SAVED bacon goes out of date very quickly these days. No quicker were Tyrone reprieved in Division One than the inquisition was beginning over what would occur next weekend in Ballybofey.
In a game that conformed to very little of its expectation, Conor McKenna rampaged through Castlebar and inspired his team to safety, in the process condemning Mayo to the drop for the first time in 23 years.
Mickey Harte had handed a first league start to Darragh Canavan, who netted the other goal, but defensively it was what they were without that might still not present in six days’ time.
Padraig Hampsey didn’t travel and Rory Brennan is still facing a 12-week suspension after his appeal to the Central Hearings Committee was rejected.
Harte yesterday hit out at the length of the ban, saying that a three-month tariff was not in keeping with “the current situation”.
"It doesn’t appear so, we need to wait to see what the legislators say about that,” he said when asked if the Trillick man would be available.
“I don't think in the current situation, where even 12 weeks is rough sentence for anything when you consider what he did and that 12 weeks now is the same 12 months any other year.
“It takes you completely out of the season so maybe people have to make adjustments with this Covid business. We've all had to make adjustments, maybe the regulations need adjustment as well.”
Harte declined to say whether the appeal would go the whole way to the Disputes Resolution Authority if needed, saying the idea was “pre-emptive”.
“You wouldn't have to go there if you got the right answer the next time.”
Conor McKenna’s impact on Tyrone has already been significant, not least because of the absence of Cathal McShane from their attack.
The Eglish man’s readjustment seemed almost complete yesterday as he looked at ease in the heaving rain and wind of MacHale Park, a far cry from the southern coast of Australia.
“I wasn’t surprised with Conor McKenna because he is a sports fanatic and he is a ball playing fanatic, round ball, oval ball, just let that man loose with it. That is the nature of him,” said Harte.
“He did not take long… it took him a wee bit of time to adjust to the continuous movement of the modern game while I think the Australian Rules is more of a burst and a break, burst and a break, so he to adjust to that, but his handling and kick-passing is just great. His value to us is immeasurable.
“[His] awareness is one thing but the ability to execute, he is a great striker of the ball and that has been honed in the place he has been for the last five years.
“So, yes, it is nice to see something good come out of that for us because I thought much would but it did and I am grateful for that. He really is a wonderful kicker of the ball and that has been honed at a high level over the past five years.”
