Tyrone GT news

Thomas Clarke wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Awful news. Sean was a star minor last year who looked a certainty to make it at senior level.

Now that has paled into total insignificance, amidst a terrible tragedy. Thoughts and prayers with the whole family.

What an absolute tragedy. The tensions can that exist in families can be unreal. God rest the father and god help the young fella and the rest of the family to deal with what's coming now.

I see Mickey Harte acted as one of the chaperones for Sean Hackett when he attended his father's funeral yesterday.

Fair play to Mickey, he really is a top man. I can't imagine anyone would be queuing up to be in the middle of such a tragic event, let alone a man whose daughter was murdered 2 years ago today.

Mickey is opinionated and can also be very stubborn but, whether you agree or disagree with his views, he's also a good man who spends a huge amount of time helping others. I look around the country and see spoofers and rogues in charge of teams and organisations at all levels, and feel a sense of both relief and pride that the main man in Tyrone GAA is made of such sound stuff.

Thomas Clarke wrote:Fair play to Mickey, he really is a top man. I can't imagine anyone would be queuing up to be in the middle of such a tragic event, let alone a man whose daughter was murdered 2 years ago today.

Same thing crossed my mind - but he will obviously use that horrible experience to help the Hackett family. There is no doubting the man's goodness, loyalty or selflessness - fairly rare traits these days.

Parouisa wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:Fair play to Mickey, he really is a top man. I can't imagine anyone would be queuing up to be in the middle of such a tragic event, let alone a man whose daughter was murdered 2 years ago today.

Same thing crossed my mind - but he will obviously use that horrible experience to help the Hackett family. There is no doubting the man's goodness, loyalty or selflessness - fairly rare traits these days.

totally agree, i suppose the Tony Donnelly Augher connection may have been part of the reason why Mickey got involved, though i have no doubt Mickey would have been in contact with the family to see what he could do to help.

Its an awful tragedy for any family and god only knows what the future hold for Sean but it wont be much of a future for him. Depression must be an awful thing to deal with when it drives you to do things like this.

i hear the U21 footballers are being put through hell by Messrs Dooher and Jordan. Two men still flying and head and shoulders above the young lads in terms of fitness levels. Young guys just cant keep up with them at all.

Lets hope it reap some rewards for them in the long run, and that it will all be worth it.

bocerty wrote:i hear the U21 footballers are being put through hell by Messrs Dooher and Jordan. Two men still flying and head and shoulders above the young lads in terms of fitness levels. Young guys just cant keep up with them at all.

Lets hope it reap some rewards for them in the long run, and that it will all be worth it.

For them in the long run - brilliant boc!!

And more good news for the Tyrone U21s (and seniors) last week, as Ronan O'Neill tweeted that he has the all clear to return to action following his cruciate injury last spring.

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Boc, what's the story with Mickey Murphy this year? For years he was on the panel but always injured, and then last year he looked quite decent when he finally got a run of games.

He was named on the panel last month, but I haven't seen him mentioned in the McKenna Cup, or even heard anything about him. Is he injured? Can't imagine he has been dropped.

Thomas Clarke wrote:Boc, what's the story with Mickey Murphy this year? For years he was on the panel but always injured, and then last year he looked quite decent when he finally got a run of games.

He was named on the panel last month, but I haven't seen him mentioned in the McKenna Cup, or even heard anything about him. Is he injured? Can't imagine he has been dropped.

Dropped due to copyright infringement.

Thomas Clarke wrote:Boc, what's the story with Mickey Murphy this year? For years he was on the panel but always injured, and then last year he looked quite decent when he finally got a run of games.

He was named on the panel last month, but I haven't seen him mentioned in the McKenna Cup, or even heard anything about him. Is he injured? Can't imagine he has been dropped.

to be honest TC i havent a clue what the story is, is he still in the country or has he emigrated????

Had a useful season last year and definitely looked like he was finally going to make the breakthrough and become a regular starter.

bocerty wrote: Aidan Cassidy has now been added to the Tyrone panel for the NFL

Yeah. Noel McGinn mentioned that was a possibility on the radio last weekend. I think that Mickey has realised that he is very short of options in midfield at the minute, and needs at least some cover. Colm Cavanagh is still out, Plunkett Kane is doubtful for the league opener, Conor Clarke and Justy McMahon are off the pace, Joe McMahon is needed in defence and Mickey Murphy seems to have vanished without trace. It basically leaves Sean Cavanagh as the only midfielder we have.

Cassidy has a reasonable amount of experience now, and is a decent fielder. He can have very good days, and days where he constantly takes the ball into contact and loses it (almost certainly why he lost his place on the panel in the first instance). If Cassidy could off-load the ball much faster he would be a reasonable squad player. I can see why he is back.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

bocerty wrote: Aidan Cassidy has now been added to the Tyrone panel for the NFL

He can have very good days, and days where he constantly takes the ball into contact and loses it (almost certainly why he lost his place on the panel in the first instance). If Cassidy could off-load the ball much faster he would be a reasonable squad player. I can see why he is back.

