Tyrone v Monaghan USFC Final

[ONeill]

Tyrone: P McConnell, J McMahon, C Lawn, S Sweeney, D Harte (0-1), G Devlin, P Jordan, C Gormley (0-1), S Cavanagh (0-1), B Dooher, B McGuigan, O Mulligan, R Mellon (0-1), S O'Neill (2-6, 5 frees), E McGinley.
Subs: P Canavan (0-2, 1 free) for Sweeney, M Penrose (0-1) for Mulligan, B Meenan for Mellon

I can't really remember - did they shift Lawn or Gormley onto him?

[orangeman]

Any word of a sweeper for Sunday ? Or will Dooher just fill the holes again ?

[gwan-ye-boy-ya]

Who sorted Freeman out in the second half in 2005?

i dont think anyone really sorted tommy f out in 05.... tyrone dominated the midfield in the second half and the supply to the oriel fowards just dried up.. think they scored only 1 or 2 points in the 2nd half. monaghan couldnt keep up with tyrones fittness and the heads dropped.sunday will be different though as monaghans fittness is well improved and more experience has been gained since 05.. if the occasion dosent unsettle the oriel men and they get a dry ball.. monaghan could be heading for ulster title number 14..

and all this about derry being a bad team is rubbish.. (down maybe.. as we seen against meath) i taped the monaghan-derry game and what i seen was monaghan getting thier tactics right.. they didnt let derry settle at all and in turn derry looked shite. the same derry team beat armagh.. and if any team can beat armagh they are decent enough...

anyone know the weather for sunday?

[Muzz]

Rain Rain and Rain.

Weather has been a day out each day this week but BBC say this morning it will rain. Friday the only good day!

[Wee Roddy]

Not a single flag out that I have seen in Tyrone yet I was in Monaghan last night and Cars, houses and Silotanks are all decorated.

StarSpangled, to answer you question, Gormley was shifted to mark Freeman in 2005. I distinctly remember the switch being made after approx 20 minutes and the first thing he done was whack him one.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Not a single flag out that I have seen in Tyrone yet I was in Monaghan last night and Cars, houses and Silotanks are all decorated.

Would read nothing into that. This Ulster Final means a lot more to the county folk of Monaghan that it does to ourselves, and that's not being blasé or presumptuous about it. It's simply because Monaghan has been starved of any kind of real success for the last 20 years. That's not to say, however, it means anything less to the players -- Croke in 2005 still leaves a bitter, bitter taste.

[GrandMasterFlash]

Tyrone: P McConnell, J McMahon, C Lawn, S Sweeney, D Harte (0-1), G Devlin, P Jordan, C Gormley (0-1), S Cavanagh (0-1), B Dooher, B McGuigan, O Mulligan, R Mellon (0-1), S O'Neill (2-6, 5 frees), E McGinley.
Subs: P Canavan (0-2, 1 free) for Sweeney, M Penrose (0-1) for Mulligan, B Meenan for Mellon

I can't really remember - did they shift Lawn or Gormley onto him?

They shifted Lawn off him as he covered every 'blade on the lawn' (excuse the pun!) He got no ball in the second half so I could have been markin him and it wouldn't have mattered!

[Tyrone Dreamer]

I see there's tickets back up on ticketmaster for the game again. Wonder is there many left. The maximum there'll be is 2 changes on the Tyrone team. McMahon in for McGinley. Depending on O'Neill's fitness he could come in for Colm C or Enda Mc. Cant se Tommy McGuigan starting.

[orangeman]

Talking to Monaghan people, they're really up for the game and killing each other for tickets whilst Tyrone County board left 2000 tickets back last night - so much for the predicted sell out ! My information is that O'Neill is not 100% and will not start - impact sub role if all is not going according to plan.

[tyroneboi]

I think Carlin is fast becoming a set-in-stone starter for Tyrone but I'm not convinced that McGee is completely out of the picture.

McGee is completely out of the picture for this season anyway as he has had an operation on his shoulder. As people are saying, i think Carlin is excellent at carrying the ball out of defence but i remain unsure about his man marking capabilities. Think he is a better half back than corner back but it would be difficult to getting a starting spot there as we probably have the best half-back line in the country!

