Lidl National Football League Division Two relegation play-off: Tyrone v Clare (Sunday, Pearse Park, 2pm)
TYRONE find themselves battling to save their Division Two league status for the second year in-a-row with Clare standing between them and safety in Sunday’s relegation play-off decider at Pearse Park, Longford.
A year ago, Tyrone were ruthless in their relegation of Wexford, hitting 11 goals past their Leinster opposition to keep themselves in the second tier.
However, a lot has happened in the last 12 months for the Red Hands with their drop to intermediate championship football for this season, substantial player turnover and just a few weeks ago, the departure of manager Kevin McCrystal.
Sean O’Kane has stepped in to fill McCrystal’s position in the interim - at least to the end of the summer – with his first challenge to try to save Tyrone from the drop to Division Three.
It’s certainly a position they would rather have not found themselves in, says captain Niamh O’Neill but it’s one they are and willing to put up a fight for.
“We want to stay up, but I don’t think we feel any more pressure than normal,” said the Sperrin Og, Greencastle player.
“Division Two is a very tight league whatever way you look at it, be that in its split format or over it all. There is not much between the teams and life in Division Two is never going to be easy. You have a real battle in each game, nothing comes easy and unfortunately we find ourselves battling at the bottom.
“You don’t want to be there but it is what it is, and it’s an extra game, another game, and we will go out and give it a go.”
Tyrone picked up just one point from their three games – all against Ulster opposition – and that was a controversial draw against Monaghan while Clare all their games to Laois, Kerry and Tipperary to finish bottom of their group.
Both teams have are seasoned residents of Division Two and to stay there is of huge importance to both especially when it comes to championship preparation.
Clare, an intermediate championship side, have been a division two team since 2012 after winning the Division Three title the year before while Tyrone have been around for the last five years having come down from Division One after relegation in 2017.
Despite the challenges the season has presented so far for Tyrone, O’Neill knows there is still a long way to go and is looking forward to it.
“Things have been doing well since Sean has come in, training is good, there is a positive mentality and there is a good buzz.
“There are a big few weeks ahead – obviously we have Clare first but then we need to think about championship after that. Clare are a physically strong side, they have very good forwards but we also know that on the day anything can happen. We want to go out and give it our all and if we do that we can’t ask for anything more.”
