Messages

Without wanting to come across as being overly negative, it should be pointed out that we have not created any worthwhile goal chances in our last two games.  That has to be a slight worry.  O'Neill lists a string of vastly experienced players who have still to come back into the team.  However, we often pride ourselves in Tyrone of having tremendous strength in depth and, even with so many regulars missing, we should be able to do a whole lot better than we did tonight.  I would expect to see Mickey making plenty more changes for the next game, although he may be reluctant to run with guys like Gareth Devlin and McAnulla etc if they are currently involved with the Tyrone Under 21s.

Definitely played too many long hopeful balls into the forward line early in the first half but thought we smartened up the longer the game went on.  Should have been a lot more comfortable on the score board at HT but showed great resolve to kick the last 2 scores and eek out a good win in the end.  Bradshaw, Bergin, Conroy and Meehan the pick of the Galway lads.  Great clincher by PJ off his "standing" foot to seal the win!

I'd agree that Galway played the conditions better as the game wore on, most people would have put the money on Tyrone to adapt better to the conditions but I thought we performed best of the two teams in the appalling weather.

Tyrone were missing a lot of their top players and it showed, Galway were the better team for large parts of the game and should really have been much further ahead at half time. When the scores got level at 8 points each in the second half it was set up for the home team to grind it out but Galway came well again and should have won by a few more than the 2 points. Bergin, Bradshaw and Conroy were excellent, with Meehan also very good in the first half bar the missed free although he was quieter after the break.

A great two points to pick up on the road and I think after tonight we can look ahead to perhaps trying to get to the league final now, obviously nothing to get carried away about at this time of year but beating the all Ireland champs in their own backyard definitely shows we are moving in the right direction.

Kudos to the hardcore supporters who went out in that weather tonight to attend the match, brutal conditions.

Yes, I meant to mention earlier that there was a good sprinkling of Galway supporters in Omagh tonight.  Fair play to them for making the long trip on a very wet and miserable Saturday night.  The Galway folk appeared to be a very civil crowd as well, so much more pleasant and sporting than some of those fecking Kerry animals who were present at Healy Park last month.

Ok, the weather was shocking and the conditions were dire, but I was still very disappointed by Tyrone's performance tonight.  There really was no excuse for some of the terrible passing, reluctance to shoot at times, and lack of serious bite all over the field.  The number of times Tyrone players were easily dispossessed and robbed of the ball was also inexcusable.  I know there will be a line of thought that we should not read too much into this game, given the dreadful conditions, but I cannot help feeling slightly let down by that Tyrone display.  I thought Galway were by far the better team tonight and it is a mystery as to how they didn't win by a much more comfortable margin.

I did feel a bit sorry for the likes of McCarron in defence and Mulgrew in attack who were trying to stake a claim for a place in the team, only to be hampered by monsoon like conditions just before the throw-in.  Both struggled to make an impact and I suppose it would be harsh to judge them on tonight's display alone.  Just why, however, some of our more established players appeared to be showing a greater appetite in the Dr McKenna Cup than they are now for the league puzzles me.  On a night when Mickey Harte will have taken few positives from this performance, he will have at least been satisfied with the very sound defensive display of the much maligned Peter Donnelly.  Credit where credit is due....the Coalisland man proved to be an excellent replacement for the sin binned Conor Gormley at centre half back.

And speaking of sin binnings, I rather suspected on my way out of the ground that Mickey Harte would be a little less tolerant of the new rules after seeing two of his star men - Gormley and McGuigan - dismissed for none too serious challenges.  If this game, played in a very good spirit, can result in 3 or 4 yellow cards being issued, then God help us all come championship time if these new rules remain in place.  I felt referee Deegan went a bit OTT with the yellow cards and also did not take into consideration the conditions for many of his decisions tonight.

So, that's two home games so far for Tyrone in this season's NFL and two defeats.  I was in favour a few weeks ago of Tyrone playing the first round championship game against Armagh in Omagh.  Now, I am not so sure as Healy Park is fast becoming a happy hunting ground for opposing teams!

