Football

Connor McAliskey: This Tyrone team wants it's own Ulster title

Derry&rsquo;s Dermot McBride tries to halt the advances of Tyrone&rsquo;s &nbsp;Connor McAliskey during yesterday&rsquo;s Ulster SFC quarter-final clash<br />Picture by Colm O&rsquo;Reilly
Derry’s Dermot McBride tries to halt the advances of Tyrone’s  Connor McAliskey during yesterday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final clash
Picture by Colm O’Reilly
Derry’s Dermot McBride tries to halt the advances of Tyrone’s  Connor McAliskey during yesterday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final clash
Picture by Colm O’Reilly

IT might be six years since Tyrone had their name inscribed on the Anglo Celt Cup, but for Connor McAliskey and so many of his team-mates, that history is someone else’s property.

They took a big step towards potentially securing a 14th Ulster title with an emphatic 3-14 to 0-12 win at Celtic Park yesterday, in which the Clonoe man registered two points.

McAliskey recognises that there is a big challenge ahead to even reach a final, with Cavan or Armagh now in their path in four weeks’ time, but their hunger is evident.

“You talk about six years being a drought, but you look at the team, how many of the boys have won an Ulster title at senior level? It’s not about a drought for six years.

“The turnover of players, it’s a very fresh team and boys want to get their own Ulster title. We’ve been trying to work game-by-game, hopefully we can push on and get there.

“We’re trying to improve and step up. We’re putting in a big push. That’s the first step over, it’s a semi-final now and we’ll be fully focussed on that and trying to get to the final.”

There will be further evidence needed yet that their major ill of last year is solved, but Tyrone scored as many goals in the first 37 minutes yesterday as they did in the whole of last year’s Championship run.

Ronan O’Neill netted twice and Peter Harte put the final nail in the Derry coffin in first half stoppage time to leave the Red Hands with a cruise into a semi-final meeting with Cavan or Armagh.

Mickey Harte has spoken about how the chances missed last year – particularly against Kerry – needed to be finished if Tyrone are to compete for real silverware.

“If you look at the results last year, the turning points were maybe goal chances that, if we’d taken, it might have had a different bearing on the result,” said McAliskey.

“It’s something we’ve been working on, but I wouldn’t say we’ve been over-emphasising it. The players know a wee bit more composure’s needed.

“We finished them well today, there was another couple we maybe could have finished, and we can work on that again on Tuesday night.”

Their goals were all different. The weight of Richie Donnelly’s pass and Ronan O’Neill’s sumptuous dummy had Derry reeling after just 7 minutes.

Sean Cavanagh’s strength made something out of nothing from Mattie Donnelly’s dropping effort and when his effort was saved, the ball eventually bounced to O’Neill for his second.

Then Peter Harte displayed the ruthlessness that was the best sign of all for Tyrone. He could have kicked the point twice, maybe three times, but waited until the pass to Sean Cavanagh opened up and then took the return to drop-kick a third off his right foot.

“I think the boys worked between themselves. Ronie’s first goal, the dummy sent the two boys to the shop and set himself up for an easy finish,” said McAliskey.

“The composure that the boys are getting in front of goal, and finishing very well, though you maybe have to look at the runs coming through opening the run.”

When you’re scoring goals at one end and staying tight at the other, it’s a recipe for success. Yesterday was Tyrone’s seventh consecutive clean sheet in Championship football.

“If you keep clean sheets, it sets a team up well to go and win a game. Keeping the goal and maybe going getting one or two definitely puts the pressure on the other team to go and attack you, and things maybe open and we hit them on the counter-attack.”