Sport

McNabb: Tyrone's All-Ireland Championship form no surprise

Ronan McNabb believes Tyrone's underage pedigree since 2008 is coming to the fore in this year's Championship ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry
Ronan McNabb believes Tyrone's underage pedigree since 2008 is coming to the fore in this year's Championship ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry Ronan McNabb believes Tyrone's underage pedigree since 2008 is coming to the fore in this year's Championship ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry

TYRONE defender Ronan McNabb has claimed their unexpected run to an All-Ireland semi-final against old foes Kerry has its roots in this year’s ill-fated National League campaign.

While the Red Hands were relegated on the last day of the league and will play Division 2 football next year, their performances in particular against Kerry and Dublin boded well for this year's championship.

McNabb believes that despite setbacks against Donegal and Monaghan during the league, Mickey Harte's under-pressure Tyrone side were beginning to play their way into form.

“We had a couple of good performances, a couple of games where we felt we should’ve got the result.

“Dublin in Croke Park, Cork and Kerry were three of the games that stand out where we should’ve got a result but we didn’t - but we knew we were building confidence and belief.

“We knew there were small simple things that we need to get right and there are a lot of small simple things we still have to get right but the great thing is we have two weeks to prepare and we’re delighted to still be in the championship.”

Tyrone’s qualifier exit to Armagh in the last year’s championship caused concern and no little criticism among the the O'Neill county faithful – the intensity and will-to-win associated with the triple All-Ireland winning side seemed to consigned to the dustbin of history.

But in years to come that Armagh match may turn out to have been a watershed for this new generation of Tyrone player.

McNabb said: “Steel isn’t something that doesn’t come overnight, it has to be developed. During the league, when we were getting beaten and going out the next day with all the negative talk about it, sometimes that creates steel and while we were disappointed to be relegated, that’s probably the positive we got out of the league.”

The Dromore clubman captained Tyrone to All-Ireland minor success against Mayo in 2008. Another Tommy Markham Cup was to follow two years later, and Harte hasn’t wasted time in introducing the cream of this year’s All-Ireland under 21 winning side. McNabb, who has nailed down his spot in the Tyrone half-back line, believes it all adds up to a senior team capable of creating their own bit of history.

“If you look at the team there are a lot of players with a lot of success. through youth and their clubs. There’s players coming in fresh from the Under-21 side and there are a lot of All-Ireland minor medals there.

“Success didn’t follow for my minor side at level but, there’s a lot of work going on at the minute with this group and everybody’s trying to push on and try to right the wrongs of previous years and get back to where Tyrone were in ’03,’05 and ‘08.

“That’s where we’re aiming for all the time and reaching a semi-final is progress.”

Standing in Tyrone’s way are reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry. Their quarter-final dismantling of a shell-shocked Kildare side was the performance of the season but McNabb isn’t apprehensive about the prospects of meeting the Kingdom.

“It was unbelievable to watch but everybody knows that’s what Kerry can do. There’s a ruthless streak about them - I read an article during the week where Colm Cooper says whenever he gets the ball all he thinks about is goals and that’s the challenge in front of us.

“[But] as everybody can see we have a game-plan and we try to stick to it as best as possible. The likes of Cathal McCarron, Ronan McNamee and Big Justy McMahon did a great job [against Monaghan] and we held out.

“We need to push ourselves on another bit and hopefully we’ll get the result and push on from that as well.”