I suppose that is one possible reason for it, Fear, but would still not justify putting clubs to all that bother of administering tickets for a small number of their members.  It is obvious that people don't want the hassle of pre-ordering tickets for a NFL match at this time of year.  Tyrone v Kerry attracted well over 10,000 to Omagh a couple of weeks ago but the stand was only three quarters full.  I have no doubt there will be plenty of spare seats this Saturday night as well.  And another thing.....the feckers don't even allow you to access the stand when entering Healy Park from the scoreboard end.

The fecking forecast is not looking too good....more rain on the way for both Friday and Saturday.  A heavy pitch at Healy Park means we are unlikely to see a repeat of those classic league semi-final clashes from a few years ago. 

Right, Mickey, here's the team you pick for Saturday night:

J Devine, PJ Quinn, Justin McMahon, M McGee, D Harte, C Gormley, M Swift, E McGinley, A Cassidy, T McGuigan, C McCullagh, C Cavanagh, G Devlin, S Cavanagh, O Mulligan

On a slightly different note, I cannot understand the logic in making the stand all-ticket for this Saturday night.  I don't think we will see an overly big crowd for this one, especially if the weather is poor.

One of Tyrones greatest supporters has passed away.  Brendan "Screw" Mc Cann lost a long battle with illness yesterday.  Famous for his everpresent Tyrone scarf from 1973 which went missing in the late '90s sparking an Irish news campaign.   Brendan was a colourful, fanatical gael with an infectious sense of humour - an old school fan.     May he rest in peace. 

Was extremely saddened on hearing this news.  I got to know Brendan very well on my travels around the country following various Tyrone teams.  He was without doubt one of the most colourful, passionate, loyal and sincere supporters Tyrone has ever had.  He followed his county through many lean times and seemed to have a special affection for the great Under 21 side of the early 1990s which won back to back All-Ireland titles.  Many of those Tyrone players, including Peter The Great and the Lawn twins, would have had powerful craic when meeting Brendan after matches etc. He would have been a very popular figure with numerous Red Hand players and managers down through the years.  

Despite living in the heart of Monaghan, he never lost his love for Tyrone football.  I had the pleasure of meeting him on many occasions, mostly at Tyrone's away matches in the National Football League.  On one such occasion, down in Cork, he told me he had driven down on his own to attend the game.  He had stayed in a B&B on the outskirts of Cork on the Saturday night, attended the match the next day and was driving back to his home in Monaghan on the Sunday night.  How's that for dedication?  I would also have spotted him at Tyrone senior training on a few occasions as well.  He was a wonderful character, always chirpy and cheerful, and would often have brightened up our day when bumping into him before, during or after games involving the O'Neill County.  I believe he was also involved in some way with Monaghan Harps....I think he told me once that he managed the ladies team there at one time.  

I will never forget the craic we had with Brendan on the night of Tyrone's 2005 All-Ireland win.  I still have pictures of him from the Banquet in the City West on that occasion, wearing his famous scarf which rrhf referred to.  I also have a great poem somewhere which he wrote and was published in a local paper after one of Tyrone's All-Ireland U-21 wins.  He also appeared on RTE's 'Up For the Match' on the eve of the 2003 All-Ireland Final and I can recall him being interviewed on TV after Tyrone's famous victory over Derry in the 1995 Ulster Championship....his exact words were: "From a layman's point of view, for anybody that was a neutral, it was a game surely for the connoisseur".  It just won't be the same with him not around anymore.

Brendan "Screw" McCann will be sorely missed.  A true Gael.  May he rest in peace.

Hopefully Harte will shake things up for this one after the Kerry game. Cassidy did enough during his time at full forward to deserve a chance there. Harte seems to struggle at this time of year so would maybe give him a rest. Would like to see something like this:

Devine
PJ Quinn
Joe McMahon
Conor Gormley
Martin Swift
Ryan "Hero" McMenamin
Jordan
McGinley
Justy McMahon
Tommy McGuigan
Brian McGuigan
Sean Cavanagh
Gareth Devlin
Aiden Cassidy
Mugsy

Biggest concern would be the inexperience in the full forward line but think both Devlin and Cassidy are worth a go.

