Logan hopes proteges are inspired by Limerick

Orla Bannon

Fergal Logan, the man who guided Tyrone to the All-Ireland U21 title three years ago, hopes the success of the Limerick hurlers will inspire his former players to follow suit in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC final.

Limerick built on their 2015 and 2017 U21 triumphs to storm to victory two weeks ago with a fairytale All-Ireland, which came earlier in their development than they could have hoped even a few months ago.

Now, 10 of the squad who won the All-Ireland under Logan, Brian Dooher and Peter Canavan in 2015 are expected to feature in Mickey Harte’s match-day 26 for Sunday’s final against Dublin.

“Perhaps they are marginally ahead of schedule, but why not? It is never too early, and the Limerick hurlers have shown us how quickly U21 success can lead to the big one.

“U21 level is very cut throat and you can lose early, but the beauty of a run is everyone is in the shop window.

“It is the waiting lounge for senior inter-county football and the longer you’re in it, the longer you’re exposed to elite competition and everything that goes with it.”

Only a handful of the county’s 2008 and 2010 All-Ireland winning minors developed into established senior players, so the numbers that have come through from Logan’s side are remarkable.

“We had five, good, tight championship games and won out in all of them,” he says.

“The players then see the rewards of success, but overall it was their quality and commitment that stands out.

“By the age of 21, as opposed to 17 or 18, you are a step closer to the top rung and nearer to that transition, but hopefully we can keep the supply chain going to senior, because that is what it’s all about.”

Logan played midfield in the Tyrone side that lost the 1995 All-Ireland final to Dublin by a point and he believes Tyrone, the rank 11/2 outsiders, are primed for an upset.

They lost to Jim Gavin’s all-conquering Dubs by 12 points last year, but if it comes down to who wants it more, the Omagh-based solicitor insists Sunday’s game will be a “no-contest”.

“The closer it gets, the more I feel everything is stacked well for us,” revealed Logan.

“There’s the pain of last year’s semi-final defeat and we are bound to be as hungry as be damned.

“Dublin are walking in going for a fourth All-Ireland in a row, so how can they have the same hunger? It should be a no-contest on that front."

“Yes, it’s not the exact same team who has lined out in all of their previous finals and they have made a few changes here and there, but Tyrone should be bouncing.

“Complacency will be Dublin’s undoing, whether it’s this year or next year or whenever. It will catch them at some stage.”

Logan would love to see Mickey Harte throw a curveball at Dublin and play Colm Cavanagh at full-forward. The All Star midfielder is key to Tyrone’s system of play, sweeping in front of the fullback line, as well as winning valuable kickouts around the middle.

Logan, however, senses vulnerability in the Dublin ranks and thinks Cavanagh could wreak havoc if positioned even further forward.

“Colm Cavanagh is majestic in the air, he has such a key role to play in front of our own posts, but why not put him in front of the opposition posts?” says Logan.

“If Dublin have a weakness, it’s in their full-back line.

“Of course Colm is so adept where he is that it would be a real high-wire routine for Mickey to play him there, because without him at the back, the ship could go down, but it would be really, really interesting to have his aerial threat in front of the Dublin goals with a smaller, potent forward like Lee Brennan or Mark ‘Sparky’ Bradley playing off him.”