Ulster duo battle for date with Dublin and Mcnamee knows Farney will not fear Red Hands
TYRONE defender Ronan Mcnamee says Monaghan “won’t fear us” as the Ulster rivals slug it out today for a place in the Allireland final. The Aghyaran fullback has urged Tyrone to grasp “the
biggest prize” and end their losing streak at the last four stage.
Mickey Harte’s have lost their last four semifinals in 2009 (to Cork), 2013, 2015 (both Mayo) and 2017 (against Dublin).
Mcnamee was involved in three of those defeats and hopes today’s showdown will be different.
“It is the biggest prize for any footballer to grace the field on the biggest day but not everybody is lucky enough to get that opportunity,” said the 26-year-old.
“We have had that opportunity a good few times and we never took it.
“Last year we had a bad day against Dublin, the year before was a bad day against Mayo, but fingers crossed we will go out and give this a good rattle.”
This is Monaghan’s first Allireland semi-final in 30 years, while Colm Cavanagh is the only survivor from Tyrone’s last Allireland final appearance in 2008.
And for both Tyrone and Monaghan, this is a massive opportunity to reach an All-ireland final.
The Ulster rivals would both definitely have taken this scenario at the start of the campaign and both have reason to be optimistic.
Tyrone have eaten Monaghan in two All-ireland quarter-finals in 2013 and 2015 in Croke Park which partly explains why they’re favourites to beat Malachy O’rourke’s side again today.
However, Mcnamee is wary enough, knowing Monaghan won two Ulster Championship clashes in 2014 and more recently this May in Omagh.
He declared: “Monaghan will not fear us, they never have.
“They came to Omagh and beat us and they have beaten us in Clones before, while we have beaten them in Croke Park before.
“They will be sticking to their plan and all their focus will be on us, but we will be doing the same.
“When it comes down to it there is a kick of the ball between the teams.
“Monaghan will be thinking the exact same, they will not be taking a step back so we will just take it as it comes.
“They will definitely not be losing any sleep over us, I would put it that way.”
Since losing to Monaghan in Healy Park on the May 20, Tyrone have had a flurry of games.
Starting against Meath on June 9 – when they came within seconds of being knocked out in normal time before Cathal Mcshane forced extra time right at the death – today’s game will be their eighth in 10 weeks. And Mcnamee says they are loving it.
“It is great because it is football, football, football. “The players could not want for anything else, just playing and playing and playing and you couldn’t beat it.
“Boys are getting gametime and putting their hands up and are boys coming on and are the changing of the game.
“Kieran Mcgeary, Conall Mccann, Declan Mcclure, Lee Brennan, Harry Loughran, they all put in a serious shift against Donegal.
“Wee Lee was class. The last thing a tired defender wants to see is that man coming on and to be fair to him he put his hand up.”
irishsport@trinitymirror.com