AISF Aug 23rd Tyrone v Cork

[Archie Mitchell]

All-Ireland Semi-finals in this decade Cork will be playing in their seventh All-Ireland semi-final this decade but have a poor record, having won just once when they beat Meath in 2007. They also drew one but lost four, all to Kerry. Tyrone have a 100 per cent semi-final record this decade having beaten Kerry, Armagh and Wexford. On each occasion they went on to win the All- Ireland final.

Very interesting stat above.  Its hard to say if this Cork team is any better than what has went before.  Until they beat one of the top teams in a knock out game in Croker the jury is out on them in my opinion.  Wouldnt be convinced by their defence.  As good as Lynch is will he be fit and more importantly match sharp, the other 2 corner backs are there to be exploited in my opinion.  Miskella had a field day against Donegal when Rory Kavanagh gave him very little to think about from either an offensive or defensive perspective sunday could be a different. As ever the Tyrone selection and line out will be intriguing.  Noises I am hearing from the camp is that the team will be unchanged.

What about McGinley then? Tommy retaining his place?

[Aaron Boone]

If Tommy stops hitting those close-in frees so high then maybe.
What age is Tommy now by the way?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Noises I am hearing from the camp is that the team will be unchanged.

In one way I'd be quite surprised if that were the case, but in another I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

[loughshore lad]

All-Ireland Semi-finals in this decade Cork will be playing in their seventh All-Ireland semi-final this decade but have a poor record, having won just once when they beat Meath in 2007. They also drew one but lost four, all to Kerry. Tyrone have a 100 per cent semi-final record this decade having beaten Kerry, Armagh and Wexford. On each occasion they went on to win the All- Ireland final.

Very interesting stat above.  Its hard to say if this Cork team is any better than what has went before.  Until they beat one of the top teams in a knock out game in Croker the jury is out on them in my opinion.  Wouldnt be convinced by their defence.  As good as Lynch is will he be fit and more importantly match sharp, the other 2 corner backs are there to be exploited in my opinion.  Miskella had a field day against Donegal when Rory Kavanagh gave him very little to think about from either an offensive or defensive perspective sunday could be a different. As ever the Tyrone selection and line out will be intriguing.  Noises I am hearing from the camp is that the team will be unchanged.

What about McGinley then? Tommy retaining his place?

The person I was talking to was of the opinion the team starting would be that which started the Kildare, just a hunch they had.

If Tommy stops hitting those close-in frees so high then maybe.
What age is Tommy now by the way?

About 26

[Archie Mitchell]

Interesting article today by Paddy Heaney about Tyrone's training methods.

[Fuzzman]

Can anyone post any IN articles or any interesting articles.

Lot of similarities between the two teams.
Both have 15 different scorers including their full back & wing backs
Both have an average conceded 1.10 with Cork having played an extra game.

Cork seem to be more dependant on their FF line for scores although P Kerrigan has done well with 2-7 from half forward.

D O'Connor..........3-18 (0-12 frees, 2-0 pens) so 1.06 from play
D Goulding............1-15 (0-2 frees) so 1.13 from play

Does this mean that if Tyrone can put the clamps on these two will Cork struggle to get scores elsewhere.
Wonder does Counihan toy with the idea of moving Goulding out to be marked by Davy Harte or evn Jordan like Kildrare did?

I haven't saw too much of Cork this year and so I dont know what to expect come Sunday but I have a feeling there will be a lot of tactical switches.

I hope we get our free taking sorted out with maybe even Sean taking the ones from the left hand side.
I can never understand for the life of me we free takers don't take more short frees and get into a better position rather than trying to score from far out or difficult angles. Is it just fear of losing possession?

Am I right to say U16's get a refund when they enter via Cusack stand gate? How much is it?

[omagh_gael]

Can anyone post any IN articles or any interesting articles.

Lot of similarities between the two teams.
Both have 15 different scorers including their full back & wing backs
Both have an average conceded 1.10 with Cork having played an extra game.

Cork seem to be more dependant on their FF line for scores although P Kerrigan has done well with 2-7 from half forward.

