HARTE PINPOINTS MEATH SCARE AS TYRONE TURNING POINT
PETER HARTE has claimed that Tyrone’s first round qualifier scare against Meath has provided the Red Hand County with the belief to launch a title charge. If Tyrone avoid defeat in Sunday’s final round Super 8s clash with Donegal it will send them into the last four of the Championship, an unlikely prospect when they seemed destined to crash out in the opening round of the qualifiers. Meath’s Ben Brennan had the opportunity to kick his team into a two-point lead in the final minute but missed, and Harte has pinpointed that as the tipping point in Tyrone’s season. Brennan’s kick clipped the outside of the post and Cathal McShane went back up the field to kick the point that forced the game to extra-time. Harte believes that scare was a blessing in disguise. ‘It just gives you that wee bit more belief,’ insists the 26-year-old. ‘Our season could have been done and dusted but we are still here. We still have things to fight for and we can still improve and it just brings a sharp reality that that’s how quickly your summer can end. ‘It could have been late June or early July sitting watching the rest. ‘I think one thing about the Super 8s; for the counties that aren’t in it — it’s a hard watch, seeing teams play and not being involved.’ Tyrone have emerged as front-line contenders for the All-Ireland after surging through the qualifiers, despite being written off after their shock Ulster exit to Monaghan. Harte insists that the players were never bothered by ‘fickle’ punditry. ‘The media and the public can be very fickle. If you win one week you are All-Ireland contenders and if you lose the next week you are out of it. ‘The same thing that was said about us after losing to Monaghan was said about Monaghan after losing to Fermanagh, but coming into the last round of the Super 8s both teams are a win away from making the semi-final. ‘What people say on the outside we try to not listen to now because we know ourselves what we are doing and what we are working towards. If you listened to half the stuff out there you would wreck your head so it is all about switching off and focusing on yourself,’ added Harte. And that is why he is also taking no comfort for Tyrone’s performance last time out, when the team were lauded for running champions Dublin to three points in Omagh. ‘We don’t want to be a team that’s gallant losers,’ he insisted. ‘You run Dublin close, well done, pat on the back. Tyrone teams have never been like that. ‘We wanted to beat them, we wanted to win. We didn’t do it. ‘We got relatively close but on reflection, I’ve watched the game back, and there are a lot of wee things we can do to improve.’