Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STRONGEST HAND EVER
Sean: We have more aces in pack than 2003
TYRONE skipper Sean Cavanagh insists the current panel is stronger than the Allireland winning squads he played on early in his career. Cavanagh won two Allirelands in his first four years in star-studded squads in 2003 and 2005 – so this ringing endorsement is sure to raise a few eyebrows. “I would say that it [squad] is much stronger than the ones I played with in my early years,” insisted Cavanagh, who made his senior debut in 2002. “I say that with my hand on my heart, but it has been there for the last couple of years. “For one reason or another, when it has come to the big games in the last couple of years we have not kicked on. “We just have to hope that this might be the year where we might click and we might be able to kick on.” Tyrone’s fade-out in the League, losing their last three games to Donegal, Mayo and Kerry, dented their credentials to retain their Ulster title. Criticised for being too defensive and lacking a cutting edge, Tyrone had 11 different scorers in Sunday’s 11-point win over Derry. Cavanagh bagged 0-7 in an impressive display and says he is “loving every minute” of what he’s already indicated will be his last season of county football. Crowned Footballer of the Year when Tyrone won their last All-ireland in 2008, the 34-year-old doesn’t feel the need to take on the role of protector because the players don’t listen to the criticism they get. Cavanagh said: “We don’t control what is being written about us but I can see the talent is there. “I am seeing it there in training. Whether that is good enough, time will tell. “We just keep the heads down and keep working hard.” Tyrone face another showdown with Donegal in the Ulster semi-final on June 18 at Clones – a repeat of last year’s final thriller which Tyrone snatched at the death. Cavanagh has far more vivid memories, however, of the 0-12 to 0-6 defeat they suffered against Donegal in the league in March “They blew us out of the water up in Ballybofey that Saturday night. “I suppose they will see themselves as having a new energised team - they did not fear us that night in Ballybofey so I don’t think that they will fear us in Clones either. “We have to be ready for that. “They will obviously go into the game as favourites and rightly so. “They had a stronger league than we did and they have been through some bigger tests.”