Tyrone GT news

Thomas Clarke wrote:

emmetryan wrote:
In more immediate matters, here's my take on Tyrone's win over Mayo [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

One correction, Emmet. Unfortunately, Tyrone only have 3 home matches to come. I know Boc mislead you on here earlier when he talked about 4, but we are away to Dublin & Kildare!

thats funny as i had an argument with a guy at work (heavily involved with the Tyrone Senior team) who told me we only had Dublin left away from home, i thought we had Kildare away too but he assured me i was wrong.................

emmetryan wrote:Would definitely be willing to have a look at what they're doing and give some advice.

Boc, if you want to email me drop me a line emmetATaction81.com naturally replacing the AT with @

Emmet pass no remarks on TC he is only spoofing

Your time would be better spent with TCs club Dungannon, one of the biggest towns in Tyrone and they are in Junior football.

Killyclogher is only a mere village on the outskirts of Omagh (some would argue that Omagh is on the outskirts of Killyclogher mind you) and yet we have played senior football for quite some time now.

bocerty wrote:
Your time would be better spent with TCs club Dungannon, one of the biggest towns in Tyrone and they are in Junior football.

Intermediate

Thomas Clarke wrote:

bocerty wrote:
Your time would be better spent with TCs club Dungannon, one of the biggest towns in Tyrone and they are in Junior football.

Intermediate

oh yeah forgot

Junior next year then................

Watched the Tyrone/Mayo game last night, and was reasonably impressed.

Without ever catching fire, Tyrone dominated most of the match, and looked to be running out easy winners before the substitutions took affect. Conor Clarke looked exhausted when he was replaced, but unfortunately we didn't have Colm Cavanagh, Aidan Cassidy or Mickey Murphy fit to come in. I think if one of those lads had been available, Aidan O'Shea would not have dominated the last 10 minutes, and Tyrone would have run out comfortable winners. As it was, we looked to have blown it, conceeding a quick 1-3 to go from 4 in front from 2 behind. Full credit then to the resolve that was shown, digging out a late penalty.

Niall Morgan's freekicks will force teams to think twice before fouling us on the 45, something that, as Emmet Ryan pointed out, cost us last year against Donegal. The problem with Morgan, though, is that he is not as good as McConnell under the high ball. He looked suspect with one against Mayo, and also at the end of the game against Down.

JIn defence, ustin McMahon has now played 2 games in a row, for what I'd guess must be the first time in 2 years. He's still young enough to recapture his 2008/9 form, and should continue to improve if he can avoid injury. Aidan McCrory worries me a bit. He is fast, strong and a reasonable size, but his handling is not great, and he has not been good in the last couple of games. Cathal McCarron always looks more secure out the field. Ronan McNamee is a good footballer and should be a different player this year to the one that was destroyed on his debut by Paul Galvin last July. On the other wing, Ryan MccKenna does some good things, but may come under more pressure for his place as the year goes on.

Midfield, for so long a weakness, could end up a position of strength. Having the McMahons in defence means that Mickey can play Conor Clarke in midfield. Clarke is still only 20, but is as strong as horse. He could become the new Kevin Hughes for SC. Talking of Cavanagh, I know that Parouisa questioned his fitness, but I'd have no concerns on that front. One example would be that, after 51 minutes on a heavy pitch, Cavanagh got back into defence and made a high catch on his own 14 yeard line. He landed on his stomach, yet 13 seconds later was receiving the ball across the Mayo 65m, and 5 seconds later he was kicking the ball over the bar. If you are struggling, you just don't make those kind of breaks. Sean looks very hungry and is playing his best football in several years.

In attack, Mark Donnelly was superb, covering huge amounts of ground. He is also developing an eye for goal, with late runs into the danger area. Paddy McNeice had his best game in a Tyrone jersey. Both he, and Penrose when he came on, played very deep and snuffed out a world of Mayo attacks. Peter Harte played quite well before his injury, although Plunkett Kane didn't really get going (perhaps he hasn't shaken off the injury that kept him out against Down).

Stevie O'Neill is playing very well. He doesn't have the pace he used to, but his attitude is very good, and he can still score. Conor McAliskey is growing into his role, and was yesterday named on the Ulster Railway Cup panel. McAliskey is an old-fashioned poacher, drifting in behind defenders, and is a threat in the air.

