Hurling boss McShane hopes to bounce back

VICTORY is essential for the Tyrone hurlers in one of their final two matches as they reflect on a narrow one point loss to Sligo in the Christy Ring Cup last weekend.

It’s been a good start to their first season in the competition, but now the Red Hands will need to focus on their final matches away to Meath and then at home to a London team that they defeated in the National League.

Team manager, Michael McShane, was in no doubt about where the tie against Sligo was lost. The 0-20 to 1-16 final scoreline indicates a close contest, although Tyrone trailed on two occasions by seven points before staging two determined revivals.

“This game was lost in the first 30 minutes because we didn’t turn up, we didn’t work and didn’t commit ourselves to the game,” he said.

“To score just three points in the first half-hour of an inter-county game is woeful and there’s no other way of saying that. Our shooting was also abysmal and I don’t know why because it’s something that we practice every day.”

Before the Sligo tie, Tyrone were in contention for a place in the Christy Ring Final. Now, though, it will be about securing their place in the competition for 2024 and getting the wins that they need from those final matches. In the meantime, the players and management will return to training this week knowing what is being demanded as the 2023 season reaches its climax.

“We have to work for everything we get,” McShane added.

“That’s the strength of Tyrone. If we had played a bit more of what we’re capable of we would have won the game fairly handy because we stayed in it right to the end.”