Football

Harte doesn't want any half measures from Errigal in Tyrone SFC clash

Errigal Ciaran were eight points down against Moy in their Tyrone SFC first round clash but managed to recover and book a quarter-final tie with Dungannon
Errigal Ciaran were eight points down against Moy in their Tyrone SFC first round clash but managed to recover and book a quarter-final tie with Dungannon Errigal Ciaran were eight points down against Moy in their Tyrone SFC first round clash but managed to recover and book a quarter-final tie with Dungannon

MARK Harte is demanding an entire hour of full-blooded endeavour from his side in Sunday’s LCC Group Tyrone SFC quarter-final clash with Dungannon.

After falling eight points behind to a rampant Moy side in the last round, the Dunmoyle men finally found their form in the second half to get over the line.

Harte warned that another slow start will undoubtedly mean exit from the title race.

“As you go through the Tyrone Championship, and the quality increases, those halves when you don’t perform at all will just knock you out,” said Errigal’s joint manager.

“So we have got to really put together an hour’s performance the next day if we’re going to be any good to Dungannon.”

With seven members of Tyrone’s All-Ireland winning squad, as well as a more recent county recruit, Errigal have one of the most talented teams in the county.

But their championship opener lacked the anticipated star quality for a lengthy stretch of the clash with outsiders Moy.

“We were way off it. It was enough to get by, and it was all we wanted, I suppose.

“We’d be happy with certain parts of our play, but we have a lot of work to do to be up to Dungannon’s level.

“For me, in the league this year, they were the best team we played.

“They have been there or thereabouts, including winning the championship, in the last couple of years, so we know the work we have to do, but we’re just relieved to get the opportunity to do it.

“We have an awful lot of soul-searching to do, as was the case at half-time.

“The boys came up with the answers in the second half, but whether it’s good enough the next day, that’s another question, but we’re just lucky to be still in the Championship.”

This weekend’s tie at Carrickmore will be the second Championship meeting of Dungannon and Errigal Ciaran in three years.

The Clarke’s won a thriller in 2020 on their way to a first O’Neill Cup triumph in 65 years.

“It has been very tight, even league games, this last couple of years. They pipped us in the Championship a couple of years ago, they have won a Championship, so they are very much established as the benchmark in Tyrone football.

“But we’ll prepare as best we can, and hopefully will have everybody available and we’ll see where it goes.”

Harte and co-manager Adrian O’Donnell will be hoping to have attacking ace Ruairi Canavan available for Sunday’s game.

Injury prevented him from starting in the last round, but he came off the bench at half-time, and along with brother Darragh, tormented the Moy defence as the game swung in Errigal Ciaran’s favour.