Longford’s home comforts

TWO weeks ago, Mickey Harte stood on the Clones pitch ruminating on his team’s first defeat in the Ulster championship since 2008 and pointed out that things had worked out okay the last time they were directed through the back door.

Written off after their provincial defeat to Down, Tyrone were offered a gentle reintroduction to championship duties with a jaunt down the road to Drogheda where they accounted for Louth with eight points to spare.

Navigating their way home from the midlands tonight with championship aspirations still intact promises to be a more difficult task for a side that has fought accusations of decline since their last All-Ireland three years ago.