Comforting to see the Leitrim malaise being carried in a N.E. direction on the breeze. We have had an epidemic of it, principally during the tenure of the previous Manager. Lads displaying early symptoms should be quarantined immediatley......

Tyrone team to play Down:

1. Niall Morgan Éadan na dTorc
2. Aidan McCrory Aireagal Chiaráin
3. Conor Gormley An Charraig Mhór
4. Cathal McCarron An Droim Mór
5. Ryan McKenna Eaglais
6. Joe McMahon An Omaigh
7. Ronan McNamee Achadh Uí Aráin
8. Plunkett Kane Oileán a’Ghuail
9. Sean Cavanagh An Mhaigh
10. Kevin Gallagher An Baile Nua
11. Peter Harte Aireagal Chiaráin
12. Matthew Donnelly Trí Leac
13. Connor McAliskey Cluain Eo
14. Stephen O’Neill Clann na nGael
15. Mark Donnelly An Charraig Mhór

16. John Devine Aireagal Chiarán
17. Conor Clarke An Omaigh
18. Johnathan Lafferty Urnaí
19. Danny McBride An Srath Ban
20. Tiernan McCann Coill an Chlochair
21. Justin McMahon An Omaigh
22. Patrick McNiece Oileán a’Ghuail
23. Ronan O’Neill An Omaigh
24. Martin Penrose An Charraig Mhór
25. Barry Tierney An Omaigh
26. Sean Warnock An Caisleán Glas

I see Paddy Quinn is named in the starting XV for Dublin. The brother knows him - now he is a NF guy - and says he is sound. I must ask him but until I can, I was wondering why he did not throw in his lot with his native county??

This could be of interest here lads, using a tactics board to break down Mark Donnelly's goal from last night [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Unfortunately Martin Penrose is wearing 4 in this re-enactment as we don't have subs numbers.

emmetryan wrote:This could be of interest here lads, using a tactics board to break down Mark Donnelly's goal from last night [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Unfortunately Martin Penrose is wearing 4 in this re-enactment as we don't have subs numbers.

Very interesting Emmet. The Down goal is also worth a look, as it exposed some shockingly lazy defending by Cavanagh, the McMahons and McCarron. Those 4 went to sleep and let 2 Down men run past them, ultimately queuing up to finish to an empty net. Very, very slack from such experienced players, especially when we had just scored a goal that should have seen us close out the game.

Parouisa wrote:I see Paddy Quinn is named in the starting XV for Dublin. The brother knows him - now he is a NF guy - and says he is sound. I must ask him but until I can, I was wondering why he did not throw in his lot with his native county??

know nothing about the lad P sorry.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

emmetryan wrote:This could be of interest here lads, using a tactics board to break down Mark Donnelly's goal from last night [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Unfortunately Martin Penrose is wearing 4 in this re-enactment as we don't have subs numbers.

Very interesting Emmet. The Down goal is also worth a look, as it exposed some shockingly lazy defending by Cavanagh, the McMahons and McCarron. Those 4 went to sleep and let 2 Down men run past them, ultimately queuing up to finish to an empty net. Very, very slack from such experienced players, especially when we had just scored a goal that should have seen us close out the game.

were you over for the game TC or did you watch it on Setanta.

Didnt get myself due to plans Mrs Boc had - and only got to see it last night. It was poor enough football i thought. Down are the same Down we have seen over the last number of years. Making the same mistakes over and over again. I also thought they were a bit over zealous in some of their tackling.

I dont know how Laverty got 2 yellows, McQuillan seen the punch he threw and yet he only got a yellow for it when it should have been a straight red. Also from what i seen he had only been ticked previously so he never got the first yellow card, though i could be wrong.

McAliskey looks like a guy with great potential and Cavanagh i though would in a decent shift. Quite were Joe Kernan saw fit to give Peter Harte MOTM i will never know. The lad touched the ball twice in the first half!!!!

TC did you notice all the Tyrone players wearing some sort of device on their backs (between shoulder blades) to record data during the game?

Costs in excess of £5K from what i gather, and for what. Pretty sure it doesn't put the ball over the bar!!!!

bocerty wrote:TC did you notice all the Tyrone players wearing some sort of device on their backs (between shoulder blades) to record data during the game?

Costs in excess of £5K from what i gather, and for what. Pretty sure it doesn't put the ball over the bar!!!!

I didn't notice, Boc, but I assume it is a cheap version of ProZone or something like that?

