McGarry content with Donegal draw

GOOD performances combined with more points on the NHL Division 2B table are the twin objectives for the Tyrone hurlers as they reflected on their battling revival which saw them come from behind to seal an important draw last weekend in Omagh

Games between the Red Hands and Donegal are inevitably closely contested and Sunday’s was no different. Aidan Kelly’s late equalising free earned Tyrone a share of the spoils and leaves them nicely placed ahead of the round four trip to London next weekend.

In the meantime, the focus is on improving at training in Garvaghey. It’s a priority for new team manager, Stephen McGarry, who is well aware of the challenges facing them as the league action reaches a crucial stage.

“We missed too many chances, but it was a good game of hurling. The draw is probably a fair reflection,” he remarked afterwards.

“There’s no doubt that a win would have been better. We set out every day to win, but in the grand scheme of things there’s a change.

“It’s every week we go we try to perform. This is a new look Tyrone team with new personnel and we’re trying to instil that performance-based with them. It will be the same for the London game in two weeks time.

“From my perspective you’re wanting to win the game so there’s a degree of disappointment in the changing room. But it doesn’t change anything in the long-term. We just push on in the next few weeks and prepare well for London.”

London will prove a stern challenge as well in Ruislip, despite what has been a mixed start to the campaign for them.

Nevertheless, Tyrone will be hoping to make their mark. Victory in this game could catapult them into a bid for promotion.

“There are a lot of areas within that game that we have to go away and look at and need to improve on,” added Stephen McGarry.

“That’s to be expected with a team that’s a fairly new looking team. Boys are coming in and with the turnover of players. They’re learning all the time and we’ll get there.

“The London trip is so important because it’s our next game. After the Derry game, and after the Roscommon game and after this, it’s the next game that we focus on.

“We don’t look at league tables, we don’t look at possible outcomes, we’re just solely focused on doing our due diligence on London and looking to go out and perform to our max.”