Tyrone Senior Football Championship first round: Omagh v Ardboe (Wednesday, the Athletic Grounds, 8pm)
OMAGH and Ardboe enter the Donnelly Vauxhall Tyrone SFC title race this evening in a re-scheduled first round tie.
The Athletic Grounds in Armagh will host this historic event, the first ever Tyrone senior championship to be played outside the county.
It was postponed on Saturday due to a bereavement in the Omagh club, whose Healy Park home is the only floodlit facility in the county.
With no other neutral venue available, the CCC sought help from neighbours Armagh, who have come to the rescue by making their county ground available.
The winners will have just four days to regroup and prepare for a quarter-final clash with Greencastle at Killyclogher on Sunday.
Omagh could be without Justin McMahon for what is expected to be a close encounter. The former All-Star, who recently announced his retirement from inter-county football, is struggling with injury, and was not named on the team for the original tie, nor among the substitutes.
If Ardboe manager Brian McGuigan and Omagh boss Paddy Crozier stick to the teams selected to play at Loughmacrory last Saturday, former Tyrone players Shay McGuigan and Conor Clarke will face off at midfield.
Kyle Coney and Red Hand teenage star David Mulgrew for a potent attacking partnership for the lough shore men, while Omagh have Ronan O’Neill and Conor Meyler in their attack, although the latter is likely to operate in a withdrawn role.
Omagh are bidding to win a second title in four years, while Ardboe have not won the O’Neill Cup since 1998.
The St Enda’s are almost back to full strength after a league campaign hampered by injuries, with Conan Grugan, Joe McMahon back to full fitness, and Micheal Gallagher restored to the team.
Ardboe will be hoping to build on the consistency they displayed in the latter part of the league, qualifying for the semi-finals, which have yet to be scheduled.