I like your thinking here, Tyrone Dreamer, and find it hard to quibble with that team.  I do think we will see changes for the Galway game and I would be pretty sure Mickey will want to try something a bit different.  The three week break should hopefully see Conor Gormley back to full fitness and I would still prefer to see him take up his familiar CHB position, with our hero Ricey dropping back into the corner.  This might help plug a few holes in what has been a leaky defence so far this year.  I like the idea of Swift moving to half back.  He is a fantastic footballer who is good on the ball and seems to love getting forward.  He does not appear entirely comfortable with a man marking role at corner back.  A switch to midfield could do Justy the world of good but we still need to find a settled full back who we can depend on come championship time.  Either of the McMahons can do a job at number three but Mickey will have to decide which one of them to keep at full back and which one has more to offer further outfield.  Devlin and Cassidy are worth a go alright at midfield, but will Brian McGuigan be fit enough to lead the attack against Galway?  I do think it would be a bit unfair to drop McCullagh for the next game.  I thought he showed very well for the ball against Kerry and woould be slightly more deserving of a starting place in that half forward line at present than Tommy McGuigan.

Galway will present another terrific challenge for us in Omagh.....I cannot wait to see if our defence can carry on where they left off in the second half against Kerry.  That Galway attack is as good as you will find anywhere in Ireland, and Tyrone may have to be clocking up a tally of 1-15 or 1-16 to win this game.  Can we hit that kind of figure without Stevie O'Neill?

Excuse my ignorance here, but did something happen in Omagh last Sunday that I missed?  I was sitting in the stand for the whole of the Tyrone v Kerry match and saw nothing out of the ordinary....well, certainly nothing to warrant such mass hysteria from so-called followers of gaelic games.  The world has gone crazy alright when a little flick from Ryan McMenamin and a bit of pushing and shoving among players and mentors at the final whistle makes front page news and huge outcrys on GAA Discussion Boards.  I know Tyrone v Kerry was a high profile game last weekend but, for crying out loud, that does not mean we should turn every little minor incident from that match into a national scandal.

We often complain when our good friends at BBC and UTV go over the top with their coverage of every little melee that takes place at an inter-county match.  Yet, members of this Board get all hysterical over one or two wee incidents last Sunday that would barely raise an eyebrow at a club match.  People here should think of some of the rows and incidents that have taken place at club and some county games down through the years, and then compare it to what went on at Healy Park. For feck sake, there wasn't a serious foul stroke or so much as a punch thrown at Omagh on Sunday.  No one got hurt or was in any serious danger.  So, I suggest that people here stop getting all hot and bothered over stupid little things and get back to discussing football.

Jeez, we were shite in the first half but got our act together rightly in the second.  Here's hoping Conor Gormley gets back to full fitness very soon.....we need him back to tighten up the oul defence a bit.

SFC:

Aghyaran v Killyclogher
Loughmacrory v Carrickmore
Omagh v Eglish
Coalisland v Dromore
Clonoe v Trillick
Ardboe v Moy
Donaghmore v Errigal
Galbally v Kildress

IFC

Strabane v Cookstown
Eskra v Clann na nGael
Moortown v Edendork
Augher v Gortin
Pomeroy v Killeshil
Urney v Greencastle
Stewartstown v Killyman
Derrylaughlin v Rock

JFC:

Brackaville v Dregish
Tattyreagh v Fintona
Derrytresk v Clogher
Glenelly v Drumragh/Dungannon
Brocagh v Aghaloo
Drumquin v EC III
Castlederg v Beragh
NTS V Owen Roes

Mmmm.....I don't quite know what to make of this draw.  There was never going to be an easy game for An Mhaigh on our return to senior football, but we face a very stiff first round here.  Ardboe will take some beating with their new manager on board, that fella Coney deciding to stay close to home this year, and those McGuigan lads all in flying form.  I suppose it is one of the games that will catch the attention of the neutral with so many of Tyrone's top county men involved!  Ah, sure, we will give it a lash and just hope we can give a good account of ourselves.  

So, what do we think are the ties of the rounds in each of the three championships?  Mine are:

Senior: Clonoe v Trillick (The clash of last year's Senior and Intermediate Champions)

Intermediate: Strabane v Cookstown (Two divisions separated them last year but will Mugsy and Mulgrew have the 'blues' after this one?)