D O'Connor..........3-18 (0-12 frees, 2-0 pens) so 1.06 from play
D Goulding............1-15 (0-2 frees) so 1.13 from play

Does this mean that if Tyrone can put the clamps on these two will Cork struggle to get scores elsewhere.
Wonder does Counihan toy with the idea of moving Goulding out to be marked by Davy Harte or evn Jordan like Kildrare did?

I haven't saw too much of Cork this year and so I dont know what to expect come Sunday but I have a feeling there will be a lot of tactical switches.

I hope we get our free taking sorted out with maybe even Sean taking the ones from the left hand side.
I can never understand for the life of me we free takers don't take more short frees and get into a better position rather than trying to score from far out or difficult angles. Is it just fear of losing possession?

Am I right to say U16's get a refund when they enter via Cusack stand gate? How much is it?

Where's FOSB when u need him, if you're around throw up heaneys column from Irish news, an interesting read.

On the subject of your u-16 query, if they have a ticket for either the cusack or davin stand they will recieve €25 refund for semi final ticket, so their ticket will cost €20, same applies for students/OAPs. Alternatevely you could purchase a juvenile ticket for €5 but this is limited to a certain section of the davin stand

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Cocky Cork gits  , from today's Irish News:

Rebels ready for Tyrone challenge
By Denis Hurley


WHILE Cork manager Conor Counihan acknowledges that his side face a huge test in Sunday's All-Ireland football semi-final with Tyrone, he is not overawed by it. It is the first time that the counties have met in the Championship since 1973 and as a result there is a fear of the unknown, but Counihan does not feel that the All-Ireland champions are invincible.

"I think any team are beatable," he said. "The exception, at the minute, might possibly be Kilkenny in hurling, but I don't think in a footballing context that there are any team out there that are unbeatable."

And, while the Munster champions would no doubt have taken heart from the fight Kildare put up to Tyrone in the quarter-final, Counihan is not placing too much store on the outcome of one particular game. "Every game takes its own life," he said. "If you were to judge the year like that, you'd be looking at Dublin against Kildare and then saying look at Dublin against Kerry.

"What you put in over 70 minutes is what you get out of it, you've got to put in more than the opposition."

And does he feel that his side are ready for the intensity that Tyrone will bring? "I suppose there's no answer to that until the answer comes on Sunday at 3.30," he said. "You obviously like to think you are but you never know until the game itself."

Influential corner-back Anthony Lynch missed Cork's facile last-eight win over Donegal, but has recently returned to training and Counihan is hopeful that he will not have injury worries ahead of the game. "Hopefully we'll have a full panel to pick from," he said. "People seem in good form, they're up for the challenge and if we had everyone to pick from then that'd be great, everyone fresh and looking forward to it."

However, the manager is not counting any chickens regarding Lynch's fitness either."He's back doing a bit of work now again, but it's 50-50 at this stage and we won't know until very late," said Counihan. "Groins can be sensitive in their own way, some can be complicated and some cannot. At the minute he's progressing, he's only a short time back in training, the main thing is that he doesn't get a reaction."

While Lynch would be expected to return in place of Kieran O'Connor, who deputised for him against Donegal, Counihan says that there are still chances for fringe players to stake a claim. "There are places up for grabs all the time," he said. "It goes down to the wire, we have whatever time we have now left and there will be tight calls."

As regards the semi-final and the threat that the Ulster champions possess, Counihan feels that focusing on their own game is Cork's best chance of success, rather than coming up with a plan to foil Tyrone. "No, we're doing our own thing, sticking to our routine. Obviously, we'd assess the opposition to some extent, but primarily we're concerned about our own performance and getting the maximum from that. We'll look at some aspects of their play and try and plan to a certain extent for that but, by and large, we'll be focusing on our own performance."

Should that performance prove to be enough to get the win, though, it would mean that Cork would be a battle-hardened outfit ahead of the final and prepared for anything Kerry or Meath might throw at them. "Yeah, it would be, but I'll talk more about that if I have the opportunity in a number of weeks' time.

"Let's get over this first if we can at all."

[Zulu]

Does this mean that if Tyrone can put the clamps on these two will Cork struggle to get scores elsewhere.

