CAUGHT RED HANDED
Boss uses ‘06 ambush as warning for champs
BY
IT remains one of the greatest upsets in the history of the Ulster Championship.
In May, 2006, Tyrone began the defence of their All-ireland crown with a home tie against Derry. It seemed a formality for the Red Hands, who won their second All-ireland in three seasons in 2005 following a 10game Championship odyssey.
Tyrone’s vulnerability without Peter Canavan (retired), Brian Mcguigan and Stevie O’neill (both injured) would become apparent as Paddy Crozier’s Derry ambushed the Sam Maguire holders in their own backyard.
Inspired by a pre-game speech from 1993’s All-ireland winning boss, the late and great Eamonn Coleman, the Oak Leafers held Tyrone scoreless in a remarkable first half of football with Enda Muldoon’s second half goal giving them a 1-8 to 0-5 win.
Joint-manager Feargal Logan believes that loss should guard against any sense of complacent in the Tyrone camp, especially considering managerial colleague Brian
Dooher captained the Red Hands that day while coaches
Collie Holmes, Joe Mc
Mahon and Peter Donnelly also featured.
“It is a big warning,” stressed Logan. “It might seem like a long time ago for some people, but for me, the Tyrone and Derry rivalry goes back a lot longer than that.
“It is a very deep rivalry. There are warning signs all over that (2006 game), especially coming off the back of a successful season.
“Tyrone struggled to even get on the scoreboard that day.
“There’s big warning signs there that I hope our players will heed them.”
At the mid-way point of the Allianz Football Leagues, it looked like Tyrone and Derry might swap divisions.
The Ulster and All-ireland champions were in a precarious position and their place in Division One was far from current while Derry looked primed to take one of the two promotion berths after winning their first four games.
Yet, Rory Gallagher’s men stumbled in the late key games.
That might have dampened expectations in Derry ahead of their Championship meeting with Tyrone, but Logan insists that the Oak Leafers are brimming with talented footballers.
“Brian (Dooher) made the point that Derry are a Division One in all but name at the moment,” said Logan.
“They’ve a lot to offer and they’ve had a lot of club success and Derry are no strangers to success. This team has won trophies in Croke Park and they’ve really built a solid team under Rory (Gallagher).
“I know they had a dark time, but the darkest hour is just before the dawn and they’ve
probably won as many games as any other team in Ireland over the last two years”
Tyrone’s chances of avoiding another shock defeat to Derry received a double boost earlier in the week.
Conor Mckenna’s red card from the preliminary round win over Fermanagh was overturned while All-star defender Peter Harte is back in training after having his appendix removed.