Overall, very pleased, although we did give away a bad goal. Emmet should have a look at the goals Tyrone conceded against both Down and Mayo, as both came late in the game, and both were the result of runners coming from out near midfield. Tiredness/lack of concentration/whatever, it is something that needs to be looked at by Mickey.

Thomas Clarke wrote:Talking of Cavanagh, I know that Parouisa questioned his fitness, but I'd have no concerns on that front. One example would be that, after 51 minutes on a heavy pitch, Cavanagh got back into defence and made a high catch on his own 14 yeard line. He landed on his stomach, yet 13 seconds later was receiving the ball across the Mayo 65m, and 5 seconds later he was kicking the ball over the bar. If you are struggling, you just don't make those kind of breaks. Sean looks very hungry and is playing his best football in several years.

Ah I know SC is a natural athlete but he certainly looks to be carrying excess - or more than he did! I'd be wary that it is easier to get up and down the pitch in the cold and wet of February than the white heat of summer!

Parouisa wrote: Ah I know SC is a natural athlete but he certainly looks to be carrying excess - or more than he did! I'd be wary that it is easier to get up and down the pitch in the cold and wet of February than the white heat of summer!

Don't you mean '...than the mild and wet of summer'?!

No, I think you are being harsh, which is a role reversal between us where Sean is concerned. I think that he looks strong, hungry and in good shape for February. He has easily been Tyrone's best player so far this season, and he still has 3-4 months before things get very serious.

That, of course, comes with the caveat that no-one is ever fit enough to dominate midfield for 70 minutes, and all sides need a decent option or 2 on the bench for the last 20 minutes. I'd also envisage SC will be switched into FF for a short rest at times.

I see that Mugsy has returned to training, and will be available for the rest of the year. While he is not the player he was 7-8 years ago, he is still a strong target man, who will score and create if he is given any space. He's also a positive guy and a good fella to have around the dressing room.

I'm not sure how much game time he'll see, but he probably realises himself that his time as a starter is over. I'd see him as cover for Stevie O'Neill, in the same way that Darren McCurry and Ronan O'Neill are similar, and Conor McAliskey & Kyle Coney are similar.

I heard last week that Mugsy has now played in 10 AI finals (County/Club/ Underage/Schools) and won all of them - that is a pretty incredible achievement, and I can't imagine that any player has ever matched it.

Fair point on Mugsy TC, he can still cause a lot of damage and as you say is a proven winner. Interesting times ahead for Tyrone I'd imagine but no more than any other county a couple of injuries can wreak havoc with plans.
No team apart from Dublin can withstand the loss of a couple of regulars.

Mickey Harte has denied the return of Mugsy..

Jonsmith wrote:Mickey Harte has denied the return of Mugsy..

So I see, but he played in a training match last week. I can't believe that he'd have been (i) invited or (ii) interested in a one-off cameo if he was not going to be returning for the year. Sean O'Neill and Raymie Mulgrew also played in the game. If you are looking to make up numbers for a closed doors match, you invite a few U21s. The only way those 3 would have been there is if Mickey is considering adding them to his panel.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

Jonsmith wrote:Mickey Harte has denied the return of Mugsy..

So I see, but he played in a training match last week. I can't believe that he'd have been (i) invited or (ii) interested in a one-off cameo if he was not going to be returning for the year. Sean O'Neill and Raymie Mulgrew also played in the game. If you are looking to make up numbers for a closed doors match, you invite a few U21s. The only way those 3 would have been there is if Mickey is considering adding them to his panel.

i spoke to a guy yesterday who is involved in backroom team and he said Mugsy was asked back to play in the in-house game but that no guarantees were given same as Mulgrew, word is Mulligan looked sharp while Mulgrew was largely anonymous.

