Story of the Season…
THE day after Tyrone exited the Ulster Championship to Monaghan, all the talk was about the wonderful spectacle that took place in Omagh and the sheer brilliance of Conor McManus.
Although there were only a couple of points between the sides at the end, Monaghan were far superior. But there were extenuating circumstances. Tyrone did well to keep it competitive.
Collie Cavanagh and Tiernan McCann were clearly not match fit. Neither was Lee Brennan and Mark Bradley suffered a bad ankle injury and limped off midway through the first half. What could have gone wrong for Tyrone did go wrong.
Still, the consensus was that Monaghan had perhaps overtaken Tyrone and were better equipped to push for All-Ireland honours.
It probably didn’t help Harte’s predicament when his former captain Sean Cavanagh bemoaned the style of Tyrone’s play and that they weren’t reaching their attacking potential.
Parts of Cavanagh’s analysis were entirely justified but the timing of the criticism couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Tyrone management team.
Tyrone's perceived failings were only reinforced when they needed an injury-time equaliser down in Meath – courtesy of Cathal McShane's boot – to force their All-Ireland Qualifier into extra-time.
In the absence of some of their key players Conor McAliskey, Frank Burns, Michael McKernan, Padraig Hampsey, Peter Harte and Niall Sludden all stepped up to the plate.
The Qualifiers were good to Tyrone this year, and after that nerve-shredding afternoon in Navan the road got a little easier.
All of the players talked about the strengthening of the bond while on the road to Carlow, Cavan and Cork where Tyrone gathered momentum and, more importantly, got key players fit again.
With each passing game, reaching the Super 8s looked a done deal.
And it was during those three games against Roscommon, Dublin and Donegal Tyrone showed signs that they could reach their first All-Ireland final in 10 years.
While Roscommon turned out to be the whipping boys of the group, it was Tyrone’s insatiable pursuit of more scores in the second half against Kevin McStay’s side that suggested Mickey Harte’s men could get closer to the Dubs.
A week later, the narrowing of Healy Park garnered just as many headlines as Tyrone’s brave fightback against Jim Gavin’s side.
Despite Tyrone’s gusty challenge, the Dubs proved a point in Omagh. No matter how close Tyrone got to them, Dublin had problem solvers in most areas of the field to stay ahead of the Ulstermen.
Tyrone’s Super 8s clash with Donegal in Ballybofey was one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the summer.
Donegal played the role of a cute boxer – scoring enough blows from off the ropes but they were always destined to lose, even if it wasn’t until the 63rd minute Tyrone edged in front.
Two things emerged from Ballybofey that afternoon: Harte’s excellent bench options, particularly Lee Brennan and the continued excellence of Kieran McGeary, and the coming-of-age performance from Padraig Hampsey.
The Coalisland man took longer to make the breakthough at senior level than some of the class of 2015, and while he had a solid 2017 season, he reached greater heights this summer.
Hampsey blotted out Michael Murphy in the middle of the field by running the legs off the Glenswilly man and hit two points.
The following day against Monaghan, Ronan McNamee moved off Conor McManus and Hampsey took over the man-marking duties for their All-Ireland semi-final meeting and did an excellent job.
Tyrone laboured for a lot of this re-match but so too did Monaghan with Sludden’s second-half major proving the difference between the sides at the end.
The celebrations of reaching their first All-Ireland final in 10 years was tempered by the fact that they were facing Dublin again. And for the first quarter, in the final Tyrone led 0-5 to 0-1. In some respects, Tyrone let the Dubs off the hook during their period of dominance by hitting some desperate wides.
Dublin settled to the task and hit 1-3 without reply between the 19th and 23rd minutes before Niall Scully palmed home in the 28th minute to effectively win the game.
Tellingly, the Dubs won 29 of their own kick-outs to Tyrone’s 18. When the All-Ireland champions win that amount of ball, they are so difficult to dispossess. The Dubs are still out in front. Tyrone clawed back some ground, but there is some tough terrain ahead to depose the champions.
What they need…
TYRONE got roughly 70 or 80 per cent of their tactics right against Dublin in the All-Ireland final. Their match-ups had sound theory behind them. They weren’t as passive in defence, they pushed up as much as they could on Stephen Cluxton’s kick-outs and they tried to win turnovers higher up the pitch, exemplified by Kieran McGeary’s ferocious tackling along Dublin’s half-back line.
