Football

Tyrone will give due respect to Meath insists Mickey Harte

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte hopes to come away from Navan unscathed tomorrow evening. Picture: Margaret McLaughlin
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte hopes to come away from Navan unscathed tomorrow evening. Picture: Margaret McLaughlin Tyrone manager Mickey Harte hopes to come away from Navan unscathed tomorrow evening. Picture: Margaret McLaughlin

MICKEY Harte says defeat in Navan tomorrow would mean a ‘horrible’ way to end Tyrone’s season.

The Red Hand boss has admitted he has genuine fears over a dangerous Qualifier clash with Meath.

The depleted Red Hands face a battle for survival against a Royal side desperate for its own shot at redemption following a tame Leinster SFC exit.

“The way things have been brought forward this season, this would be a horrible time to go out of the All-Ireland series, early in June, that would make it a very long winter,” said Harte.

“When you are looking ahead to the McKenna Cup on January again you wouldn’t want to be doing that from June 9th.”

Harte expects Meath to show no fear of a Tyrone side that failed to get past the first round of the Ulster Championship after defeat to Monaghan.

And he feels the proud Championship tradition of the Royal county will make them fiercely difficult opponents in front of their own supporters at Pairc Tailteann.

“They’re a Championship-hardened county over years, they have a tradition of being hard to beat in the Championship, and I suppose Navan, their home ground, probably is a bit of a plus to them.

“They seem to be very hard to beat down there, and we know that from playing them a few years ago in the League as well. It wasn’t easy, we got out of it with a few points to spare, but it was a challenge the whole way.

“People talk about expecting more from the likes of Meath and Kildare in Championship football, but when you see the name of Meath, you know that there’s a Championship tradition with them.

“They don’t have any great worries about Tyrone, they have played Tyrone a number of years since the ’80s and acquitted themselves well.

“Some counties might see Tyrone as a big task, but I don’t feel that that will be the case with Meath.

“I feel that they will come into it confident that this could redeem their season after their surprise defeat to Longford.”

But Harte’s openly expressed concerns are tempered by a confidence that his players have come to terms with their failure to challenge for a third successive provincial title.

“People are obviously disappointed because we intended to go on to a semi-final and try and challenge for a third Ulster title,” he said.

“That didn’t happen so that is disappointing no doubt but people come back again after that and just say look we have to roll up our sleeves, this is it now, this is last-chance saloon, you have to challenge.”

Tyrone’s record in the Qualifiers is one source of optimism for a county that has won two All-Ireland titles via the back door route.

Harte remains grateful for a system that has served him well over the past decade-and-a-half, but he’s also mindful of the fact he has experienced some shock defeats in Qualifying games.

“We shouldn’t really fear the fact that we are on this journey. The really important one in all of these is the first game after you are beaten when you just have to get back and get a bit of form together and get that result.”

Harte has made four changes for Saturday’s game. Injuries have ruled Lee Brennan and Mark Bradley out altogether, while Cathal McCarron also isn’t included in the squad. Peter Harte misses out through suspension after picking up a late red card in the Ulster defeat to Monaghan.

Coming into side are Hugh Pat McGeary, Richie Donnelly, Padraig McNulty and Michael McKernan.

Ruairi Sludden, added to the squad this week, is included amongst the substitutes.

Tyrone (v Meath): N Morgan; P Hampsey, R McNamee, HP McGeary; T McCann, F Burns, M McKernan; C Cavanagh, P McNulty; M Donnelly, N Sludden, C Meyler; C McShane, R Donnelly, C McAliskey