Tyrone team to play Donegal:

1 Niall Morgan
2 Aidan McCrory
3 Conor Clarke
4 Justin McMahon
5 Ryan McKenna
6 Joe McMahon
7 Ronan McNamee
8 Michael Murphy
9 Sean Cavanagh
10 Patrick McNiece
11 Peter Harte
12 Matthew Donnelly
13 Conor McAlliskey
14 Stephen O’Neill
15 Mark Donnelly

16 Pascal McConnell
17 Aidan Cassidy
18 Colm Cavanagh
19 Kyle Coney
20 Conor Gormley
21 Plunkett Kane
22 Cathal McCarron
23 Darren McCurry
24 Ciaran McGinley
25 Ronan O’Neill
26 Martin Penrose

This is the side that I thought Mickey would pick, with the exception of Mickey Murphy making his seasonal debut in place of McCarron (resulting positional switches involving Justy McMahon & Clarke). With Justy and Clarke in the full back line, it looks very much like a horses for courses side.

Paddy McNeice has retained his place after a very good performance against Mayo. Our bench is getting stronger also.

Hi lads,

Tactical analysis of Tyrone's win over Donegal up now [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Emmet

good result for Tyrone and thats now 3 from 3 - didnt make the game unfortunately but happened to in the vicinity of Helay Park around 1.30ish and its quite a while since i seen as big a crowd heading to a game in Omagh, cars were parked miles from the ground and even as i drove away from the ground the cars just kept coming and coming.

Some very positive things for Tyrone none more so than the psychological boost of beating the All Ireland Winners ahead of the championship game in a few months. Some decent performances from big Joe, Mattie Donnelly, Stephen O'Neill who as Emmet says is benefiting from having more space in front of him.

Our final ball in the last third especially in the first half was poor too often but i thought it was a spirited performance from our guys.

I watched this one carefully on TV yesterday. Tyrone will be delighted to have got the win ahead of May - little wins in the big psychological battle are always welcome. I didn't think it was great fare tbh and the incidents around the penalty before half-time didn't help in as the (correct) sending-off skewed the game. Tyrone would undoubtedly have learned more about themselves had Murphy goaled and they gone in a point down.

My own take on Tyrone is that I am looking at them and seeing the same names to the fore as always. Two McMahons playing well (great dive by Joe at the end btw!), Sean C playing as well as he has in 4/5 years, Stephen O'Neill keeping the scoreboard ticking over and Peter Harte flitting around the place. The only new guys that caught my eye were Niall Morgan and Ronan McNamee.

I don't see much difference in playing style than they have been playing for the last 2/3 years which has not brought any success. My biggest concern from a Tyrone fan's point of view is that there was a bit of a false dawn last year (albeit playing in Div 2) when a few wins were achieved. I was in Croke Park the night before and I think the level of play, fitness etc was a few notches above what was on view in Omagh. I could be wrong but we'll get a better idea in a fortnight's time. But Tyrone have 3/3 fair play to them and are nearer semis than relegation - as I felt they would be before a ball was kicked.

Parouisa wrote:I watched this one carefully on TV yesterday. Tyrone will be delighted to have got the win ahead of May - little wins in the big psychological battle are always welcome. I didn't think it was great fare tbh and the incidents around the penalty before half-time didn't help in as the (correct) sending-off skewed the game. Tyrone would undoubtedly have learned more about themselves had Murphy goaled and they gone in a point down.

My own take on Tyrone is that I am looking at them and seeing the same names to the fore as always. Two McMahons playing well (great dive by Joe at the end btw!), Sean C playing as well as he has in 4/5 years, Stephen O'Neill keeping the scoreboard ticking over and Peter Harte flitting around the place. The only new guys that caught my eye were Niall Morgan and Ronan McNamee.

I don't see much difference in playing style than they have been playing for the last 2/3 years which has not brought any success. My biggest concern from a Tyrone fan's point of view is that there was a bit of a false dawn last year (albeit playing in Div 2) when a few wins were achieved. I was in Croke Park the night before and I think the level of play, fitness etc was a few notches above what was on view in Omagh. I could be wrong but we'll get a better idea in a fortnight's time. But Tyrone have 3/3 fair play to them and are nearer semis than relegation - as I felt they would be before a ball was kicked.

didnt you spot Mattie Donnelly, he got through a savage amount of work and rarely gave the ball away. One of his better games for Tyrone i thought.

Not taking away from anyone B but just that keeper (for obvious reasons) and McNamee caught my eye as well as the senior guys - McNamee hit a lovely point too.

Parouisa wrote:Not taking away from anyone B but just that keeper (for obvious reasons) and McNamee caught my eye as well as the senior guys - McNamee hit a lovely point too.

just saying P. I would be one of Donnellys biggest critics but i thought he was very prominent yesterday and was on the ball a lot.

