GEARS
CLONES, 4PM Mcgeary gunning for an Ulster title before tilt at All-ireland
ULSTER SFC FINAL
The versatile former All-ireland U-21 title winning captain believes retaining the Anglo Celt Cup today would be a huge ‘statement’ to make.
Fellow All-ireland hopefuls Mayo, Galway and Donegal have all suffered damaging defeats already in the Championship, bumping Tyrone up to third favourites for Sam.
Mcgeary wouldn’t dare look that far with today’s Clones showdown on the horizon but admitted it would be great to send out a warning shot all the same.
The rising star Pomeroy club man noted that some critics still believe Tyrone were a little fortunate to even beat Donegal in last year’s Ulster final.
Mcgeary said: “You still get some people who will say that Donegal should have won last year’s final. Look, fair enough, they are entitled to their opinion. But winning back to back titles would be a massive statement to send out from any province, never mind Ulster which is so competitive.
“It would be fantastic going into the next game but we know that we are definitely up against it. We are up against a hungry, hungry Down team - but we are hungry ourselves too.”
Mcgeary is riding the crest of a wave with Tyrone. He made his Championship debut against Derry last year, scoring a point after just 20 seconds, and hasn’t experienced a defeat in Ulster yet.
He’s also won an Ulster intermediate title with Pomeroy and a Siger- son Cup with breakthrough side St Mary’s in the last 12 months.
And as if anyone in Tyrone needed reminding, the half-forward was the Red Hands’ All-ireland U-21 winning captain of 2015.
That surprise Sigerson Cup win is most relevant today as he won it alongside Kevin Mckernan - who will be Down’s experienced talisman.
Mcgeary said: “Kevin was actually the first person I saw when the final whistle went in the Sigerson final. So I shared All-ireland glory with him and I will never forget that.
“But I know he is coming out in this final to do a job for Down, to be a massive leader in their team and I have no doubt he will do exactly that.” Mcgeary has come up against several more of Down’s key players too.
He explained: “I would have ran into a few of those Down boys at university level; Ryan and Jerome Johnston, Niall Mcparland. I would be friendly with a lot of those guys. I know the talent they have and what they can bring to a county setup.
“They all come from great clubs and they bring that club mentality into the county so it is no surprise to me that they are in an Ulster final. Some people are shocked to see Down here and I can’t understand why, they have talented and determined players.”
Mcgeary’s first defeat as a Tyrone senior came against Mayo in last year’s All-ireland quarter-final. It’s a stage he’d love to get back to, to right that old wrong.
He said: “You have your good days and you have your bad days – the big thing is you have to learn from it. Hopefully we have but we will have to see how this Ulster final goes first.”