Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MICKEY HAS GOT TO STAY
Tyrone great Mulligan expects Red Hands to give Connolly a very warm welcome back
OWEN MULLIGAN wants the Tyrone county board to hand Mickey Harte a new two-year deal - even if Dublin win Sunday’s All-ireland SFC semi-final.
Former Red Hands star Mulligan claims that Harte (above), in his 15th year in charge, has “galvanised” Tyrone after guiding the county to back-to-back Ulster titles. “It took him a while and there was a bit of pressure on him but he has galvanised things,” said Mulligan. “He still hasn’t got that extra year he wants but if he’s dining at the top table of a semifinal and winning these games, you have to.”
Mulligan added: “The supporters see it, I just don’t think the county board see it.”
DIARMUID CONNOLLY can expect some “special treatment” whenever he appears for Dublin on Sunday.
And former Tyrone star Owen Mulligan believes there are now enough “kinks” in the reigning All-ireland champions’ armour to give the Red Hands the belief that they can cause a semi-final upset.
Mulligan predicts that after 12 weeks outside the Dubs camp due to suspension, Connolly is unlikely to start but instead will be thrown into the fray as a high impact sub.
But whether Jim Gavin gambles on the St Vincent’s playmaker from the start or off the bench, Mulligan expects that Connolly is in for a very warm welcome back because that is the Tyrone way.
“I read one of Alan Brogan’s articles about how he hated Tyrone,” said the three-time All-ireland winner.
“He hated Tyrone because we targeted him over the years. He was the best player on the field.
“That’s the way it is now in Gaelic football, you target the best players. You have to target the score-getters.
“These boys would be no different. That’s the way Mickey Harte goes about his business. The best players have to be canceled out – do that and you have a better chance of winning.
“He’ll be in for special treatment, I’d say. You only have to look at his sending off, his discipline record. Tyrone will definitely pounce on that.”
Mulligan points to Mayo’s Lee Keegan’s marking of Connolly in the past as the template for Tyrone. And he’d like to see Padraig Hampsey put on Connolly when the time comes.
He added: “I’m not one for a man getting a box to the back of the neck or head but you have to get up close and personal in Championship games.
“That’s our take on it. That’s been the Tyrone way. There are boys there that can do that.
“I’d like to see Hampsey on him – Hampsey’s a top class player and is another one of those who comes up with the scores.
“If he can do that then Connolly will have a bit of a job on his hands as well. It would be a great battle.
“Hampsey’s a hardy boy. He would’ve been a boxer in his day and I think he has a couple of Ulster titles. But we don’t want that to get
out onto the field. Connolly can handle himself as well.”
Dubs boss Gavin has kept his cards close to his chest in terms of his plans for Connolly, who was sent off against Carlow for putting his hands on linesman Ciaran Branagan. A proposed 12-week ban was upheld. A defender, Eric Lowndes, played in Connolly’s position in the All-ireland quarter-final victory over Monaghan and that slot looks open. “It’s a big call,” acknowledged Mulligan. “I don’t think Connolly will start but he’s top class, one of the best. He’ll be training flat out. He was suspended a couple of years ago and came on and did the business and I think it’ll be no different.
“He’s in the prime of his GAA career. He’ll hit the ground running – it’ll give Dublin and their fans a lift. Gavin likes to play with his best team at the last and I think he’ll come in.”
Mulligan scored one of the best goals ever witnessed at Croke Park in the drawn 2006 All-ireland quarter-final against Dublin.
He speaks of the Croke Park factor and players thriving or wilting in front of Hill 16 but Mulligan is confident that Tyrone can expose the Dubs.
“I think that they’ll beat Dublin,” he said. “Dublin are an exceptional outfit. It’s a massive challenge but the tools are there to compete and to get over the line. I went to the Leinster final instead of the Ulster final and saw kinks in their armour.
“I’d never seen teams go through Dublin through the middle but Kildare got through for a couple of chances. Jonny Cooper wasn’t playing and he’s a big asset, an organiser as well as a marker. But if you ran at Dublin in years gone by they would’ve stopped you. They would’ve hunted in packs. I didn’t see that against Kildare.”