I wouldn't think so, Canty and Miskella from the half back line regularly get on the score sheet and all the half forwards can score if given the opportunity. More importantly Colm O'Neill is starting now and he is quality, in fact O'Connor in particular has been average this year and Goulding has missed some great goal scoring opportunities so I wouldn't think either is that important. But the real ace for Counihan is the bench, Hayes, Lynch, Cussen and Gould can all be brought in without weakening the team whatsoever.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Where's FOSB when u need him, if you're around throw up heaneys column from Irish news, an interesting read.

Your wish OG... 

Sam the only prize for Harte
By Paddy Heaney

TYRONE'S record 10-game Championship winning streak will be quickly forgotten unless they reach this year's All-Ireland final says Mickey Harte.

Tyrone's sequence of success stretches back to last July when they beat Louth in a Round One qualifier. Harte's side has won every Championship bout they have contested since that game in Drogheda. The six victories from July 19, 2008 until September 21, 2008 took them to the Sam Maguire Cup, while the four wins this season have taken them to Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final clash against Cork.

The 10-straight victories are a new record for Mickey Harte, although he says it will count for little if Tyrone lose on Sunday."I suppose it's only going to be good if we can add to it. Winning 10 games and not being in the final will not be remembered by many. I guess we will need to make it 11 games before people begin to see that it is something to be very proud of," he said.

The three-time All-Ireland winning manager admitted that the Anglo-Celt Cup no longer represents a good summer for the Red Hands. "Our season is not successful if we lose to Cork. That is the bottom line. To have a successful season, we must get to the final and we haven't done that yet," he said.

Harte's comments represent a sea change in attitude since the last time when Tyrone and Cork last met in the All-Ireland series. The All-Ireland semi-final of 1973 accounts for one of the repeated thrashings foisted on the champions of Ulster between 1968 and 1991. On August 19, 1973 Cork beat Tyrone by 15 points, on a scoreline of 5-10 to 2-4.

Much has changed since those dark days of the '70s. As the reigning All-Ireland champions, Tyrone will be favourites to beat Cork on Sunday. And due to their hugely successful playing careers, the Tyrone footballers will expect to beat the Rebels. Harte believes that the success these Tyrone players enjoyed at minor and U21 level was pivotal in their development as senior footballers. Commenting on the winning mentality of the Tyrone changing room, he said: "That comes with experience. And it comes from experience at underage level, which is important. A lot of these boys have played at underage level in semi-finals and finals. The more you do something, the more it becomes the norm."

Harte also believes that his players' familiarity with Croke Park is another key factor to their success. The days of being overwhelmed by the stadium and the occasion are over. "I would always go back to the experience of 2005," he said. "We played seven matches in Croke Park that year so it really became a home venue for us. There is no awe about the place any more. There is awe for the fact that it is a great stadium. But there is no awe to excite you."

[marym]

How to simulate in training the frenetic level of intensity his Cork players will be confronted with by Tyrone in Sunday's All-Ireland SFC semi final at Croke Park.

True to form, the Aghada man examines the issue like he does most others – carefully.

"Of course, we have to match their intensity, but nobody should forget the skill factor here either. You still have to put scores on the board."

Privately, his players will confirm Counihan has more or less swallowed the whistle in training, happy to let the tempers bubble up as the back-to-back Munster champions prepare for the ultimate test of will and resolve.

"You can't afford to be afraid of anyone," Counihan cautions. "If you go out with that attitude, you're in trouble straight away. We've always ingrained that philosophy in the lads – not to worry too much about the opposition.

"We've gone into each match taking the game to the other team and that'll be our philosophy again on Sunday."

While Cork were denied a Croke Park grilling in the quarter-final, they do have an afternoon's toil against Limerick in their locker from the Munster final. That should help.

"We haven't prepared any differently because it's Tyrone. We're in the same mode all along. We'd always pick on form at training and not on the basis of the opposition. What the management sees on the training pitch is very important to us. The lads know that too. The game is about the team and I'm very excited for them."

He added: "We study the opposition to a certain extent but your big focus has to be on your own team. The tougher games make you better – that's why the Donegal game was very disappointing, because we got nothing out of it. We like to step back and assess after games but it's difficult to go to someone and ask him to look at things if he's scored 1-3 or 1-4."

