Qualifiers - Round 3

All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round Three (first named team has home advantage):


Kildare V Limerick - winners play Sligo
Tipperary V Antrim - winners play Donegal/Down
Kerry V Tyrone - winners play Clare
Leitrim V Laois - winners play Dublin/Meath

tricky trip to tipp for the saffrons.

Great to see the GAA still fixing though with tyrone travelling to kerry, makings of a great game and fair play to those invloved in the process of getting this game organised.

I can see Boc and TC with large smiles. Best possible draw for Tyrone. Kerry wont see August for the first time since 1999.

I would have been confident against anyone had we been drawn at home. You only have to look at last weekends results to see how big a difference home advantage can make.

It may not be 2005, but Kerry/Tyrone still has all the makings of a great game. Let's hope RTE/TV3 step up to the plate now, having been gifted the ideal match-up for Saturday night football.

It will have a ridiculous throw in time to allow for the travel probably 3 on a Saturday

When I heard Kildare v Limerick first and then Sligo I feared the worst but then came Kerry v Tyrone!!! Looking forward to it!

I would have favoured Tyrone at home but if Kerry have one last push in them then this is the one.

Donegal will be happy enough with that, they'll only have to beat Antrim or Tipp to make last 8!

A lot to be said for losing the Leinster Final too ...........

Thomas Clarke wrote:I would have been confident against anyone had we been drawn at home. You only have to look at last weekends results to see how big a different home advantage can make.

It may not be 2005, but Kerry/Tyrone still has all the makings of a great game. Let's hope RTE/TV3 step up to the plate now, having been gifted the ideal match-up for Saturday night football.

Yeah everyone in Ireland will see this as the two greats of the noughties going head to head one last time, great chance to show good sport on the tv this summer.

the tyrone , kerry game is one to look forward to tyrone should be red hot favourites and should really put this kerry team to the sword , but as tc said kerry at home will be no walk over

Thomas Clarke wrote:I would have been confident against anyone had we been drawn at home. You only have to look at last weekends results to see how big a difference home advantage can make.

I saw this stat on twitter earlier TC ...
"In Rd 3 qualifier games away teams have faired better; Away teams win 55% Home teams win 42%."
It was from @gaelicstats

Interesting draw, has O'Connor ever got the best of Harte in Championship?

RMDrive wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:I would have been confident against anyone had we been drawn at home. You only have to look at last weekends results to see how big a difference home advantage can make.

I saw this stat on twitter earlier TC ...
"In Rd 3 qualifier games away teams have faired better; Away teams win 55% Home teams win 42%."
It was from @gaelicstats

Lies, damned lies and statistics, RMD

As I count it, there were 4 home wins (Antrim, Laois, Leitrim & Tipp) and 4 away wins (Tyrone, Kerry, Kildare & Limerick) - that is 50/50 by my calculations!

I guess my thinking in the above post, was that the away wins for Tyrone, Kerry and Kildare would have been greatly expected, and all were against sides in lower divisions. The home wins for Antrim, Tipp and Leitrim were all upsets with the bookies, while Laois & Monaghan were both even money. I'd venture that home advantage was decisive in all 4 of those games, with only Limerick's win over Longford bucking that trend.

To be honest, I don't think playing away will, in itself, be a big blow to Tyrone, as we never play that well in Omagh anyway (Dungannon is a different matter). But Kerry, in the other hand, are better in Killarney than round the country, making this a very tough one for our boys.

emmetryan wrote:Interesting draw, has O'Connor ever got the best of Harte in Championship?

Played one, lost one.

I think RMDrive was refering to Round 3 qualifiers since 2001.

Even allowing for the stat though, I think playing in Killarney means advantage Kerry.

Kerry were alright in the League but relied on luck and experience to get over Westmeath. They were wel and truly found out by Cork.

Tyrone were also alright in the League albeit in a lower division but were taken apart in Croke Park by Kildare. Though they did have a good win over Armagh since and they were good in defeat against Donegal.

This draw really hasn't been favourable to either side as both would be used to easy draws at this stage of the competition.

I really would not like to call the outcome with any confidence. It will probably come down to who is feeling best on the day, who gets that lucky break or two, who gets more return out of their period of dominance, who handles the occasion the best. Most games at this level are decided on simple things like that.

I'd say losing this is not an option for Kerry fans. There will be huge pressure on the team to win - even more so than winning Sam I reckon. There is an old score here - and a bit of bad blood truth be told. I think some of the Kerry old guard are fading fast - O'Ses, Galvin, O'Mahony but they know that no C'ship win v Tyrone in their careers will take the shine off. I expect this, coupled with home advantage, could see one last kick of an ageing wasp .....

Seriously if Kerry cannot beat a Tyrone team that will be missing Sean Cavanagh (shoulder), Kyle Coney (groin), Ronan O Neill (Cruciate), Tommy McGuigan (Knee), Justin McMahon (hamstring), Ronan McNabb (hamstring) Stephen O'Neill (Calf), Davy Harte (Knee) they may forget about it! Home advantage will also be crucial as Kerry are virtually impossible to beat in Killarney. Tyrones' first half performance against a Roscommon team that couldnt hit a cow in the **** with a banjo was also worrying. I'm normally very optimistic when it comes to playing Kerry but after this Saturday I'd say we'll be looking forward to the club championships and maybe another shot at the All ireland minor title.....