McNamee hit a lovely point yesterday and it was reminiscent of the one he hit against Mayo in the previous game with the outside of the boot

Parouisa wrote: I was in Croke Park the night before and I think the level of play, fitness etc was a few notches above what was on view in Omagh.

Games in Croke Park often look to be of a higher standard than those played elsewhere, and they usually produce more scores. Aside from the last 5 minutes, Tyrone dominated Mayo quite comfortably in their last match, so I wouldn't rush to say that what looked better on Saturday night actually was so.

That aside, it is hard to argue with the rest of your points. Tyrone needed the win much more than Donegal, having lost all 3 games they've played against Jimmy McGuinness' side. Tyrone are also quite close to their championship 15, whereas Lacey's return will make a big difference to the champions.

The encouraging things, though, are while a number of the names remain the same, the conditioning and structure looks a lot more impressive. The return to form and fitness of Sean Cavanagh and Justin McMahon is a huge boost from last year, while Stephen O'Neill is sharper than at any time in the last few years.

Of the new players, Morgan played very well yesterday, and was much more comfortable under the high ball than he did in the first 2 matches. After the championship game last year, Emmet Ryan pointed out that Donegal were content to limit Tyrone to frees outside 40m, knowing that we had no-one who could reliably kick them. Morgan's presence should ensure that such a plan is punished in May.

Conor Clarke and Mattie Donnelly are continuing to develop into powerful young footballers, the type with the physiques and mobility to match the bigger sides. McNamee and McKenna at wingback are improving, with McNamee in particular seemingly taking over from Davy Harte in the long range point stakes. Of the rest, I thought that Mickey Murphy looked off the pace (just back from Australia), but Aidan Cassidy looked strong and athletic in his first action of the year. Mark Donnelly is playing very well.

My biggest concern would be the balance between scorers and workers in attack. We are playing with SON and McAliskey isolated, and with the other 4 in withdrawn roles (Mattie & McNeice basically as half backs). I'd like to see one out of Ronan O'Neill, Darren McCurry or Kyle Coney added to support the front 2. Those 3 are all very talented, and I think we need to find a way to get one of them on the field. On current form, Peter Harte would be the player to make way. He has been off the boil for a long time, and a break might do him good.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how things are going. Since the beginning of last year, we have played 25 games and won 22 of them. Admittedly, we haven't beaten any big sides in big games yet, but what we have done is get into a winning habit, and that counts for a lot when you are trying to develop a new side. We are probably safe from relegation already, and one more win would put us into the playoffs. I'd be going all out for the win against Cork next week, and that would guarantee us at least 4 games with which to experiment before the championship.

Thomas Clarke wrote:Games in Croke Park often look to be of a higher standard than those played elsewhere, and they usually produce more scores. Aside from the last 5 minutes, Tyrone dominated Mayo quite comfortably in their last match, so I wouldn't rush to say that what looked better on Saturday night actually was so.

Sorry TC but in my opinion Saturday night looked to be a much higher standard than Sunday. It may not have been so but I think it definitely was. This obviously does not necessarily mean it was but in my eyes it certainly was. I am not rushing anywhere but giving what I believe to be my valid opinion - I don't need it changed by anyone. Thanks.

I'd imagine the Tyrone lads here are as disgusted as anyone about the spitting incident. Why do ar5eholes like that go to games? Like is he a member of a club or anything?

Parouisa wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:Games in Croke Park often look to be of a higher standard than those played elsewhere, and they usually produce more scores. Aside from the last 5 minutes, Tyrone dominated Mayo quite comfortably in their last match, so I wouldn't rush to say that what looked better on Saturday night actually was so.

Sorry TC but in my opinion Saturday night looked to be a much higher standard than Sunday. It may not have been so but I think it definitely was. This obviously does not necessarily mean it was but in my eyes it certainly was. I am not rushing anywhere but giving what I believe to be my valid opinion - I don't need it changed by anyone. Thanks.

You're entitled to your opinion P, but I'm pointing out that it is based solely on observation, while Tyrone's victory over Mayo would indicate that they are not a couple of notches ahead of us.

Not arguing with your opinion and I think we will get a clearer picture the week after next in Croker.