In fact, Tyrone's quarter-final grind against Kildare was precisely what Counihan and his selectors would have relished. The Cork coach has studied the tape but it didn't tell him anything he didn't appreciate about Mickey Harte's battlers.

"Total commitment, 15-man effort on the field, never-say-die attitude," he responds when asked what makes the Red Hands the champions they are.

"Tyrone seem to be the standard bearers in terms of intensity, but we've played a lot of other good teams in the 18 months I've been involved. It'll be different but we have to handle that situation. I'm under no illusions that this will be the toughest game we've played so far."

With James Masters struggling, the Cork selectors may be spared one decision in the full-forward line, leaving them the choice of Kieran O'Connor or a returning Anthony Lynch in the full-back line. If Alan O'Connor's back ailment persists, Fintan Goold looks well placed to come in. Either way, the man who brought no nonsense defending to an art form in his own day knows there's no place for equivocation on Sunday against a side who win first and ask questions later.

A dirty side, even? "We wouldn't have first-hand experience of them and until you meet a side on the field of play, you never truly know what they're like. To me they are a very formidable side and it will take a lot of effort over 70 minutes and more."

The thought persists that Douglas's Eoin Cadogan might relish the physical confrontations on Sunday, but Counihan felt that "time was short" for him to get a much-needed run in the quarter final stroll against Donegal.

"He needed a bit more time (after coming into the panel), but everyone is being considered for this game. That's the good thing: we have a full panel, and with that comes options."



This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, August 18, 2009












more info »




Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/counihan-girds-cork-for-toughest-test-98943.html#ixzz0OX0xYtW1

[omagh_gael]

cheers FOSB, any chance you could post his own column, where he chats about the training session?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Sorry OG, here it is:

Watch Tyrone if you really want to see best practice
Against the Breeze
By Paddy Heaney

The idea that plain old hard work and discipline are the twin planks of success can be hard to accept, particularly for perennial runners-up.

There's always a temptation to believe that some brilliant techniques and innovative coaching devices are what really separate winners from losers. I am more guilty than most of believing in the 'secret way'. And as I walked towards a Tyrone training session last Tuesday night, some of my long-held suspicions looked like they were going to be proved correct.

The session took place at the Mid-Ulster Sports Arena just outside Cookstown. The two gaelic pitches are located in the far corner of the sprawling complex. As the players came into sharper focus, I could have sworn that I saw them playing a mini-sided game with a rugby ball. 'Ah-ha,' I thought to myself. 'This is why they average 17 points a game in Croke Park. If you train with a rugby ball, the O'Neills size five must seem like a doddle.'

But a Tyrone die-hard watching from the sidelines was unimpressed. "I came down here once and they were playing with a tennis ball," he said. The game with the oval ball didn't last long. In fact, very few of the drills, games, and exercises supervised by trainer Fergal McCann lasted very long. Everything was done at an extremely brisk tempo. The press-ups and sit-ups were in sets of five. The nine-a-side conditioned games were played in one-minute bursts. McCann would referee one game and Mickey Harte the other. These games were followed by a sequence of taxing physical exercises. (So much for everything being done with the ball!)

This is when the two white vans parked between the two pitches came into play. The vans held the low hurdles, which were put at the start of the 40-metre sprinting drills. They also contained equipment that I've never seen on a training pitch. Medicine balls were produced for one set of strengthening exercises. Then out came these foam moulds that could be held by the players on their shoulders.

They were divided into groups of five. One player would put the weight on his shoulders and jump, taking his knees into his chest, for about 30 seconds. It looked exhausting.

Another drill, done in groups of three, required nothing but strength and trust. One player would stand rigid, hands by his side, and fall forwards like a toppling pillar. He would be prevented from crashing face-first into the ground by the player in front of him, who would stop his fall, then propel him backwards. The man in the middle would then start falling backwards and be stopped by the player behind him, who would thrust him forward. And so he would continue, like a pendulum.

