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Back in business?
I WOULDN’T be getting carried away just yet with Tyrone’s win over Cavan – the Breffni County rarely put up much of a fight against the Red Hands – but it was certainly a heartening performance. There’s no reason why Tyrone shouldn’t string together further wins against Louth and Offaly in the coming weeks, and then the promotion race will come down to crunch ties against Meath and Cork in the final rounds. If we have aspirations of dining at the very top table, we really should have nothing to fear.
Geezer’s not a fan
IT’S almost amusing how much Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney loathes the new rules. For example, on last weekend’s midfield battle against Roscommon, McGeeney commented: “It’s that 50-50 game that everybody wants. There is no skill in it, it’s just pure piggery. It depends on what way the momentum is going. It’s hard to shake that when it is going against you. People find it exciting, so I can’t see it changing.” Sometimes he tries – mostly in vain – to diguise his contempt for the whole endeavour. Then there are occasions where he gives it both barrels. Here, we’re all allowed opinions.
Darragh’s set for the land Down Under
DARRAGH Canavan was in scintilatting form against Cavan at the weekend, deliving an exhibition of attacking play. Before the match, there had been a few mistaken whispers that he wouldn’t be available, but the journos weren’t completely off-base. Darragh will be about for Sunday’s game against Louth, but he’ll miss the concluding rounds of the league as he’s set to go to Australia for a month. He’ll be welcomed back with open arms when he returns.
Wounded warriors
IT’S easy to forget that quite a few Tyrone players are injured at this point in time. Darren McCurry is still recovering from a calf injury, while Ruairi Canavan and Niall Devlin have played no part in their league campaign to date. There’s no big panic – the main thing is that McCurry and Canavan and co are back on the field of play when it really matters. At the same time, that Croke Park-date with Meath in mid-March could well come to define Tyrone’s promotion tilt so it’d be nice if there’s a clean bill of health by that point.
Proving a point
Tyrone midfielders Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick shipped a fair bit of flak for their performance against Derry at Celtic Park. Perhaps they personally felt a point to prove against Cavan, because they were in superb form in Omagh in Sunday. Conn’s rampaging runs forward led to a number of scores – and he kicked one himself. Kennedy weighed in with a coolly taken first-half goal and his overall contribution was excellent. Hopefully there’s more to come down the line.
