McKenna Cup 2024

[ONeill]

From teamtalk:

Tyrone won in the end 2-11 to 11 points with Ciaran Girvan slotting home a goal five minutes into the second half. Marty Penrose and Brian Mc Guigan were the pick of the forwards while Ciaran Girvan battled gamely throughout. Defensively Cathal Mc Carron was outstanding and Tyrone can now look forward to their final group game on Saturday night against UUJ. That game is in Omagh at 7:30 and, broadband permitting, we will bring you live updates.

[beer baron]

No highlights are available of the McKenna cup matches on TG4. Cavan look like the team to be in the semi finals as fourth placed team.

Have Donegal another game to play?

[drici]

Have Donegal another game to play?

[beer baron]

Thanks lads!Come on Fermanagh! 

[bigfrank]

WTF where armagh at 2nite??? First time St Marys ever beat a county team in the Dr Mc Kenna Cup...correct me if im wrong??? Mc Keever is paper talkin about turnin athletic grounds into a fortress....brutal stuff!!!

[Puckoon]

Mc Keever is paper talkin about turnin athletic grounds into a fortress....brutal stuff!!!

I thought we'd left those times behind.

Good result for Tyrone tonight - be great to see penrose become a lethal finisher.

[Maguire01]

WTF where armagh at 2nite??? First time St Marys ever beat a county team in the Dr Mc Kenna Cup...correct me if im wrong??? Mc Keever is paper talkin about turnin athletic grounds into a fortress....brutal stuff!!!

You're wrong. Cavan in 2010 Monaghan in 2009 and 2004.
Also drew with Armagh in 2008 and Fermanagh in 2007.

[armaghniac]

Also drew with Armagh in 2008

That's all right then. If they drew in 2008 and we won Ulster then we'll probably win the All Ireland now that they have beaten us. 

[bennydorano]

Armagh were laughably bad.  There probably wouldn't have been a big difference in clean catches taken by both teams in MF, but Armagh just appeared to be wiped out in the MF sector, I fail to remember us winning a single break ball.  Again you could have driven a bus down through the centre of the defence, big a fan and all as I am of Dyas CHB is not his position,  Paul Duffy is a classy article but not too fond of the defending.  No leadership on the field, no organisation or leadership from the sidelines either.  It really did smack of boys being thrown in and us hoping for the best, no semblence of tactics, bar the backs bombimg forward.

Nippy Swift scored 2-1 cleanly fielded 90% of ball that went near him and was criminally underused, the rest of the forwards are barely worthy of mention.  Grugan was quiet but I'm sure he's done more than enough to make POR think about starting him v the Dubs.

The Dubs in just over a week looks very worrying, dont know were the fitness is going to suddenly appear from as for the 2nd game in a row we looked dead with 15 to go, the 'experienced' players are going to get their first game of the year against the Dubs - unless there's been something magical going on in training I dont see how are they going to be up to speed for a high-intensity big crowd/TV game.

[Aghdavoyle]

Armagh were laughably bad.  There probably wouldn't have been a big difference in clean catches taken by both teams in MF, but Armagh just appeared to be wiped out in the MF sector, I fail to remember us winning a single break ball.  Again you could have driven a bus down through the centre of the defence, big a fan and all as I am of Dyas CHB is not his position,  Paul Duffy is a classy article but not too fond of the defending.  No leadership on the field, no organisation or leadership from the sidelines either.  It really did smack of boys being thrown in and us hoping for the best, no semblence of tactics, bar the backs bombimg forward.

Nippy Swift scored 2-1 cleanly fielded 90% of ball that went near him and was criminally underused, the rest of the forwards are barely worthy of mention.  Grugan was quiet but I'm sure he's done more than enough to make POR think about starting him v the Dubs.

The Dubs in just over a week looks very worrying, dont know were the fitness is going to suddenly appear from as for the 2nd game in a row we looked dead with 15 to go, the 'experienced' players are going to get their first game of the year against the Dubs - unless there's been something magical going on in training I dont see how are they going to be up to speed for a high-intensity big crowd/TV game.

Our line is tactically inept. absolutely woeful.

who will come in for dublin? McKeever, Donaghy, moriarty, mallon... ? are some of them injured?

[mountainboii]

Even the old 'only the McKenna Cup' can't excuse that shite from Armagh. To get a trimming like that from what amounted to a Tyrone D team, a team that have had two tanking themselves in the last week or so, is nothing short of pathetic.

FB line devoid of any pace. A bunch of midfielders that can't field. HBs and HFs that haven't the first notion about breaking ball. And a FF line with only one fella looking like he was really bothering himself. No discernible game plan, no real effort, no wonder we were stuffed.

Gareth Swift aside, no positives to take from tonight.

And only 10 days til Dublin 

[barelegs]

Can any of the Armagh lads tell me who played well for St Mary's?

[Fuzzman]

Jeepers lads do you not think ye're hitting the panic button a wee bit early?

Its like not even Feb and ye've played 3 games in the new year.
If ye can't experiment a bit now and try new things at this stage then ye never will.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the Dubs game as I fear the Dubs are at a different stage of their life cycle. I read an article today in the Dublin paper the Evening herald and the dubs are focusing on winning every game they can and getting 50K+ at all their games and building that winning mentality from day 1 for players and fans alike.

I don't think too many teams are gonna be up to 70% fitness maybe bar the Dubs with their new early morning training scheme.

OK back to my wine. Its been a long hard day

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I can't be too critical of Armagh's performance as I was in work until late and didn't muster up the enthusiasm to head down the road from Belfast but its depressing to read the reports. We badly need the Crossmaglen contingent back, by sounds of things young Morgan may be pitched straight into the fray. Corner back is a specialist position and we must utilise specialist corner backs. Serious improvement is needed or our return to Division 1 could be an embarrasment.

[fitzroyalty]

I'm all for experimenting but you have to draw the line somewhere. McCullagh wasn't bad in that he couldn't have been any worse than Calamity James aka McEvoy has been. Vincy Martin is not a corner back, so why play him there? Decky McKenna has shown glimpes but will probably need to drop back to the 'development squad' for another year or so. James Lavery looked crap though I know he is better than what he showed tonight, same for CV. Sorry to say Johnny Murtagh has little to offer and I'm beginning to think the same of Watters. I know Swift got 2-1 tonight but don't fancy him in FF, think he's more effective out the field - How times were pointless high balls played into ff, the Ranch goalie gobbled everything up. Stevie Mc had one to forget and overall I'm pissed off that I spent £10 to go and freeze my goolies off to watch thon!

Edit to say: Fair play to the Ranch, played some great football and despite Armagh being physically superior they brought the game to them. Score of the match also way out on the RHS in the second half.