Get back on track
Roscommon v Tyrone
Tomorrow, Dr Hyde Park, 2pm
OWEN Mulligan once said that while scoring 1-7 against Roscommon was okay, it wouldn’t win too many All-irelands.
The three-time All-ireland winner always held himself and his Tyrone team-mates to account.
But what any Red Hand player would give for that sort of personal haul in Dr Hyde Park tomorrow after two league defeats which have left this trip to Connacht as a must-win for Mickey Harte’s troubled side.
Only seven points from play have been scored, 0-17 in total, in the timid displays against Kerry and Mayo.
While the need to up the scoring power is obvious, another Tyrone Allireland winner Joe Mcmahon reckons they need to get their house in order at the back, in order to go forward.
“Over the years Tyrone know how to set up defensively and are a counter-attacking team, they’ve had a lot of success playing that game,” says the Omagh St Enda’s man.
“They are trying to experiment with a more open, expansive game but you can’t neglect the day job either.
“If you don’t take your chances up front then you only hurt yourselves and that is what’s happening at the minute but they are struggling at the back too.
“I hope Colm (Cavanagh) is back soon to bring the team a bit closer defensively. There are gaps which have been exposed when the players have tried to push up and when they’ve gone man to man.
“Colm is the type of player who can manage the game brilliantly – he knows when to go and when to sit back and absorb the pressure and without him the team has seemed a bit unsure of itself.
“I’m sure there was a lot of soul-searching done this week.”
Tyrone’s sluggish start to the League season has taken Mcmahon as much by surprise as anyone.
He thought a high quality, high intensity Mckenna Cup final win over Armagh would tee the team up perfectly for a lively start to Division One.
“What more of a platform would you need than that Armagh game?
“It’s surprising because they were dominant in that game and it seemed like the ideal way to go into the League. They’ll be more annoyed at their own performances than anyone.”
Tyrone hammered Roscommon by 18 points in the Super 8s last summer and they’ve had a lot of joy against the Rossies over the years.
Hyde Park is a difficult place to go – Monaghan came a cropper there last week – but Tyrone might just get something going here.