WEA Supplement - Flipbook - Page 10
10
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2021
www.irishnews.com
RAYMOND GALLIGAN (CAVAN)
I FEEL that Tyrone have more scoring
options throughout the team along
with a stronger bench to call upon in
the second half when it opens up.
I feel Mayo may put Aidan O’Shea at
midfield as Tyrone like to go long on
kickouts so it will be a good contest
for possession around that area.
I think Lee Keegan v Mattie Donnelly
will be an interesting match-up. Both
IN ASSOCIATION
WITH
are very influential to their team,
both have great running power and
Tyrone will look for Donnelly to win
primary ball early on inside until
McShane comes on.
I think kickouts will be interesting.
Mayo play similar to Kerry on
kickouts. They look for a good
percentage return, however, Tyrone
don’t put as much emphasis on a
good success rate, more a case of
risk and reward by going long more
often than not. I think this suits
Tyrone now that they have a bigger
presence around centrefield and
it gives their defence a chance to
breathe by going long with kickouts.
Mayo like to run it, Kerry did the
same and, in the end, Kerry ran out of
steam and ideas in the semi-final by
constantly running it out of defence.
With Aidan O’Shea possibly at
midfield this could bring a great
battle for possession, it will leave
both defences a little exposed if
kickouts are played long and early
ball put inside, but it will have the
potential for a great high-scoring
encounter that I feel Tyrone can
shade with the extra firepower from
the bench.
ALL-IRELAND SFC FINAL
‘It’s a very tough one to call but I think Tyrone have
enough Ranch men on the team to get them over
the line. I don’t know if Morgan could score another
fluke like that though’
Patrick McBride
SEÁN QUIGLEY (FERMANAGH)
PATRICK MCBRIDE (ANTRIM)
IT was great to see Tyrone make the
final and Mayo to finally beat the
Dubs.
It’s a very tough one to call but I
think Tyrone have enough Ranch
men on the team to get them over
the line. I don’t know if Morgan
could score another fluke like that
though.
I WAS really impressed with how
Tyrone played against Kerry. They
will think they can still improve as
well. Cathal McShane will be getting
sharper all the time which is a big
boost. Mayo obviously have been
here before and have beaten Dublin.
They will be happier to play Tyrone
than Kerry, I think. I do think, though,
that Tyrone have that bit more quality
and experience in players like Mattie
Donnelly, Peter Harte, etc. It could
come down to the impact of the
bench and, for me, Tyrone have any
amount of attacking quality that will
see them over the line by two or
three. Maybe after extra-time.
So... who’s bring
l VERDICT: TYRONE l
BARRY O’HAGAN (DOWN)
CIAN MCMANUS (FERMANAGH)
HAVING watched both semi-finals
where both teams came through as
the underdogs, my heart says Mayo
but my head says Tyrone. For me I
think Tyrone’s bench is stronger and
will have a greater impact on the
game, especially in the last quarter.
l VERDICT: TYRONE l
MAYO to win, I think it will be tight.
They are a very mobile team, well
able to match Tyrone’s intensity.
Also, they have some quality
defenders to match up to Tyrone’s
forwards.
I see the key match-ups being Lee
Keegan on Conor McKenna and
Paddy Durcan on Peter Harte, maybe.
McShane and Canavan had big
influences on the Kerry game when
they came on. If they can manage to
do the same, whether starting or not,
it will give Tyrone a great chance.
Matty Ruane for Mayo is proving to
be a great player in the middle for
them. Tommy Conroy stood up well
in extra-time against Dublin, Durcan
and O’Donoghue as well. Should be a
great game. Mayo to come through.
IT’S going to be a tight contest,
but I’m going to go for my Ulster
compatriots Tyrone to pull through.
They showed last time out how
strong they are defensively, but what
struck me most is that they’ve a lot
more to offer in attack than what
they showed against Kerry. There’s
more firepower there than Mayo
may bank on. In terms of a key man
on the day, if you’d have asked me
six months ago, I’d have said Aidan
O’Shea but he didn’t perform last
time as well as he can.
Ronan McNamee, on the other hand,
could put his stamp on the game for
Tyrone.
l VERDICT: MAYO l
l VERDICT: TYRONE l
KILLIAN CLARKE (CAVAN)
l VERDICT: TYRONE l
l VERDICT: TYRONE l
‘Mayo to win, I think it will be tight. They are a very
mobile team, well able to match Tyrone’s intensity.
Also, they have some quality defenders to match up
to Tyrone’s forwards’
Cian McManus
CORY QUINN (DOWN)
I THINK both half-back lines will be
key in this game. Both teams like
to sit back, turn over and race into
the forward line. Lee Keegan, Paddy
Durcan and Tommy Conroy need to
be watched closely by Tyrone, as do
Kieran McGeary, Mattie Donnelly and
Conor McKenna by Mayo. I think the
winning of this game could come
from Tyrone’s bench with forwards
such as Cathal McShane and Mark
Bradley. Tyrone by one.
l VERDICT: TYRONE l
‘Tyrone have a lot more to offer in attack than what
they showed against Kerry. There’s more firepower
there than Mayo may bank on’
Killian Clarke