Harte rewards Brennan with semi-final role

TYRONE manager Mickey Harte has retained faith in Rory Brennan for Sunday’s All-Ireland Championship semi-final against Monaghan at Croke Park.

Brennan was sent into the action as a substitute after just five minutes in last Sunday’s game with Donegal as a replacement for Michael McKernan, who incurred a black card, but this time out he will replace Conor Meyler with McKernan reinstated at right-full-back.

Brennan made an impressive contribution in the win over Donegal but it was his brother Lee who really stole the show when he landed four points after being brought on in the second half.

There seems little doubt that

Big impact: Rory Brennan

he will again be deployed from the bench on Sunday along with Harry Loughran and perhaps Declan McClure, who scored Tyrone’s goals in the 2-17 to 1-13 win over Declan Bonner’s side.

Harte has resisted the temp- tation to make further changes to his side, preferring instead to adhere to his full-forward line of Mark Bradley, Ritchie Donnelly and Connor McAliskey even though they managed only one point from play between them last weekend.

Padraig Hampsey has been named as Colm Cavanagh’s midfield partner but could yet be deployed in a man-marking role as Tyrone seek to curb the threat that Conor McManus and Ryan McAnespie in particular might offer.

Skipper Mattie Donnelly will again have a vital role for Tyrone as his ability to break tackles and discomfit the Monaghan defence could prove crucial.

Tyrone: N Morgan; M McKernan, R McNamee, R Brennan; T McCann, F Burns, P Harte; C Cavanagh, P Hampsey; M Donnelly, N Sludden, C McShane; M Bradley, R Donnelly, C McAliskey.