Mulligan calls for Tyrone fans to travel in numbers to Ballybofey

THREE-TIME All-Ireland winner Owen Mulligan has called on Tyrone supporters to row in behind their team and make their presence felt at Saturday evening’s All-Ireland Senior Championship group stage opener against Ulster champions Donegal at Ballybofey.

‘Mugsy’ has been hugely impressed by Donegal’s renaissance under Jim McGuinness and wouldn’t be at all surprised if they end the season as All-Ireland kings.

So he believes it’s a “massive ask” for Tyrone to get their All-Ireland campaign off to a winning start, and he’s urging Red Hand supporters to make their way to Ballybofey in their numbers to ensure they don’t get drowned out by the Donegal faithful.

“I’m a fan of the group stages, I think every player prefers matches to training and that’s what these games are about.

“It’s good for the supporters as well, but for whatever reason, Tyrone supporters haven’t been coming out in their numbers. They need to get behind the team game – I think it’s genuinely an issue, it’s so important in the last five or ten minutes of these big matches, that you have the supporters roaring you on, it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed and gives everybody a lift.”

Mulligan feels the Red Hands are still playing catch-up with the Armagh and Donegals of this world, even if they were only pipped by a single point by the Orchard County in the Ulster Championship semi-final.

“I think they left that game behind them a bit to be honest with you, with a bit more game-management they probably would have seen that game out.

“But to be honest I think Donegal and Armagh are streets ahead of the other teams in Ulster, particularly in terms of their physique and fitness. They seem to have serious power and Tyrone aren’t quite there yet, so I think going to Ballybofey and coming back home with a positive result is a massive ask.”

By the same token, the former Cookstown star attacker says he has detected improvements in Tyrone’s play this season – specifically in terms of the grittier qualities of
the game.

“I’ve definitely seen some improvements. I would never badmouth Feargal [Logan] or Brian [Dooher], they were unbelievable, but there seems to be more aggression, more tackling. Last year it seemed to be something we were missing, I think the defeat to Roscommon was a good example of that. Every new manager will want to put a fresh stamp on things and we have improved in that area.”

Tyrone came out on top of their most recent meeting with Donegal – a penultimate round Division One clash in Letterkenny, a game that carried more weight for the Red Hands as they were chasing survival. Donegal haven’t missed a beat in the championship, however, and retained their provincial title a fortnight ago with an extra-time victory over Armagh. Mulligan views them as one of the leading contenders in the race for the Sam Maguire.

“Tyrone beat Donegal in the league and it was a good win but it’s difficult to read much into it as Donegal were missing about seven usual starters. This is proper championship stuff and as an opener, it couldn’t have got much tougher for Tyrone.

“You have to give Jimmy McGuinness credit, as recently as two years ago they were going nowhere, then he came back in and everyone seems to buy in to what he says. They’ve a really good backroom team as well and it’s all-Donegal. I think they’re massive contenders for the All-Ireland.”