Opinion: Tyrone continue doing what they do

IT’S Wednesday, April 15 in Derry and Conor O’Neill’s goal has booked Tyrone U20s an Ulster semi-final spot.

A massive, massive score. Seconds earlier, the home side were two points to the good but, as they’ve done many times this season, Paul Devlin’s charges hung tough.

Tyrone hoovered enough second half breaking ball to give them a chance.

With captain Conor Devlin to the fore, they kept their heads above water.

That’s the mark of champions. They always keep themselves within striking distance.

Giving his take on Tyrone’s win, Devlin commented that the health of football in Tyrone wasn’t as bad as some were making out.

His U20 team lost two games and ended up bottom third in the group.

The seniors had harvested just league five points from Cavan, Kildare and Offaly. The latter were both relegated. That was the chatter.

The minors were pipped in the league final by Monaghan.

When Devlin was commenting on football in the county, he referred to the patience fans needed to have.

The players who stepped from his U20 squad in recent years to the adjust to life in senior football’s fast lane, they needed time. His coach Stevie O’Neill said something similar after the final win over Monaghan.

Loughmacrory manager Martin Boyle has managed his native Derry at minor and U20 level.

He is part of Ciarán Meenagh’s senior set up. Boyle said inter-county senior football is almost a different sport.

Fast forward to now, recent underage star Eoin McElholm lit up Tyrone’s win over Roscommon last weekend. He danced at defenders; he placed his goal with perfection. It was the energy the county had been craving.

Tyrone seniors’ tally of five league points is yesterday’s news now. The fact Armagh are Ulster champions gives context to the Red Hands taking them to extra-time in the preliminary round.

Tyrone minors face Derry in Friday’s Ulster final. There is a chance of more silver but there is still a guaranteed All-Ireland quarter-final. A passport to bigger days.

As for Devlin’s U20 group, they head to Croke Park on Saturday in search of a ninth All-Ireland with a Tomás Ó Sé managed Kerry team standing in their way.

Rewind the clock back to April in Derry, Devlin was on the money, football in the Tyrone is in safe hands but welcome to the world of seven-day analysis.

A win an everything is excellent. Lose and it’s the opposite. Kieran McGeeney used the comparison of a result determining whether someone was perceived a genius or a gobshite.

Ciarán Meenagh’s mantra is not to get too high with the highs or too low with the lows.

Envy

As a Derry man, I look into Tyrone with envy at how they keep delivering at the crucial U20 grade. They weren’t the fancied horse but still brought home the bacon.

Donegal had a handful of senior players in their mix.

Derry had been trucking away minor level.

Speaking this week, Tyrone coach Connor O’Donnell commented how sweet their run has been, given the fact they took the bumpier road to Croke Park.

If there is any learning, Tyrone CCC need to find a better way of managing their club scene.

It’s nearly June and there hasn’t been any league football, bar some in the junior ranks.

The fact that Tyrone are the masters of the U20 grade at the moment tells me we could be having the same conversation next year.

Club players sitting on their hands after having such a long pre-season can’t be too chuffed. Perhaps it doesn’t inspire them to throw their lot as fans with the county at the weekend.

In the overall big picture, the race for Sam Maguire isn’t the closed shop it once was. That’s why I fancied Roscommon to beat Tyrone. Not because of Tyrone league results.

It was more to do with the Rossies being at home and their form.

They beat a Galway team who are seen as Sam contenders in the Connacht final. Their 10-point win over Mayo came after an away trip to New York.

There are another eight teams stepping into the All-Ireland arena this weekend, including Ulster champions Armagh.

By Monday, we’ll know a lot more, but, from what I saw from Tyrone in ‘The Hyde’, they’ll have a say.

In the world of seven-day analysis, Donegal might be marginally ahead. They might but it means nothing now. Sam is dished out in July.

The fact Tyrone have another U20 team challenging and a minor team to dripfeed into the mix for next year, they’ll never be out of the equation.

As a Tyrone man said to me one time: “we’ve been here since 1984.”