Right, after some indecision based on whether or not commitments up here would prevent me from travelling I’m now 100% decided that I’ll be heading for Omagh in the morning. Like, out the door at ten in the morning – that kind of heading.
I’ve never been to Healy Park before so I’m looking forward to knocking another ground off the list in the Big Boy’s Book of GAA Venues tomorrow afternoon. I’m looking forward too to the Club ’51 pre-match meet-up in the Silver Birch Hotel in Omagh so if you’re heading to the match via this pit stop then some of us could end up meeting there. So don’t forget the name badges.
Tomorrow’s match is sure to be a good test for the lads, with Tyrone – like Kildare last Sunday – already showing signs of promise this year and obviously as keen as hell to win their home matches. As well, of course, as seeking to extract a smidgeon of revenge for what we did to them last August.
I was a bit surprised, though, to read that Colm Cavanagh is claiming that “a win is a must” for Tyrone tomorrow (thanks, by the way, to HopeSpringsEternal for pointing out this article earlier on). The result is obviously important for both teams but Cavanagh has been round the block often enough to know that shit-or-bust labels don’t sit comfortably on league matches in early February.
I wasn’t overly impressed by Paddy Heaney’s labelling of us either – “weakened” and “patchwork”, indeed – and, of course, he can’t resist trotting out the ‘no natural scoring forwards’ line as well. He does know, doesn’t he, that we racked up a score of 2-18 last Sunday?
I also thought it was amusing that after he’d listed off all of our players who featured last August but are missing tomorrow and then opined that our team tomorrow is a “weakened” one, Paddy then, almost as an afterthought, says that only five of Tyrone’s starting fifteen tomorrow also lined out in the All-Ireland semi-final (we, by comparison, have eight survivors from that day).
But Tyrone are, of course, rebuilding and, if this preview piece by John Fogarty in the Irish Examiner is to be believed, we could well be witnessing the dawn of a new golden age for the Red Hand County. It’s interesting to see that so many of the lads involved in the 2008 and 2010 Tyrone minor teams are now coming through to the senior ranks. They’re lads we should recall clearly enough, given the tussles we had with them at minor level then.
Rebuilding or no rebuilding, Tyrone go into the match as favourites – Paddy Power have them at 4/6, which was around the price we were being quoted at ahead of last August’s semi-final, if I’m not mistaken. Meanwhile the poll here on the site that I’ve just decommissioned splits 62% for us, 31% for them and 7% the draw (total poll 108).
Tomorrow’s match should be a tough, competitive encounter. We both need the points and we’re both fielding teams featuring lads who need to impress so I think we can expect a fairly full-throated contest. Even if it only early in February.
But, of course, it’s not the only game of interest from a #mayogaa point of view tomorrow, with Kiltane’s Intermediate odyssey culminating at Croke Park with their All-Ireland final clash against Monaghan’s Truagh Gaels. While I’d expect there to be a large Mayo contingent up in Omagh, I’d say there should be a big gathering at HQ as well, where hopefully the first All-Ireland of the year won by a team from the county will be in the bag tomorrow evening.
That’s all for now. Safe travelling to all taking to the roads tomorrow – regardless of where you’re departing from and which match you’re heading too – and here’s hoping to the right result in both matches. I’ll be doing my usual post-match audio stuff from the ground and then will be back later on with a report on the match in Omagh. Roger has promised that he’ll also have an account of proceedings from Croke Park so there’ll be a double dose of match reports to get your teeth into tomorrow night. Hopefully, it’ll all make for pleasant reading. Up Mayo!
Nice one WJ. I knew you’d swing this way in the end 😉 It’s been a cracking weekend of sport so far – here’s hoping we have a couple more wins to celebrate this time tomorrow. Safe trip to all of you travelling in the morning.
Good man WJ…looking forward to the audio report. Safe travels to all.
Some good Tyrone minors coming through alright however surprising they haven’t won U-21 Ulster title since 2006 which would suggest the talent isn’t as good as it once was.
