Tyrone vs Cavan Ulster SFC- Talking Points

MIDFIELD TANDEM

It was like the clocks had rewound back four years on Sunday afternoon as Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick rekindled memories of their dynamic midfield performances in the All-Ireland winning season of 2021. While the powers that be continue tweak and dabble with the rules of the old game, it’s still hard for any side to be successful if their two big totem poles aren’t doing their business in that central area. Conn deserved his goal and captain Kennedy must have given poor Cavan keeper O’Rourke nightmares from kickouts.

SHORTAGE OF TWO POINTERS

As the sod firms up and the weather improves, we are going to see more of the top operators at inter-county level pop over scores from outside the 40m arc. Cavan managed five of them on Sunday and we seen how a quick spate of Two Pointers can quickly transform the look of the scoreboard as they cut the gap from twelve to six at one stage. Surprisingly Tyrone didn’t register any despite their healthy tally of 1-24 by the final hooter, with 13 different srorers on the board They will probably require a couple though in every game from now on as the level of competition picks up.

WORRYING ATTENDANCE

A crowd of just under seven thousand for a Tyrone vs Cavan Championship match should set the alarm bells ringing. It’s been well-documented over the last few seasons that a single black taxi could probably transport the entire Red Hand support base to matches on occasion such has been the dramatic fall-off in numbers attending. However with a new manager at the helm and signs of an exciting new team emerging, you would have expected more at Healy Park. Mind you £25 a ticket is crazy and needs to be looked at, given the match was also being shown live on TV.

ARMAGH NEXT UP

The reigning All-Ireland champions Armagh didn’t really get out of second gear in their ‘Corrigan Park or Nowhere’ first round clash with Antrim last Saturday lunchtime in Belfast. They are making great play on lifting the Ulster title this year, having lost out in agonising fashion in penalty shootouts over the last two seasons, albeit they clinched the biggest prize of all later in the summer in 2024. Unlike Tyrone McGeaney’s charges have little problem mobilising support and are sadly likely to outnumber the Red Hand ranks by two to one in Clones next time out in the terraces.