DREAD HANDS
Rebels record has Mac on edge
ON paper, Tyrone shouldn’t have anything to fear from facing Cork given the level both teams have been operating at in recent years.
However, Ronan Mcnamee admits the Rebels are a team who always give them problems and there’s a sense of nervousness around the Red Hand county ahead of this fourth round qualifier in Portlaoise tomorrow (5pm).
“Our track record against them wouldn’t be that good,” says fullback Mcnamee. “They beat us handy enough a couple of times in the League in Omagh while we drew with them a few years ago in Cork.
“They are always very tough opponents and are always strong and physical and full of pace.”
Despite huge playing numbers, Cork continually struggle to get it together and have failed to haul themselves out of Division Two for the last two years.
Most damning of all, they coming off the back of a shambolic 17-point hammering by Kerry in the Munster final.
Tyrone, by contrast, have won backto-back Ulster titles and a regular Division One team... so why the apprehension?
For one thing, Tyrone have never beaten Cork in championship football. They lost the 1973 All-ireland semi-final and again, another All-ireland semi-final in 2009.
“I was at Croke
Park that day as a spectator and the one thing that stood out to be that day was the pace with which they played the game, especially their half forwards,” recalls Mcnamee. “Tyrone were defending All-ireland champions but Cork deserved to win. “It was almost like a changing of the guard because they may have lost in the final that year but they came back 12 months later to beat Down and win the Sam Maguire.”
Tyrone boss Mickey Harte (below) was in charge in ‘09 and always has, and continues to, rate Cork highly. They have had two weeks to sit and think about their embarrassing noshow against Kerry while Tyrone have been plodding through qualifiers against Carlow and Cavan.
Mcnamee adds: “Everyone is just one game away from the Super 8s so there’s everything at stake and there is little between any teams.”