Mulgrew eager to nail down regular Tyrone place

DAVID Mulgrew has special reason for looking back at Tyrone’s emphatic 3-17 to 0-8 win over Armagh in the All-Ireland Football Championship last August.

It was in that game that Mulgrew sprinted into the action from the bench and scored two spectacular goals as the Red Hands surged to an impressive victory before eventually bowing out of the competition to a rampant Dublin.

Yet, even if Tyrone’s season did not come up to expectations, Ardboe clubman Mulgrew has plenty to look back upon with satisfaction, although not to the extent that he is under any illusions in relation to competition for places this year.

Sean Cavanagh and the McMahon brothers, Joe and Justin, may have called time on their inter-county careers, but Mulgrew is acutely aware that there is now fresh talent lurking in the wings.

“I think we will see evidence of this in the forthcoming Dr McKenna Cup competition,” he predicted. “There are players capable of coming in and challenging the more experienced brigade.

“While I was happy enough with my performance against Armagh, I realise that it takes a player to be producing consistently good performances to remain part of the team no matter what anyone says.”

Kieran McGeary, Padraig Hampsey and Conall McCann were other comparatively fresh faces that caught the eye this year.

Manager Mickey Harte is set to assess his latest batch of newcomers in the Dr McKenna Cup, in which his side are bracketed with Antrim, St Mary’s University College and Cavan.

The Red Hands open their campaign against Antrim on Wednesday, January 3 before facing St Mary’s on Sunday, January 7 and then completing their group games away to Cavan on Wednesday, January 10.

They will be going for a seventh straight trophy triumph in the competition. Starting point: David Mulgrew wants to prove his worth