Grogan geared up for hurlers Royal engagement

VICTORIES in two out of their three matches so far in Division 2B mean that the Tyrone hurlers are in bouyant mood ahead of what is effectively a top of the table clash against the league leaders from Meath on Saturday.

Four points from the wins over London in round one and then Sligo last time out have ensured that the Red Hands are well placed to secure their survival in the higher ranks. But there is no room for complacency either as they prepare for this weekend’s clash and then meeting Donegal in the final game of the campaign.

It is more than two decades since Tyrone last met Meath in hurling and they are still seeking a first win. They lost out in 1998, 199 and again in 2000 when Meath scored 2-4 in the final minutes to emerge 3-12 to 0-7 winners in a game played in the unusual hurling surroundings of Dunmoyle. This Saturday at 2pm, the teams will meet again at Healy Park, with the Royals once again being widely tipped.

But that won’t worry the home hurlers too much as they seek to upset the odds. As Conor Grogan explains, they are keen to maintain the momentum of the league so far in what is an extremely tight division.

“It’s good to be in the position where we’re near the top of the Division, but at the same time things are extremely tight,” said the Eire Ogs clubman.

“There’s three or four teams really on near enough the same points, Meath are red hot favourites to win the whole league, they’ve played in the Joe McDonagh and Christy Ring and have been a solid Division 2A team for many years.

“For us, this is our first sort of venture at this level. We’ll be going out for the win, and at the same time test ourselves against a team of Meath’s calibre. They’re loaded with players who have been at that higher level and are backboned by players from the Trim team which gave the Intermediate All-Ireland a big challenge.

“It’s going to be a steep learning curve for us. But then this is where we want to be and it’s about doing our best on Sunday.”

The closeness of the exchanges so far in most of the Division 2B games offers plenty of hope for Tyrone, and also a warning that they can take nothing for granted.

Nevertheless, after those wins over London and Sligo, the indications are positive for the team.

“Our two wins have been very important in terms of boosting our confidence. Every game is tight in this division. We started slowly against Sligo and eventually got our act together. The London team could have gone anyway, and to be honest there’s no game which hasn’t been very tight so far,” he added.

“The one game we lost against Wicklow was also very close. Obviously, we’ll be trying to make home advantage count. We’re at Healy Park, but there’s nothing really between us and Meath who’ll be coming here thinking about getting the points they need to reach the final.

“There’s a fine in all the divisions. One week you’re potentially in line for promotion and then the next you’re fighting against relegation.

“You see that across all the leagues and you just have to go out and perform each week and concentrate on your own game. You have to be looking over your shoulder at all times.”

Victory on Saturday would certainly be a memorable win for Tyrone, and further emphasise their hurling progress as they look towards the conclusion of the Division 2B league and then their debut matches in the Christy Ring Cup next month.