Harte reunion will spice up rivalry-McConnell

JUST over three years after last patrolling the sidelines for a Tyrone match, Mickey Harte will be thrust back into that position this Sunday- but in a vastly different role.

The three times All-Ireland senior winning manager bowed out as Red Hand boss in the aftermath of a first round loss at an empty Ballybofey to Donegal in the covid-impacted winter Ulster Championship of 2020.

Since then he has guided the fortunes of Louth before making the shock managerial switch to high-flying Derry during the past off-season.

The stunning move meant a meeting with his native County was inevitable and such a scenario will guarantee a huge crowd at Celtic Park this Sunday for this National League derby blockbuster.

All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Pascal McConnell feels his former Red Hand manager new role as Oak Leaf boss will add extra spice to the weekend showdown between the great Ulster rivals.

Speaking for a preview on the Gaelic Lives podcast, McConnell is expecting an electric atmosphere in Celtic Park this weekend. However having played under Harte at minor, U-21 and senior level for Tyrone,he  feels his former boss will treat Sunday’s clash as merely business.

“ It will feel strange, there is doubt about it and it is still strange from a Tyrone perspective that he is managing Derry but it is what it is,” McConnell said.

“Mickey is his own man at the end of the day. He has a job to do in Derry and that’s what he is there for.

“Mickey, being Mickey…is a winner and he’ll be approaching this game no different to any other with any other team he has managed.

“It will be a bit surreal and the media will pump it up that wee bit more and it will add that bit of spice.”

McConnell feels it will only add to a rivalry that has stood the test of time in all competitions.

Derry were one-point winners over Kerry in Tralee and the former ‘keeper was impressed with what he saw from Tyrone against Roscommon.

He commented on the attacking addition Darren McCurry will bring and feels Conn Kilpatrick’s availability would be a major factor if the Edendork man’s appeal against Sunday’s red card is successful.

“There were some nice performances by some of the Tyrone men,” he said, also referring to some of the narrative that relegation was on the horizon.

“Darragh Canavan, with eight points at the weekend, has continued on his form. You had young Ben Cullen there who acquitted himself really well, a real work horse and got his Tyrone stint off to a flyer.

“You had young Ciaran Daly of Trillick with three points from play. With the return of Darren McCurry, so if Darren can make an appearance it will give us a bit more artillery up front.”

Looking forward to Sunday, McConnell feels both teams approach could lead to a low-scoring encounter.

“It’s a game that could get very defensive,” he said. “We know the two styles that Derry and Tyrone put out there so it may not be the highest scoring game.

“Both teams have been working on attacking and breaking at pace, so that may be a factor as Celtic Park is a tight field.”