Hampsey – Tyrone’s primary concern is survival

Padraig Hamspey is hoping that Tyrone get their league campaign off to a flyer

TYRONE head west to Tuam on Sunday to tackle Galway in their National Football League opener, with defender Padraig Hampsey cautioning against a potential first day ambush.

Mickey Harte’s side face a daunting set of early fixtures in Division One with road trips to Galway, Kildare and Monaghan sandwiched in between the blockbuster home tie against reigning All-Ireland champions Dublin.

And having ultimately been reliant on positive results during the initial stages of the 2017 campaign to stave off the drop (they lost their last three games on the spin) Hampsey is acutely aware of the importance of a bright beginning.

“When you start out in Division One your main aim has to be to stay up and avoid a relegation fight. As the campaign goes on and maybe you are lucky enough to pick up points then you can change your objectives and set different targets.

“But our main aim setting out is to stay in Division One because it is tough as we found out at the back end of last year.

“As well as the top teams likes Dublin, Kerry and Mayo, you have newcomers like Galway and Kildare who are keen to impress and lay down a marker.”

The full inteview with Padraig Hampsey is in store today or online here.