Sport

Memories of 2002 mean Tyrone will be on their guard

Brothers Joe and Justin McMahon are in the Tyrone squad named to play against Sligo
Brothers Joe and Justin McMahon are in the Tyrone squad named to play against Sligo Brothers Joe and Justin McMahon are in the Tyrone squad named to play against Sligo

All-Ireland SFC Qualifier round 4B: Tyrone v Sligo


(Saturday, Croke Park, 4pm, live on Sky Sports 1)

SLIGO, Croke Park, qualifiers: for Tyrone fans from the pre-bandwagon era, those three words will be enough to make them shudder.

That was the darkness before the dawn. And on July 21, 2002, few Tyrone supporters could have envisaged the sunrise that lay around the next corner. Fewer still would have travelled to Dublin that Sunday harbouring any fears that Sligo could actually beat a Tyrone side that had lifted the National League title earlier that year.

For the sake of context, the bookies can offer an insight into the scale of the shock. Prior to the throw-in, Tyrone were ranked as 6/1 shots to win the All-Ireland title. Sligo were 66/1. Given that the teams have not crossed swords since that fateful day in 2002, it’s only natural that parallels will be drawn between then and now.

The similarities are obvious. Thirteen years ago, Tyrone reached Croke Park after negotiating their way past Wexford, Leitrim and Derry. Like this year, Sligo enjoyed a less circuitous route to Croke Park. In ’02, routine wins over New York and Leitrim gifted the Yeatsmen an easy passage into Connacht final where they were beaten by Galway.

Ostensibly, it looked like Sligo had fallen at the first serious hurdle they had encountered. There seemed little to suggest that they would present Tyrone with too many problems.

However, with the benefit of hindsight, Sligo’s defeat to Galway did actually provide some clues that they were an accomplished outfit. For starters, they only lost to Galway by three points, and it’s worth remembering that the Tribesmen were the reigning All-Ireland champions.

The lop-sided nature of the Connacht final meant most observers failed to give Sligo due credit for their performance.

At one stage Sligo trailed by 1-11 to 0-5. They only began to function in the last quarter. During that period they held Galway scoreless and rattled off six unanswered scores. But rather than praising Sligo for their resolve and battling qualities, most pundits focused on Galway’s collapse.

Tyrone also learned to their cost that the Sligo men had a stubborn streak. Despite falling into a six-point deficit in the first half, Sligo fought back to win by five points.

Although the Red Hands have won three All-Ireland titles in the intervening years, that game from 13 years ago will provide the backdrop for today’s clash at HQ. But it’s extremely unlikely that Sligo will repeat the heroics which they served up in ’02.

Scratch beneath the surface and Niall Carew’s men will be short on confidence. In a weak Division Three, they managed just three wins over Louth, Wexford and an injury ravaged Armagh team. While excellent against Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final, their annihilation by Mayo in the final is bound to have left deep and lasting wounds.

Had Sligo secured a series of impressive results in the League, or if they had regained momentum in the Qualifiers with a run of victories, they could have worked the Connacht final out of their system. But a 26-point hammering is never quickly forgotten. It damages the collective psyche of a changing room. Doubts creep in. Trust is fractured.

Westmeath received a similar pasting from Dublin and the effects of that trouncing were evident when they played Fermanagh last week. Once Fermanagh got on top, Westmeath only provided token resistance. Unlike the team that bounced back so brilliantly against Meath, they were incapable of mustering any type of response.

A similar scenario should unfold today. Sligo are too inconsistent. Barring their league victory against Armagh and their shock win over Roscommon, they have endured a fairly humdrum season.

As long as Sligo are given no reason to believe that they are going to produce a sequel to their diplay against the Rossies, the Red Hands will come out on top.

This is not to say that Tyrone are anywhere near the finished product. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Tyrone players are the first to admit that their performances against Limerick, Meath and Tipperary were riddled with flaws.

But that’s not the point. What’s more important is that Tyrone have won those games. When confronted with adversity, they have prevailed. Trailing Meath at half-time, and despite playing into the breeze in the second half, they came out on top. A trip to Tipp against a county brimming with vengeance could have been a booby-trap, but Tyrone still emerged triumphant.

Tyrone’s weaknesses are well documented. The forward unit lacks cohesion. Defensively, the team can be slightly robotic. A reluctance to push out of pre-ordained positions, and press up the field, means opposition runners can build speed and hit the defensive screen at pace. This partially explains the high volume of cheap fouls which were conceded against Tipperary.

On a more positive note, Tyrone have shown tremendous energy. Their work-rate is relentless. In a team bereft of superstars, there is a collective honesty about the current squad. They are prepared to knuckle down and do whatever it takes.

Sligo will be chastened by their experience in the Connacht final. They will not want Mayo’s 6-25 to form the lasting image of their year. Sligo will be on a mission to add a new chapter to their season.

Tyrone need to survive the initial onslaught. If they can stop Sligo from gathering a head of steam, they will have one foot in the quarter-final. And if Tyrone can produce a period of dominance, Sligo’s fragile confidence will eventually be exposed.

There will be no repeat of 2002.

Tyrone: N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, R Brennan; R McNabb, J McMahon, P Harte; C Cavanagh, M Donnelly; T McCann, M Bradley, C Meyler; D McCurry, S Cavanagh, C McAliskey.


Sligo: A Devaney; R Donavan, K McDonnell, D Maye; K Cawley, B Egan, E Flanagan; C Breheny, N Murphy; B Curran, M Breheny, N Ewing; D Kelly, P Hughes, A Marren.