Burns in buoyant mood ahead of Championship opener

A CHAMPIONSHIP campaign which initially beckons a resurgent Tyrone towards potential Ulster glory will see them aim to build on the impressive momentum that marked the final matches of their efforts in the National League.

It had all been looking so negative for the Red Hands as three losses from four saw them in a battle for survival. But the victories over Kerry, Monaghan and Armagh salvaged their top flight status and means that they enter the knock-out season in bouyant form.

This year’s title race for the Anglo Celt and Sam Maguire Cups sees another significant change in the format. For the first time, success or failure on the provincial stage doesn’t automatically provide an advantage on the All-Ireland stage. Instead, Tyrone are guaranteed their place in the group stages, the winners of which will progress into the later stages of the race for Sam Maguire glory.

Nevertheless, Feargal Logan, Brian Dooher and the players are focusing their full attention on the visit of Monaghan to Healy Park on April 16 as they put the finishing touches to their preparations. With an emphatic win over them already secured a few weeks ago, hopes will be high of another significant victory.

Improving on the fortunes of 2022 when a defeat to Derry was followed by an All-Ireland Qualifier exit to Armagh is also a priority and Frank Burns is under no illusions about the task facing the Red Hands as they prepare for what all hope will be a prolonged championship campaign.

“It was good to finish the National League well with the win over Armagh. That game was always going to be tight, and the three wins in a row was important.

“We were facing relegation before the three wins. But that’s the league wrapped up and it’s about knuckling down again now for the Championship coming up.

“The panel has 100 per-cent been strengthened during the first part of the year. There’s new players coming in who are pushing the rest of us on. Nobody is guaranteed a place. They are flying, and the U-20s from last year’s All-Ireland win are coming in and looking for places as well.

“Competition is healthy and we’re happy with the way things are at now.”

Monaghan will arrive in Omagh under the new manager, Vinny Corey and on the back of a massively successful survival challenge. Once again this year, they secured their Division One status with victory on the final day of action, after a campaign for long periods of which they looked like 2023 was going to be the season when their decade-long stretch in the top flight would end.

Of course, both counties will know a lot about each other, having met on numerous occasions in the past decade. All-Ireland clashes, including the famous 2018 All-Ireland semi-final and the 2021 Ulster Final have whetted the appetite of the fans for what is certain to be a closely-fought encounter.

As a result, Tyrone are clear about the challenge facing them from their neighbours to the south.

“The way Monaghan turned arounf and pulled the win over Mayo out of the bag shows the spirit of Monaghan,” added the Pomeroy clubman.

“It shows the fight that they have in them. We know that the Monaghan that we played in the league three weeks ago will be a shadow of the team coming to Omagh. We’re going to have to get ready for that fixture.

“To be honest the quicker return to action is personally not something I’ve thought too much about. As a player, you want to be playing more games because that’s what you’re looking for.

“Looking at the last couple of years Galway had a chance and Dublin had one to put Monaghan down and none of them managed it. I’m not surprised at all, and they’ll have a bounce coming to Healy Park.

“We know what we’ll be facing against Monaghan and we’ll have to be ready for them.”

For Tyrone, the disappointments of 2022 are now firmly in the past, as the side with a strong core of All-Ireland winners and newcomers bids to make the most of their opportunities in 2023, starting with this derby clash on Sunday week.