But you can’t legislate for a couple of badly directed kick-outs in a three or four-minute. Against any other opposition, Niall Morgan’s rush of blood wouldn’t have been fatal. But when you’re facing into arguably the greatest team to ever play the game, every mistake is punished.
In theory, Tyrone don’t need a lot – they just need more time to work on the more attacking system that they devised for the Dublin clash.
You can see the value of playing Mattie Donnelly in midfield – or in a defensive sweeping role – because he is so assured and diligent in his defensive work, but the Trillick man has the feet and unerring ability to beat a player to add value to the attack.
Collie Cavanagh was completely nullified in the final but he was exceptional against Donegal and Monaghan, so it’s important Mickey Harte retains the Moy man’s services in 2019 for his leadership and much-needed aerial ability.
Harte will be looking for the likes of Frank Burns and Kieran McGeary to assume more responsibility and drive the Tyrone defence forward in 2019. And both men are well able to kick the ball long which will add more variation to their attacking play.
And for a few minutes in the All-Ireland final, Collie Cavanagh showed that there remains great value to have a target man on the edge of the square.
One ball on top of Cavanagh yielded a penalty. The Tyrone forward line could do with more height and that’s why the management team could be looking at someone like Brian Kennedy of
Derrylaughan who offers a different kind of presence offered by the likes of Mark Bradley, Connor McAliskey and Lee Brennan.
Manager status…
FINISHING second to All-Ireland champions Dublin – arguably the greatest-ever Gaelic football team – was an excellent return on behalf of Mickey Harte and his management team.
Harte’s current arrangement with the Tyrone County Board runs until the end of 2020 and there is no reason why the Errigal Ciaran man won’t see that term out.
Had Tyrone crashed out at the first All-Ireland Qualifier hurdle to Meath, the manager’s status might have come under more scrutiny regardless of the 2020 arrangement.
Harte will enter his 17th year as Tyrone’s senior manager in 2019.
Mr Consistency…
A LEADER of the U21 All-Ireland winning side of 2015, it took Padraig Hampsey a bit longer to make the breakthrough at senior level than some of his colleagues. He was good in 2017 and outstanding in 2018.
The Coalisland man didn’t have a bad game this summer with his high points coming in the back-to-back victories over Donegal and Monaghan where he blotted out the threats of Michael Murphy and Conor McManus. He was also one of Tyrone’s better players in the
All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin. Low maintenance and can play anywhere Hampsey is the classic modern-day footballer with the full skills set. An honourable mention goes to Connor McAliskey who, apart from one sticky spell against Donegal, had an excellent summer.
End of the line…
YOU look at the birth certs, you look at game-time and then you look at the competitive for your place next season. Aidan McCrory is 30 and only made three substitute appearances and with the likes of Michael McKernan’s star rising, the Errigal Ciaran stalwart might be tempted to call it a day.
Cathal McCarron is also 30 and has major rehab ahead of him and will probably come under pressure to get a starting jersey from the likes of Hugh Pat McGeary. Collie Cavanagh had a long season especially with the Moy doing so well and then he suffered an injury prior to the Championship that sorely curtailed him.
Long after the final whistle sounded against Dublin, Cavanagh stood in the middle of the pitch for quite some time. It seemed like a goodbye of sorts until he told journalists afterwards that he didn’t want to leave on that note. A penny for Collie’s thoughts when he gets notification for pre-season.
The new breed…
DERRYLAUGHAN’S Brian Kennedy could be a possible option for Mickey Harte to consider. The towering midfielder would put you in mind of a young Brian Fention. Kennedy, who stands at 6ft 4in, has the full skills set and impressed at U20 level this year.
Likewise, goalkeeper Benny Gallen of Aghyaran looks the real deal and has the mental toughness to step up to senior level and learn from the likes of Niall Morgan and Mickey O’Neill.
Former minor captain Peter Og McCartan continues to impress in county colours and his club Errigal Ciaran. He has the pace to be a real asset at either half-back or half-forward and is obviously a player Mickey Harte knows well.
Paul Donaghy, another key member of the U20 squad in 2018, could offer the Tyrone forward line much needed height. The Edendork man also has fine feet and is capable of making the breakthrough. Of course, the likes of Harry Loughran and Declan McClure will want to push on after being on the fringes for most of this year.
10...
THE number of players that featured in every one of Tyrone’s 10 Championship games in 2018: Cathal McShane, Colm Cavanagh, Frank Burns, Kieran McGeary, Mattie Donnelly, Michael McKernan, Niall Sludden, Padraig Hampsey, Connor McAliskey and Ronan McNamee.
