TG4 ULSTER CHAMPIONSHIP

TG4 ULSTER CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL

PADDY HUNTER

Tyrone will attempt to get the weekend of Ulster semi-final action off to a winning start when they face Down at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday evening as part of a double header of  TG4  ladies semi-final fixtures.

Armagh, Monaghan, Down and Tyrone will be plotting the downfall of each other on Saturday with Jimmy McCloughans injury hit side up first against Down, a side they last met and beat two seasons ago.

Armagh still the fancied side to come out on top in the province take on Monaghan

Tyrone and Down have had  some cracking battles down the years, Saturdays will be no different. Tyrone boss Jimmy McCloughan though has not had a good week. He may recently have stepped into the breach for home town club Fintona Pearses to help lift the men’s senior side when the original management team moved on, but he has watched his Tyrone senior squad trail back to training week in week out in the last month with the injuries mounting up.

At one stage in the past fortnight eleven players were receiving treatment and McCloughan quipped “ you thought Mickey Harte had bother”. The situation was not helped at the weekend either with a full round of senior football league games going ahead. For the boss and several senior players in this overall youthful squad it was not the perfect build up for an Ulster semi-final.

“ No to be honest I wanted the games off and so did the girls, its well known that we have a lot of injuries and I didn’t want to see that list rise any further, I am disappointed that some folk don’t seem to care about the senior squad” said manager McCloughan. 

The Tyrone fixtures committee felt they had no option but to play the round of games, free dates a problem with a new look all Ireland series on the horizon, however it left the management with a dilemma that they could have done without. Two week’s ago a skeleton Tyrone side lost to Sligo at a charity game away from home, it was a good opportunity for players, especially the young guns from the Ulster championship winning minor squad to stake a claim, it also prompted a recall for a past squad member said McCloughan.

“ Kelly Meehan came along to help us out , she worked hard and I asked her to stay on again, she had to quit earlier this year, I was happy at the younger players, as I have said before they are all there on merit, it’s about the future”

That said a blast from the past is back in contention for a place in the squad again and Tyrone fans will be delighted.

Just like Peter Canavan was a talisman for the counties men’s sides down the years so too has been Alish Gormley for the ladies. From the day she almost single handedly secured Tyrone’s first all Ireland junior titles against New York, the talented teacher has led the forward line for Tyrone.

Injury curtailed her involvement last year but after the same surgery that Phillip Jordan and Joe McMahon received Alish is back to her best with An Charraig Mhor.

Her Tyrone boss in his first Ulster senior ladies campaign is happy with the veteran of many Summers,

“ Alish is lacking match practice at the moment but she is doing some great work for her club at Centre half forward and I know she will do a job for us, she is a real leader and the younger girls will look up to her”

“ I am hoping she will join us shortly again, she still has plenty to offer Tyrone”

Gormley though is one of the established players still part of the Tyrone set up, Siobhan McGarvey, Selina Oguz and Captain Anne Dooher are the household names in this outfit but McCloughan is planning for the future, he openly admits an Ulster final appearance would be a bonus this year in light of all the injuries but for him it’s a three  year plan.

“ I am looking ahead yes, Sarah Connolly, Christiane Hunter, Niamh Woods, players like that will be the backbone of our senior teams in years to come but I am targeting a win on Saturday, don’t get me wrong either, if we had everyone fit I know we could challenge anyone and that includes Armagh”

The chances of having midfielder Sarah Donnelly, Cathy Donnelly and Caroline McGinley available for the trip to Breffni on Saturday is slim and the Tyrone supremo is also hearing rumblings of America within his camp, he believes at least one expeierienced player is set to pack her bags shortly. The age old problem of going to the states in the Summer still a headache for managers of clubs and counties alike..

“ Yes it’s a problem but I am not alone, several managers from throughout the country have been talking about the American trips for long enough now, I am disappointed that players don’t show the commitment though to their county and clubs at home, from a Tyrone standpoint we just get on with it and its Down on Saturday”

The Mourne girls are hungry to home in on a final spot,l they have been steadily rebuilding and feel 2007 could at least see them achieve that first target, phase two of course would be winning the title. Tyrone with all their injured personnel and not the best of build ups are vulnerable admits the manager of eight months,

“ Down are going to be tough, they have quality players and they have experienced heads such as Michaela Downey, I have no doubts they will fancy their chances, We do after all have the injury crisis but I know our girls are ready for this semi-final, as I have said before it would be a bonus with this new look squad but we are out to win at all costs and anyone that will come in will do the job for us, we are aiming to reach the final and with everyone back who knows ?”

McCloughans injury worries have been well documented in the past month but on the balance of things Tyrone should have enough in the tank to secure a final berth in July.

Tyrone captain Anne Dooher and her family had split loyalties several weeks ago as the Ulster senior football championships in men’s and ladies football roared in to life on the same day. Fermanagh were facing Brian’s team at Clones while Annes charges were at Aghyaran to tackle Donegal, thankfully both Tyrone sides came out on top but it was a salutary lesson on how not to promote ladies football.

Originally the game had been fixed for  the Saturday at a Tyrone venue, then out of the blue it was switched to Pairc Esler in Newry, part of a double bill with Down and Cavan the main feature in their Ulster championship replay. At the eleventh hour it was moved again, back to Tyrone alright but at the same time as the county minor boys were facing Fermanagh ahead of the clash in the senior championship. Certainly impossible to market and very difficult for the Tyrone skippers family. Anne wanted to watch Brian lead out the men and visa versa for Mickey Hartes captain.

“ It wasn’t good now “ admitted Anne as she continued her own recovery from injury, “ our house is football mad and we all support each other, that day it didn’t work out that way and I am glad it wont happen this weekend”

Dooher like Brian has had injury problems and was a doubt for that clash with Donegal, thankfully like Maura Kelly she has shook off injury and looks forward to meeting Down again, albeit with a note of caution in mind

“ They are a good team, we beat them a couple of years ago at Edendork as we went on to the final but I know we will have to play better against them than on our last outing against Donegal. There’s one or two decent players in their side and like ourselves they feel its time to get an Ulster final outing again”

Tyrone have a glut of injuries ahead of Saturdays clash, Annes just glad she’s not one of them this time,

“ We do have a couple of knocks alright, a couple of the girls are certain to miss out, so we have to make an extra effort to get through to the final shakedown. I have to admit too that I think the games at the weekend could have been off , its not fair to ask girls to play in club games just a couple of days ahead of the Ulster championship, its always a worry with injuries and that”

Looking ahead to Saturday and Dooher is happy to be in the game, the double header on Saturday is set to be a big occasion.

“ I am looking forward to it, we are part of a good double header but its important the Tyrone football public come out and give us the support we deserve, its an Ulster semi-final that we can win.”

Tyrone boss Jimmy McCloughan will look to the youth in his squad once again in this tie but its vitally important the “ older heads” perform too, a fact not lost on the skipper,

“ We know what we have to do on Saturday, Down will be up for it but I Know we have the ability to go on and reach the first of this years goals, that is of course reaching the Ulster final again”

Dooher is confident and happy going into the game and she will be boosted by the support of her family when she leads Tyrone out at Breffni Park. Brian included.