All these drills were done with remarkable speed and efficiency. And, despite the huge variation, there was a seamless transition between each discipline. If the first half-hour of the session provided a few novel ideas and sights, the remaining hour was utterly familiar.

Forget about groundbreaking systems and think tackling – lots and lots of tackling. On the second pitch, which was divided into six channels, McCann barked out instructions for various drills. There was two-on-one, two-on-two and three against three. The chief characteristics of these exercises were that they were hard and fair. When goalkeeper Johnny Curran got caught unbalanced he was unceremoniously lifted off his feet with a shoulder charge. But it was all best practice. There was none of the sloppy, lazy, and illegal tackling, which normally creeps into club sessions and goes unpunished.

Throughout it all, Mickey Harte quietly presided over everything with Tony Donnelly by his side. Mainly silent, the players were aware the manager was surveying their every step. During one tackling drill, when a group of players charged through a lame defence, Harte was quick to shout: "That was too easy, boys." It was the only time I heard him raise his voice.

Harte's demeanour came as no huge surprise. The same cannot be said for the atmosphere in which the session was conducted. Given that the spine of this group has been together for over a decade, some level of jocularity and levity would be expected. After all, many of the Tyrone players are friends and team-mates. But, with the very odd exception, the 90 minutes were completed with grim-faced intent. It was totally business-like. Cork and Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final was never mentioned.

Again, it would be inaccurate to make a sweeping generalisation as one player did joke, quip, and jibe his way through the evening. He was Ryan McMenamin, the glue which holds Tyrone together, and the one player who already looks tailor-made for a successful career in management. When he won a sprint, 'Ricey' did a mock celebration. And when he lined up against Conor Gormley and Mickey McGee in a tackling drill, he looked at both and observed that he was facing: "The parish of Carrickmore." Then he and Gormley went for each other like snarling dogs. When the hostilities ended, they walked off smiling.

It was worth an admission fee. The tackling was frenetic and, by 8.40pm, a few players were gasping for breath. But it was far from over. When everyone was called into the circle, Donnelly announced the teams for the 15-a-side game and went over a few details. Harte added a few words.

At this juncture, the benefits of Tyrone's 30-plus squad became apparent. John Devine may have been injured and Owen Mulligan and Brian Dooher were receiving treatment, but Harte was still able to play a full 15-a-side game with two specialist goalkeepers on an incredibly broad pitch. (It wouldn't surprise me if the pitch had the same measurements as Croke Park).

Again, the trend for short bursts of each activity continued. The first game lasted less than 10 minutes and was followed by further tackling. Then, after a second huddle, and more instructions from Donnelly and Harte, there was a second game. Harte refereed and, unlike his friend Brian Cody, he did blow the whistle. Poor tackling was penalised.

Although the players had being training flat-out for 80 minutes, the speed of the last contest was mightily impressive. It was mostly one-touch football. As Cork may learn, those who dwelt in possession got nailed. And, judging by the kick-outs, it was obvious that plans are being put in place to deals with Cork's huge height advantage at midfield. However, the residence of the 6'3" Justin McMahon in the full-back line suggested that Harte isn't going to t**ker with his line-up.

Of course, that could change. During the training sessions before last year's All-Ireland final, Harte kept playing Joe McMahon at wing-forward and full-back long after he had decided that the Omagh man would be marking Tommy Walsh. Why? Because he wanted to keep all the players guessing about the final 15 in order to maintain maximum intensity for the longest possible time before the final.

So, yes, there are tricks, there are managerial manoeuvres. But, they merely provide the finishing touches.

Go watch Tyrone train, and you'll see in Cookstown what you'll see in Croke Park this Sunday: tackling – lots and lots of tackling.

[Fuzzman]

Must say I enjoyed reading that.

Ricey does seem to be the glue in the squad and the messer.
He seems to be in the middle of everything & one of the real leaders in the squad though there are plenty more.

I hope we see a bit more from Sean Cavanagh this Sunday as the big lad has seemed to let the season by pass him bar the Antrim match. He needs to show he won't be pushed about as he's getting a repultation now for being too easy to put off his game.

[Norf Tyrone]

McCaul out for the season as the knee is banjaxed again. Bad luck for the big lad.