Harte keeping his No 1s on their championship toes
Mickey Harte has promised to continue rotating his goalkeepers and to return Niall Morgan to the nets for next weekend’s final round qualifier.
International Rules ‘keeper Morgan and Michael O’Neill have started two games each this summer with Harte confirming a novel rotation policy.
It’s worked out so far and Tyrone are on the verge of the Super 8s after coming good late on to see off Cavan, adding them to the qualifier scalps of Carlow and Meath.
Morgan started against Monaghan in Ulster and Carlow in the qualifiers while O’Neill was between the sticks for the Meath and Cavan games, leaking just one goal in his two games.
This morning’s draw for Round 4 will determine who Tyrone face next weekend and with Laois, Roscommon, Fermanagh and Cork their potential opponents, they will fancy navigating all four qualifier rounds for the third time since 2013.
On the goalkeeping issue, Harte confirmed that Morgan will return for a tie that’s expected to be played at Croke Park.
“In the qualifiers we said we’d give each goalie a game each,” said Harte. “It’s Niall’s turn next week. That’s the way I’m doing it.”
Altering ‘keepers seems a risky ploy given the premium placed on accurate kick-outs and general distribution these days, with the potential for an unsettled defence. But Harte is confident he’s got the right formula for success as last season’s Ulster champions and All-Ireland semi-finalists return to the brink of the quarter-finals.
“After the upset of getting knocked out in the first round of Ulster, we’ve clawed our way back to a position where we’re just one game away from the quarter-finals,” said Harte.
This is knock-out, this is serious stuff. If you get through the next one then you’re guaranteed three more games at least so I think this is where everybody wants to be, close to the last eight.
In a meeting of two counter-attacking teams, Tyrone looked to have asserted their authority in the second quarter to take a 0-9 to 0-5 half-time lead.
They made it a double scores advantage when Connor McAliskey pointed after the restart but Cavan came roaring back into the contest, levelling it up with 1-2.
Marty Reilly scored the goal though Gearoid McKiernan was the beating heart of Mattie McGleenan’s team, giving a tour de force and picking off five points.
Tyrone are seasoned though, full of hardened performers and stuck to the game plan to edge out Cavan down the stretch, just like they did to Meath in Round 1 after extra-time.
“We were looking comfortable enough until Cavan got their goal,” said Harte, whose side claimed a remarkable 27th win from 31 qualifier outings.
“When that happened the whole momentum shifted over to them and we were under pressure. I think that’s a mark of the quality of these players now, that we were under the cosh against Meath and again with Cavan, and we battled our way out of it.
“We were in a difficult place, well into the game, against the breeze and shooting into what you might call the non-scoring end so we have a lot to be thankful for.”
Harte said he expects the final round qualifier to be at Croke Park, where the Cavan game was initially scheduled for before the Kildare-Mayo furore left it as a standalone fixture, forcing the move to Enniskillen.
“I would love to have been in Croke Park,” said Harte of the Round 3 fixture.
I would never turn down a game in Croke Park. I’d play any day in Croke Park against anybody, if I had the option.
In that scenario, Croke Park would have been virtually empty with an estimated 6,000 watching Saturday’s game at Brewster Park.
“You didn’t ask me about the spectators, you asked me what did I personally want?!” smiled Harte. “Of course I understand why (Enniskillen) is good for the spectators and supporters. It was a short journey, no overnight stay required.”
Cavan put up a huge show and were level five times in the game but, crucially, never got ahead.
It was 0-13 to 1-10 with 59 minutes on the clock but Tyrone pushed the accelerator from there with points from the excellent Ronan O’Neill, a 44th-minute substitute, Frank Burns, Peter Harte and Niall Sludden to win it.
R. O’Neill (1 free) and N. Sludden (0-3 each); T. McCann, M. Donnelly, C. McShane, F. Burns, P. Harte (2 frees) (0-2 each); R. Donnelly and C. McAliskey (1 free) (0-1 each).
G. McKiernan (0-5, 2 frees); M. Reilly (1-0); D. McVeety (0-2); S. Johnston, C. Brady, K. Clarke, O. Kiernan and C. Moynagh (0-1 each).
M. O’Neill; M. McKernan, R. McNamee, P. Hampsey; T. McCann, M. Donnelly (c), F. Burns; C. Cavanagh, D. McClure; N Sludden, P. Harte, C. Meyler; C. McShane, R. Donnelly, C. McAliskey.
R. O’Neill for McAliskey (44); K. McGeary for McShane (54); H. Loughran for McClure (65); C. McCarron for McKernan (66); C. McCann for Meyler (71); R. Brennan for Sludden (73).
J. Farrelly; E. Flanagan, K. Brady, F. Reilly; C. Brady, M. Reilly, C. Moynagh; K. Clarke, G. McKiernan; O. Kiernan, C. Mackey, S. Johnston; N. Murray, C. Bradley, D. McVeety (c).
S. McCormack for Clarke (35+2); A. Cole for Mackey (h/t); J. McLoughlin for Flanagan and P. Faulkner for Murray (43); Mackey for Brady and C. O’Reilly for Johnston (63).
D Coldrick (Meath).
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