ART McRory is being hotly tipped for a return to the Tyrone senior football team.
Although it would hardly take a genius to link the Dungannon man with the vacancy, it appears there may actually be some substance to the rumours.
Few men have given more service or effort to the Tyrone cause than McRory, and if he has the heart to go back, the county board are sure to listen.
With the start of the National League at the end of next month, Tyrone understandably will want to find a successor to Danny Ball as soon as possible.
It’s believed county officials are due to meet with McRory in the very near future, possibly even over the weekend.
When asked whether he would be interested in the position yesterday evening, McRory joked:
“Don’t you think I have my purgatory done?”
On a more serious note, he said he wanted to “state categorically” that he had not at that stage met anyone in connection with the post.
“I have not met anyone in the county board nor have I accepted any jobs relating to the team,” he said. McRory managed
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All-Ireland MFC semi-final replay: Down v Dublin (at Navan)
DOWN are hoping for a replay repeat at Navan today (3.30) when they battle Dublin again for a place in the All-Ireland Minor football Final against Mayo.
Manager Gerry Dougherty intends to revert to the tactics which worked so well against Donegal in the Ulster final re-run, with changes expected in formation from the named lineup.
Mayobridge’s Ronan Sexton, selected at top of the left, may switch to full-forward but drop much deeper, playing round the middle of the field.
That will leave space for John Fegan and PJ McAlinden, the latter promoted from the bench, to play as twin target men in the full-forward line.
Sexton’s role is part of Down’s plan to crowd the middle, winning enough ball to fire plenty of supply for the twin-pronged attack.
The forward line has already been changed, with Gary Morgan’s back injury preventing him even taking a place on the bench, prompting McAlinden being handed a starting jersey - as he was in the Ulster replay.
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U21 international: Northern Ireland 1 Turkey 2
NORTHERN Ireland U21s’ Euro 2000 qualification hopes have all but vanished after they were sunk by Group Three leaders Turkey at Mourneview Park.
Turkey won the match with two classy goals in the first seven minutes to leave the north with only a slight mathematical chance of qualifying. The Turks were understandably fired up for the game following the earthquake in their country and they sang their national anthem passionately before the one minute’s silence in memory of those who died.
They tore straight into Chris Nicholl’s side and took the lead with a well-worked goal after five minutes.
Erhan Albayrak played a lovely defence-splitting pass through to Nihat Kahveci, who cut inside before returning the ball to Albayrak who rounded Roy Carroll to score.
The north were still reeling when Albayrak turned provider for their second 95 seconds later.
He crossed from the left for Kahveci to unleash a shot, which Carroll could only parry and Berkant Goktan tapped home the rebound.
Northern Ireland hauled themselves back into the match with a goal after 20 minutes.
Sean Friars sent over a corner from the left and skipper Danny Griffin headed home at the back post.
But the victory guaranteed qualification for the Turks, although the win was soured by a bust-up between Coote and Eren at the final whistle.
N Ireland: Carroll, Griffin (Ferguson 89), McGlinchey, Whitley, Burns, Waterman, Johnson, G Graham, Coote, Healy (R Graham 83), Friars (McVeigh 70).
Turkey: Atkas, Eren, Gulduren, Ozturk, Ozbey, Dokme (Cimsir 57), Kahveci (Akdis 85), Koprulu, Goktan, Basturk (Ozsoy 71), Albayrak.
Att: 1,200
Ref: Igor Yarmenchuk (Ukraine).