[Tyrone Dreamer]

If thats true about the tickets some of our so called supporters are a joke. As Ive said before some of the people who went to the newspapers in 05' to allow them to print sensational headlines about the GAA  being a disgrace cause they couldnt get tickets probably arent even going to the games now. Id be interested in the baby that there was all the fuss about at the time, i wonder if the family are all still going. I know its the same in most counties but its an ulster final and you'd expect to be able to sell your tickets considering the large supporter base. What I dont understand is if its Tyrone tickets why have they sent back decent McGrane stand tickets instead of allocating them before the crap tickets? At least the clubs get a chance to see who's taking the tickets now incase we would happen to be involved in a match were there's a scramble for tickets later on. I assume Mickey will be naming the team tonight as usual. Conflicting reports about the whether for Sunday - looks on bbc like a really nice day on the 5 day forecast but on rte earlier looks like a bad day with heavy rain. Take your pick.

[bingobus]

If thats true about the tickets some of our so called supporters are a joke. As Ive said before some of the people who went to the newspapers in 05' to allow them to print sensational headlines about the GAA  being a disgrace cause they couldnt get tickets probably arent even going to the games now. Id be interested in the baby that there was all the fuss about at the time, i wonder if the family are all still going. I know its the same in most counties but its an ulster final and you'd expect to be able to sell your tickets considering the large supporter base. What I dont understand is if its Tyrone tickets why have they sent back decent McGrane stand tickets instead of allocating them before the crap tickets? At least the clubs get a chance to see who's taking the tickets now incase we would happen to be involved in a match were there's a scramble for tickets later on. I assume Mickey will be naming the team tonight as usual. Conflicting reports about the whether for Sunday - looks on bbc like a really nice day on the 5 day forecast but on rte earlier looks like a bad day with heavy rain. Take your pick.

The GAA is one of the biggest band wagons on the go. I remember Monaghan taken 10,000 plus to Casement to play Down a few years back. Thye lost and met Armagh in the back door the following week, about 500 Monaghan folk turned up that day. The band wagon grows from match to match and year to year. I suppose a lot in Tyrone have been spoilt by the recent success and don't see the Ulster Final (which hasn't been won in 4 years) as a not very attractive tie (maybe its the venue??) and one that they'll win. Its not right but unfortunatley loyalty with a county team can't be measured.

It is things like this that I can never understand how a county suddenly struggles for All-iRELAND tickets. Surely a club has a record of who wanted and got tickets for the Ulster Final. How they can't ensure that everyone of these gets tickets is beyond me? That is why I disagree with Ticketmaster having tickets for a Ulster/Leinster final. No record of who got them, these people will have to go back to clubs etc down the line and that is when problems start.

As for weather, hope its dry and would always believe BBC above RTE. Not only about the weather mind you!!

[Fuzzman]

Yeah I though McGee was out for a long term injury alright
I've a feeling Stevie will start but Mickey has often preferred to bring a man on if required than to take him off as this deflates the team.

After winning two AI in recent years it makes sense that the good weather armchair supporters are fading out as they expect more matches later in the season and trips to Dublin.
Even a lot of keen supporters I know who went to most matches in 2003 & 2005 are holding off this year as they think bigger games to come on sunnier days.

I suppose with it being such crap weather, Clones being a nightmare to get to and home from, rising ticket prices, wives and kids wanting to go now as well, match live on TV etc then  a lot of fans are preferring to hold off and save themselves for the BIG day out in Croker. (if it ever comes?)

I suppose ye can see the Kerry fan effect coming into play now more with Tyrone and even Armagh in recent times whereas fans from Donegal turn out in huge Nos now as at the NFL final.

I expect a HUGE Monaghan turn-out and am glad I'm in the Gerry Arthurs. Is Row A near the very front or nicely under the Roof?
I think AA is down the very front.

[Star Spangler]

If thats true about the tickets some of our so called supporters are a joke.

The bandwagoners expect Tyrone to win this game and so are saving their brownie points/cash/ticket favours for the quarter finals.  A good indication that they don't know their football either.

[Handball Ace]

if smyth starts ahead of finaly, I'll be amazed...

I can also see McKenna starting somewhere