All the best to Kiltane a tough one for them as Truagh Gaels bet Tyrone opposition comfortably in the Ulster final
Im just after reading that very irritating piece in the Irish News an I’m annoyed now on my Sunday morning! Ok we all know we need to find that extra bit of oomph in our forward line but to say that Mayo don’t have forwards the calibre of the likes of Darren McCurry, Ronan O’Neill or Kyle Coney is beyond belief. Who the fuck are these guys and what silverware have they delivered Tyrone at senior level??? And the other utter horse shite statement that we’re not building for the future unlike Tyrone. Does this Heaney guy have any brain at all? Its the same old bandwagon jumping activity that fills a few easy spaces on a news column and pays the wages for yet another week..
Let them believe what they like. Their self-delusion is their own business and is entirely to our benefit. Encourage them is what I say!
Not going to Omagh today due to a bout of illness. First match missed in a very long time and really having that ‘left behind’ feeling. Good luck to all today and safe travelling. And good luck to the lads from Kiltane. Let’s hope they have plenty to celebrate tonight.
Thanks WJ, for the mention about the article in the Irish News, your welcome too. I love to read about what the opposition are thinking and saying before the game starts. Tyrone’s next two games are away to Kildare and Kerry, so I suppose that’s why they are anxious to get something out of this game. Its amazing to think that Mickey Harte has had 23 years in management with Tyrone teams, going back to 1991 when he was managing their minor team. He has won six All-Ireland titles in that time, 3 senior, 2 U21 and 1 minor title. It will be very interesting to see if he can keep this record going. Its a very hard thing to do. Sean Boylan, John O’Mahony and Billy Morgan eventually ran out of steam. Mick O’Dwyer was one of the few who managed to keep winning. Even he had to move to new counties to achieve this and even then he couldn’t win more All-Ireland titles only provincial titles….. Best of luck to Mayo and Kiltane today, seize the day!
Jaysus 45. You’re very cross and all that cursing and it’s on a Sunday, the Lord’s day. Straight to Hell !!! ;:)
Not building for the future? That is a load of bollox indeed.I think a lot of them guys are jealous.We have an All Ireland minor team.We have junior team in All Ireland club final and senior club in All Ireland semi.Jealous as fuck they are 🙂
Tyrone appear to be a shadow of that great Tyrone team of recent years, beaten by donegal and they were both hammered by Mayo in Croker last summer.
Mayo need to batter them all again in 2014 and really batter Dublin in the final, it’s the only way.
David, I wouldn’t say ‘batter’, “beat the shite out of them” would be more in tune with our sentiments!! 🙂
Half time and not going well here lads, we have no shape and can’t take our goal chances, we should have been out of sight after 7 mins…anyway, we’ll see what happens. Big changes, experiment with/and some risks to be taken in second half is the only salvageable thing from this.
The story of the match, Tyrone take their goal chances and Mayo don’t. Concede two and score none, where have we heard that before. With Kerry beaten at home to Derry today, the Mayo v Kerry game now turns into a really big game. Whoever loses that will be in big trouble…
Lads lets calm down a bit here, this talk of hammering or beating the shit out of teams is a lot of bollocks – that day is long gone. Lets be happy to just win, winning tight matches is massive boost for team moral, so lets just focus on that, no more….
You didn’t miss much diehard, hope you feel better!
Jaysus David take it easy, I don’t want to get battered….and there was me getting me name badge ready for the Dubs v Mayo game…ha ha.
True, with the way things are panning out, there will be a big crowd in castlebar for the Kerry match.
Yeah Mister Mayor, there will be a big crowd at it alright I’d say. With our two next games, against Kerry at home and Westmeath away, we have to get points out of these games, as at the moment all three teams are on no points. Castlebar Mitchels against Dr. Crokes too, means there are two very big Mayo v Kerry battles ahead.
Mayo Mchale, look at my Smiley. It’s supposed to be (as they say in Sweden) a yoke!!
Today, Darren McCurry 2-5, 2-4 from play. Mattie Donnelly 5 points from play. Both ripped our full back line to pieces and won the game for Tyrone by themselves. Today our forwards scored 7 points from play and yet again we left at least 2 goals behind us.
Yer mans point was true. We don’t have lethal accurate scoring forwards that turn chances into scores.