Junior: Brocagh v Aghaloo (One of the competition's big guns will be making an early exit here alright)

I don't know if anyone has raised this already, but I just wonder if The Irish News' decision to run with a Mickey Harte column each Friday might have had anything to do with the competition offered by The Gaelic Life on that same day.

For me, The Gaelic Life is now a must read every week.  It is easily the best publication for GAA coverage in Ulster by a country mile.  Might The Irish News have been under some pressure to give their own GAA coverage on a Friday a real shot in the arm with this new Mickey Harte column?

Either way, it is great that GAA followers in this part of the world are now spoiled for choice!

While I can understand why Mickey Harte would like to see the Tyrone v Armagh game go ahead in Croke Park, my own personal preference would be for the match to be played in Omagh.  

Attractive a pairing as this is, I really cannot see this first round Ulster Championship clash attracting over 35k or 40k.....unless it was given a major marketing drive by the GAA authorities or played as part of a double-header with a Leinster Championship game.  If it was to be played as a senior double-header, what would then happen to the minor matches involving these same counties? The Tyrone and Armagh minors deserve their chance to be playing directly before their senior counterparts.

Some thought must also be given to the supporters, especially those from the north and west of Tyrone who face a longer journey to Dublin than the rest of us.  Whatever about the cost, it is the inconvenience of having to travel to Dublin for a first round match when it could easily be played at a venue much closer to home.  
By the way, I don't think for one minute that Tyrone are guaranteed to be playing in Croker later in the year.  We will have to earn that right.

A lot of work and expense has went into developing Healy Park this past few years.  It is only right that we should get to see big championship games played here.  This is a home game for Tyrone and that is where it should be played.  I am hoping that the Tyrone County Board will not even consider Clones as an option for hosting this match. The only people to benefit from the game going ahead in Clones are those from Armagh.

Norf, it was Cookstown who were relegated from division one along with Killyman.

Just for the record, Final Whistle and Mac Eoghain are other Moy posters on this board. 
Even though Goats Do Shave is an Armagh man, he also has close links to An Mhaigh!!

dont rate him that highly myself, when i see him line out for tyrone im happy enough. 

What a really stupid statement to make....unless charlie stubbs thinks he knows more about Colm Cavanagh than Mickey Harte does!

I might be a little biased of course but, having watched Colm play week in week out for the Moy, I am convinced he has what it takes to make it at the highest level.  Not only is he a great target man while playing at full forward, he is also a very useful man to have further outfield.  I happen to think that centrefield is his best position.  He has turned in some magnificent displays for the club as a midfielder.

[Waterford]

07 Feb 14:30 Wicklow v Waterford     Waterford + 10.5    Waterford
07 Feb 14:30 Kilkenny v Antrim     Kilkenny +21.5            Kilkenny Bonus
07 Feb 14:30 Clare v Sligo     Clare +1.5                          Sligo Bonus
08 Feb 14:30 Leitrim v Carlow     Carlow +4.5                  Leitrim

Yea, I had a decent first week but tis very early days yet! It is good to see a few Moy Gaels featuring so highly after the opening round.

Anyone know when we can expect to see Dan Gordon back in action for Down?  He cost me a few points this week.

I must give mention to the 112-page special match programme produced last Saturday night.....some great reading in it.  From a Tyrone perspective, the articles by Noel McGinn, Peter The Great and RTE's Tom McGurk are excellent.

McGinn recounts some of the stories of harrassment endured by us Nordies during the Troubles and reiterated the point made by Peter Quinn (before he was cut off by that c*nt Kenny on The Late Late Show) that "we did not feel that we always got the support and backing of our southern comrades and at times felt we were the blacksheep of the family".

The Great One also referred to this in his article: "I was disappointed to see in one televised commemoration of the GAA's anniversary that there was a reluctance to reflect upon the hardships the GAA faced and the struggles of great men and women who gave their lives and many who lost their lives in order that our cultural identity could be maintained in the tradition of our great Gaelic games."

Tom McGurk, meanwhile, recalled how he "first donned the jersey of Brocagh Robert Emmets and began my football career in East Tyrone on the shores of Lough Neagh".  He also recalls having to change behind ditches, although failed to mention the curse of the loughshore flies and midgets and the infamous rivalry with his near neighbours from the Hill.