WHATEVER WE DO WE JUST CAN’T PLEASE THEM ALL... Red Hands boss Harte insists Mckenna Final against Farney County at Athletic Grounds is for a ‘serious trophy’
Tyrone
vMonaghan
Athletic Grounds, today, 7.30pm
MICKEY Harte looks upon tonight’s Bank of Ireland Dr Mckenna Cup final as a ‘damned if we do, damned if we don’t’ type of situation for competition specialists Tyrone.
When Monaghan beat Tyrone to lift their 14th and last Dr Mckenna Cup title in 2003, the Red Hands were way back on five wins.
Since then it is a pre-season tournament utterly dominated by Harte and Tyrone who are attempting to win a 17th Mckenna Cup tonight in the Athletic Grounds against Monaghan (7.30pm).
“It’s a trophy that when Tyrone win it, people think nothing of it but if we lose it, it’s a serious trophy,” says Harte.
“It’s a serious issue for us to lose this game and it’s no big deal if we win it – that’s the way it is because we’ve been there so often.
“But we have created that situation for ourselves and I’m happy that we have.
“I don’t care what people think of the trophy. It’s one of only four we can contest at senior level.
“It may not rate highly on the Richter scale of success but I’d rather be winning trophies of any kind than not winning them.”
Seamus Mcenaney was not in charge when Monaghan lost their last appearance in the Mckenna Cup final to Tyrone in 2013, but his 2007 and 2010 Ulster final losses to the Red Hands hurt.
However in the last decade Monaghan went on to establish themselves as regulars in Division One and won two Ulster titles under Malachy O’rourke.
Now ‘Banty’ is back for a second spell in charge and buzzing about it, too.
“Malachy has done a fantastic job for seven years and left them in a really good place.
“I am just here to build on the good work Malachy has done. We are delighted to be in Division One and after seven league games we will see where we find ourselves, but it is no extra pressure, no.
“It is great to be here. Our purpose and our goal was to play seven or eight of last year’s championship team and seven or eight of the new lads into the panel in this competition.
“We felt everyone needed game time and we achieved that, albeit we found ourselves getting a bye into the final.”
Donegal pulled out of the semi-final due to a lack of available players, and while Mcenaney may have an opinion on that, he decided not to share it.
“It left Monaghan without a game but I have enough problems without worrying about Donegal’s problems,” he said.
“We respect it and we are here to be as competitive as we can this weekend.
“Any competition you enter you want to be as competitive as you can. To be successful would be an absolute bonus but we’re mindful that the league starts in a week’s time as well.”
Offaly v Longford
O’connor Park, today, 2.45pm
THIS time 20 years ago, Longford were en route to what was, at the time, a landmark O’byrne Cup victory.
The 90s had been grim for the midlanders though they opened the new millennium with a string of stirring wins over Kildare, Dublin and Offaly – three of Leinster football’s strongest sides at the time along with Meath – to reach the final where they saw off neighbours Westmeath at Pearse Park.
With current boss Padraic Davis (above) in the attack, it was their first trophy since winning Division Two in 1972, when the county’s only golden era was starting to peter out.
Longford have lost three O’byrne Cup finals since, most notably to a late Dublin raid in 2008, and face Offaly in the final at Bord Na Mona O’connor Park this afternoon.
They have met on numerous occasions in League and Championship in recent years and Offaly manager John Maughan (inset) even commented after their semi-final win that the pairing wasn’t ideal ahead of their Division
Three clash in Tullamore on February 2.
Offaly’s last victory in this competition was in the same era as Longford’s; they won it for the second year running in 1998.
With home advantage and a stronger panel now at Maughan’s disposal, they look likely to bridge the gap today.
CONNACHT SFL FINAL