park, Dungannon
WJ Dolan Tyrone SFC semi-final @ 4:00pm
Donaghmore v Coalisland

Most level headed neutrals would say that, despite the hyperbole coming from the Coalisland camp, that this game will be a toss up. Is that the case though, or are we missing what the residents of Lower Annagher have seen clearly since they got beaten by Errigal last year?

Coalisland have put all comers to the sword with relative ease. They brushed aside an Omagh side with a dozen men that played in a county final 18 months earlier with a power packed second half display. Loughmacrory fared no better and where crushed like Omagh before them. Former County Champions Killyclogher couldn't deal with the pace and threat of this young Fianna side. Coming off the back of an Ulster Minor title has buoyed the younger members of the side, and rejuvenated those from the Minor double winning side of 2000 that never appeared to make the breakthrough like it promised. The young blues do indeed appear to be on fire, but can Donaghmore extinguish them in the 07 Championship?

Donaghmore, for the past few years, have been just outside touching distance of the promised land of Tyrone football - their path usually blocked by the men of Carrickmore or Errigal Ciaran, in a similar vein to Moortown in the mid and late 90s. However, with both their proverbial bogey teams gone, is this the year the St Patrick's can finally claim that illusive Championship. They put Clonoe, conquers of Carmen, away in a clinical fashion. In the QF against Errigal - Part I - before the injury to Paul Quinn, they looked to be on their way to a semi-final playing against 14 men and seemingly in control of the game. However, fate intervened and the game was abandoned.   Many naysayers felt they'd missed the boat and that Errigal would improve sufficiently to book their place in the semi final. Whilst previous Donaghmore sides may have wilted, the 07 variety seems to be made of sterner stuff and a solid team performance in Part II booked their place in the Semi.

It would take a brave man to wager any money on this game, and a replay is a distinct possiblity.

For Coalisland, they need to play with the same abandon that they have until now. While their defence can be somewhat porous at times they seem to have the attitude that "whatever you score, we'll score more". With forwards the caliber of the Early's, Richard Thorton and the Toner's - who will doubt them. The only issue will be how fragile are they mentally after their defeat against Errigal last year. They've won all games easily to date, but many feel they where in control against Errigal until they lost their discipline. Donaghmore certainly won't be as easily beaten as any of their previous opponents, and if Coalisland haven't yet recovered from the trauma of losing that game, could the discipline go again? It has already, just look at last year's Under 21 final against Errigal. Could the conquers of their conquers be what denies them the O'Neill cup?

Donaghmore have a strong team ethic and work tremendously hard for each other, but whatever about perspiration you need a bit of inspiration to take you to a county final and they seem to have that in the form of the exceptional talent of Niall McGinn. Despite not being at his most accurate, he still gave Errigal a torrid time in the second game and Coalisland will need to be very wary of him. It will be interesting to see who gets that particular job. However, McGinn isn't all that Coalisland have to worry about, the Hetheringtons, Kelvin Hughes and the Mulgrews among others all have class to burn and play an intregral role in the side. And as they proved in the Quarter final, they have shown they have the mental toughness to go all the way - something none of their competitors have illustrated.

Donaghmore by a kick of a ball.