MAN OF THE MOMENT
NIALL SLUDDEN (TYRONE)
HE only made his Championship debut in last year’s Ulster Championship meeting between the counties, but Sludden has since become one of the first names on Mickey Harte’s team-sheet.
With a defensive formation that relies so heavily upon runners from deep, the Dromore man is a potent asset.
His performance against All-Ireland champions Dublin earlier this year was breathtaking, as Sludden slalomed through the Sky Blue rearguard time and again, coolly slotting over three brilliant points.
The fact he was man-marked by player of the year Lee Keegan when Mayo came to Omagh in March shows the sense of danger he poses, and Sludden was Tyrone’s main attacking threat that day before receiving a controversial black card.
TEAM TALK
DERRY
B McKinless; N Keenan, B Rogers, K McKaigue; C McFaul, C McKaigue, C McWilliams; C McAtamney, D Heavron; R Bell, N Loughlin, E Lynn; D Tallon, E McGuckin, B Heron
A hip injury keeps Neil Forester out of tomorrow’s game, while James Kielt is suspended after picking up a straight red card late on in Derry’s final League game against Fermanagh.
Ben McKinless starts in goal after Thomas Mallon left the panel during the week, while the talismanic Mark Lynch is surprisingly named on the bench.
Ciaran McFaul makes his first start of the year after recovering from a finger injury.
TYRONE
N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, P Hampsey; T McCann, R Brennan, P Harte; C Cavanagh, C McCann; K McGeary, N Sludden, C Meyler; M Bradley, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly
Padraig Hampsey, Conall McCann and Kieran McGeary will all make their first Ulster Championship starts tomorrow as Mickey Harte rings the changes for the cross-Sperrin derby.
The Red Hand boss has made five changes from the Tyrone side that lost out to Kerry in their final National League game, with Niall Morgan, Ronan McNamee, Rory Brennan, Conor Meyler and Matthew Donnelly replacing Mickey O'Neill, Cathal McCarron, Ronan McNabb, Padraig McNulty and Darren McCurry.
KEY BATTLE
Brendan Rogers v Sean Cavanagh
ROGERS won his fair share of battles last year but probably lost the war as Cavanagh was instrumental in several Red Hand scores.
On a greasy surface as the rain lashed down on Celtic Park, and with Derry already trailing, the Moy man was the architect of Tyrone’s second goal. Mattie Donnelly pumped a long ball forward and Cavanagh held off Rogers before seeing his shot saved by Thomas Mallon, only for O’Neill to find the net.
The Slaughtneil man has undoubted class and athleticism, as demonstrated throughout his club’s all-conquering Ulster campaigns last year, and will have learned from that experience if he locks horns with Cavanagh again.
DERRY TACTICAL TAKE
DERRY conceded two early goals in last year’s Ulster Championship defeat to Tyrone, leaving them facing a huge uphill battle.
Surely they can be expected to flood the defence in a bid to avoid the same thing happening again. However, there wasn’t too much evidence of any defensive solidity during the League.
In a campaign that saw them relegated from Division Two on the final day, Derry conceded more than any other county in the second tier - 11-104 over seven games. That’s an average of 19.5 points per game.
Both Meath and Galway ran in huge scores against the Oak Leafers, though they showed their Jekyll and Hyde quality by surprisingly coming up trumps against high-flying Kildare.
The return to the fold of Slaughtneil’s McKaigue brothers – Chrissy and Karl – as well as Brendan Rogers gives them greater physical presence and experience.
However, even if they do manage to limit the Red Hands’ scoring opportunities, it is difficult to see how they could then rack up enough scores at the other end to win.
TYRONE TACTICAL TAKE
TYRONE’S tactics have been the subject of considerable scrutiny since last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final exit to Mayo. What happens when the running game isn’t enough? Do they have a direct option?
In the rain of Celtic Park this time last year, the Red Hands surprised Derry by going long early on, profiting handsomely as Sean Cavanagh and Ronan O’Neill wreaked havoc.
Mickey Harte may go for more of the same tomorrow if, as expected, the Oak Leafs attempt to shut up defensively to avoid a repeat of that early onslaught.
However, it is in the DNA of this group to play a possession game with runners coming from deep and, when they find their groove, there are few better in Ireland.
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING
2016 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Derry 0-12 Tyrone 3-14
TWO first half goals from Ronan O’Neill, and a third from Peter Harte just break half-time, ended this game as a contest by the halfway mark.
The counties had already met four times in the months prior to their Championship encounter, and a spicy affair was expected.
Despite O’Neill’s early major, Tyrone only led by one point 16 minutes in but what followed in the remaining 20 or so was one-way traffic as the Red Hands cantered into an 11-point lead at the break.
Although the spoils were shared in the second half, both scoring 0-6, the damage had been done.
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2016 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Derry 0-12 Tyrone 3-14
2009 Ulster SFC semi-final: Tyrone 0-15 Derry 0-7
2006 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Tyrone 0-5 Derry 1-8
2004 Ulster SFC preliminary round: Tyrone 1-17 Derry 1-6
2003 Ulster SFC quarter-final replay: Tyrone 0-17 Derry 1-5
2003 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Derry 1-9 Tyrone 0-12
2002 All-Ireland Qualifying round three: Tyrone 1-17 Derry 1-12
2001 All-Ireland quarter-final: Derry 1-9 Tyrone 0-7
2001 Ulster SFC semi-final: Tyrone 3-7 Derry 0-14
1997 Ulster SFC semi-final: Derry 2-15 Tyrone 2-3
1996 Ulster SFC semi-final: Tyrone 1-13 Derry 1-8
WHO’S THE REF?
Maurice Deegan (Laois)
DEEGAN is one of the GAA’s more high-profile refs, taking charge of last year’s All-Ireland final replay between Dublin and Mayo – his third appearance on the biggest stage.
Having refereed his first Championship game in 2004, he has played the role of pantomime villain plenty of times but has the experience to handle a potentially hot and heavy game like that expected at Celtic Park tomorrow.
BETTING BOX
Derry 4/1
Draw 10/1
Tyrone 1/4
Handicap
Derry (+5) 8/11
Draw (3) 9/1
Tyrone (-5) 5/4
WEATHER WATCH
UNLIKE the pouring rain that greeted the players at Celtic Park last year, tomorrow is expected to be overcast but dry during both the minor and senior matches. The sun could even poke its head out by the end of play - but which set of supporters’ mood will that reflect?