Seriously for the Tyrone lads - its not a bad fixture as they go. Half day Friday getting to somewhere in Kerry just in time for pints. Bit of shopping or sight seeing for the moosus on the Saturday - game at 5 - nice meal, a few more pints and home on the Sunday or Monday. Could be a good Tyrone contingent down.

mugsys_barber wrote:Seriously if Kerry cannot beat a Tyrone team that will be missing Sean Cavanagh (shoulder), Kyle Coney (groin), Ronan O Neill (Cruciate), Tommy McGuigan (Knee), Justin McMahon (hamstring), Ronan McNabb (hamstring) Stephen O'Neill (Calf), Davy Harte (Knee) ...

You forgot PJ Quinn, who would be starting at corner back. Whatever happens on Saturday, Tyrone will be a very different proposition in 2013. Rebuilding is progressing nicely.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

mugsys_barber wrote:Seriously if Kerry cannot beat a Tyrone team that will be missing Sean Cavanagh (shoulder), Kyle Coney (groin), Ronan O Neill (Cruciate), Tommy McGuigan (Knee), Justin McMahon (hamstring), Ronan McNabb (hamstring) Stephen O'Neill (Calf), Davy Harte (Knee) ...

You forgot PJ Quinn, who would be starting at corner back. Whatever happens on Saturday, Tyrone will be a very different proposition in 2013. Rebuilding is progressing nicely.

Quinn a starter, maybe, maybe not but do agree that rebuilding work is moving along nicely, As i said on another thread I look forward to the day when McCurry Coney and Rony O'Neill are all on a starting Tyrone forward line together. One thing I was dissappointed about last Saturday was the non appearance of Paddy Mc Neice who I felt should have got in for the Penrose switch late on in the game instead of Niall McKenna. McNeice was flying at Tyrone training lately and was probably the best forward I have seen on show so far at Tyrone club level this year. I've nothing against McKenna who is also one for the future but would have liked to see Paddy getting some game time. Young McCurry was unreal but may not cut it against more seasoned defenders like killian young or marc o se but on Saturday he was a breath of fresh air showing great energy and vision- what a debut!

should be a good game between the teams of the past has beens

mugsys_barber wrote: I was dissappointed about last Saturday was the non appearance of Paddy Mc Neice who I felt should have got in for the Penrose switch late on in the game instead of Niall McKenna. McNeice was flying at Tyrone training lately and was probably the best forward I have seen on show so far at Tyrone club level this year. I've nothing against McKenna who is also one for the future but would have liked to see Paddy getting some game time.

In my opinion, Mugsy, Paddy McNeice is a good club footballer, and will never be a top class inter county forward. He has improved this year, and could do a fairly good job picking up ball, but he doesn't threaten in the way a Coney/O'Neill/McCurry does. I'd be amazed if he ever becomes a regular.

Niall McKenna's problems are all inside him. Physically, he has everything he needs to be a top footballer, so I can see why he is being persevered with.

patsymc wrote:should be a good game between the teams of the past has beens

Tyrone have had a major overhaul in the last couple of years. Of the side that won the all-ireland 4 years ago, only 4 of the starting 15 began last Saturday's match (McConnell, Gormley, Joe McMahon, Penrose).

Thomas Clarke wrote:

patsymc wrote:should be a good game between the teams of the past has beens

Tyrone have had a major overhaul in the last couple of years. Of the side that won the all-ireland 4 years ago, only 4 of the starting 15 began last Saturday's match (McConnell, Gormley, Joe McMahon, Penrose).

overall of poor players

Thomas Clarke wrote:

mugsys_barber wrote: I was dissappointed about last Saturday was the non appearance of Paddy Mc Neice who I felt should have got in for the Penrose switch late on in the game instead of Niall McKenna. McNeice was flying at Tyrone training lately and was probably the best forward I have seen on show so far at Tyrone club level this year. I've nothing against McKenna who is also one for the future but would have liked to see Paddy getting some game time.

In my opinion, Mugsy, Paddy McNeice is a good club footballer, and will never be a top class inter county forward. He has improved this year, and could do a fairly good job picking up ball, but he doesn't threaten in the way a Coney/O'Neill/McCurry does. I'd be amazed if he ever becomes a regular.

Niall McKenna's problems are all inside him. Physically, he has everything he needs to be a top footballer, so I can see why he is being persevered with.

Well the main reason I probably was dissapointed that McNeice didnt get in for a quick run was that Cassidy a midfielder was introduced for Colm Cavanagh and Niall McKenna (midfielder) was introduced for Penrose. I felt it maybe was an opportunity to blood McNeice into championship football as the game was a dead rubber at that late stage and it certainly would have benefitted Paddy more than Niall, thats all really. Whether or not he becomes a regular will probably depend on how long he hangs round a panel where the chances of an appearances are limited to 22-23 players whilst the others are just held on the panel for in house games and eventually get scundered like Mickey Murphy did in the past and the likes of Stevy mcNally and McNulty from Clonoe are feeling at the moment, With all the hard hours and disciplined training being put in its no wonder many say to themselves what am i doing here at all and decide to pull the pin.