Aye, I was at the match, and thought it was quite enjoyable. As they have in every game so far this year, Tyrone started slowly, and struggled with Down's pace. Conor Laverty played very deep, and Ryan McKenna failed to pick him up when he did move forward. Down broke very quickly out of defence, and a couple of their defenders caused us problems when joining the attack. Despite being outplayed and trailing by 2 points, I couldn't see anything other than a Tyrone at half time. It was clear that we had bigger, better players, and that Down would soon run out of steam.

Tyrone owned the 2nd half, even after Joe McMahon's dismissal. The only disappointment was conceding a very poor goal moments after we scored onr ourselves. That, combined with McMahon's dismissal, made the end result a lot tighter than it was shaping up to be.

There were several positives for Tyrone. Conor Gormley looked better than he normally does at this time of year, while Justin McMahon continues to gradually improve. Ronan McNamee had a decent start, although he did go off injured just before half time. Sean Cavanagh was excellent and would have been my man of the match, while Joe McMahon was also good. Mattie Donnelly still makes bad decisions, but goes through a mountain of work and is very strong. Up front, Stevie O'Neill is hungry and in the mood, while McAliskey shows decent potential, not least because he is bigger than a lot of our other inside options.

Of the subs, Conor Clarke was easily the most impresive, and was the dominant figure in the game in the 2nd half. He looked powerful, mobile and scored a couple of points - considering how poor he apparently was in the McKenna Cup, this was a great boost. Penrose also played well. Ronan O'Neill's introduction was great to see.

Less encouraging aspects included backs - McCrory is a fairly good player, but is not a shut-down marker, while McCarron is far too impetuous and slow on the turn to play in the corner. Ryan McKenna did some nice things moving forward, but was hopelessly lost when trying to defend. In attack, Peter Harte was anonymous until an excellent final 15 minutes (Kernan must have been watching a different game, although he and Smyth are probably the 2 worst commentators on television anyway). Kevin Gallagher didn't really count, and Mark Donnelly only got going in the 2nd half.

Overall, I was very pleased. Clarke's performance was a huge boost, and you could easily see him being a powerful presence at wing back in the summer. McAliskey continues to improve, and the form/attitude of Stevie O'Neill and SC is very encouraging. I also noticed Colm Cavanagh warming up, and he looked to be almost back to fitness, so I'd expect to see him return soon.

The one concern is our balance in attack between workers and scorers. We are still playing 4 workers (2 x Donnellys, Harte, Gallagher) all playing quite deep, and 2 inside men (Stevie & McAliskey). I think that is leaving us light on scores and, despite Mark Donnelly and Harte having an eye for goals, I'd prefer to see one more lad who can regularly split the posts included (Coney/R.O'Nelll/McCurry).

a fairly insightful resume there TC, and one i would presume wouldnt be a million miles from the truth.

teams are focusing on nullifying Harte and O'Neill and we really need to have more options or else come up with a plan to bring these guys back into the game and increase their effectiveness.

The effort was there but we couldnt get the ball anywhere near them in the right areas. I was disappointed in Gallagher too, there was a lot of hype about how well he was playing in McKenna cup so i expected better but its a big step up for him from Div 3 football to that standard.

its early days i suppose and i would rather be were we are than were Down are.

bocerty wrote: I was disappointed in Gallagher too, there was a lot of hype about how well he was playing in McKenna cup so i expected better but its a big step up for him from Div 3 football to that standard.

He picked up a couple of breaks, but he's small and light. I wouldn't say he has as much scope for development as some other players. What you see with him now might be close to as much as he'll ever have, and it's not enough.

bocerty wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:Boc, what's the story with Mickey Murphy this year? For years he was on the panel but always injured, and then last year he looked quite decent when he finally got a run of games.

He was named on the panel last month, but I haven't seen him mentioned in the McKenna Cup, or even heard anything about him. Is he injured? Can't imagine he has been dropped.

to be honest TC i havent a clue what the story is, is he still in the country or has he emigrated????

Had a useful season last year and definitely looked like he was finally going to make the breakthrough and become a regular starter.

HS reporting that Murphy has returned to the panel along with Cassidy. Both add to our options around the middle, especially with Colm Cavanagh and Plunkett Kane to come back too.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

bocerty wrote: I was disappointed in Gallagher too, there was a lot of hype about how well he was playing in McKenna cup so i expected better but its a big step up for him from Div 3 football to that standard.

He picked up a couple of breaks, but he's small and light. I wouldn't say he has as much scope for development as some other players. What you see with him now might be close to as much as he'll ever have, and it's not enough.

one paper recently described him as possibly the next Dooher (and that's some statement to make)

bocerty wrote:
one paper recently described him as possibly the next Dooher (and that's some statement to make)

Unreal! On the other wing, though, throw in a bit of vision and better shooting, and Mattie Donnelly could become a very good player.