by Ronan McSherry

GREG Blaney of Down played many times against Tyrone in a glittering senior intercounty career that spanned 16 years from 1981 to 1997. In that time he won three Ulster championship medals and two All Irelands as well as three All Star awards before going on to be a selector for Down along with Paddy O'Rourke.

Back in 1982 Tyrone beat the reigning Ulster champions in Newry as the prodigal son Frank McGuigan thrilled the supporters on his return from the USA.

Greg recalls, "We won Ulster in my the first year when I was 18. The game in The Marshes in '82 was a close well contested game. Paddy Kennedy, who was an All Star, was at full back marking Frank McGuigan. It was a game could have gone either way but Frank got a goal 10 minutes from time and that was the turning point. I think he scored it with the left foot. He was top of the pile, I don't think I have seen a better player than Frank McGuigan.

"I remember reading there was a couple of thousand at that game while Sunday's will be all ticket and 18,000 expected. There are much bigger attendances at the games now."

Four years later in 1986 Tyrone beat Down in the Ulster decider in Clones and went on to their first All Ireland final losing to a Pat Spillane inspired Kerry.

"Plunkett Donaghy kicked a high ball and our keeper Pat Doonan was deemed to have stepped back over line for a Tyrone goal. That was the major talking point. I don't know if it was a goal or not but the umpire gave it but leaving that aside I thought Tyrone deserved to beat us. Certainly I was disappointed.

"That was a very good Tyrone team with players such as Eugene McKenna, Damian O'Hagan, John Lynch and Ciaran McGarvey. Tyrone had a few injuries in the final and I suppose it was one that got away. Kerry may have been near their sell by date but we will never see as good a team as they had from 1975 to 1986."

Down comfortably beat Tyrone in the Ulster final of 1994 as Blaney collected his third Anglo-Celt medal. "We were on the crest of a wave then. Early on it was tight enough but as the game went on we moved ahead. That was a Tyrone team in the making then and they came back and won the next two Ulster titles. Peter Canavan was in his prime then. They beat us in the final in 1996. I played that day and it poured. It was a close enough game but we were always chasing it as Tyrone led from early on and then Peter got a goal at the start of the second half that pushed them on."

When Tyrone finally captured the Sam Maguire Cup in 2003 Greg was one of the selectors for the Mourne County as the great rivals played out a thrilling Ulster final draw at a packed Clones; Down 4-8 Tyrone 1-17. Tyrone had a convincing 0-23 to 1-5 win in the replay.

"I think we went nine up in the second half after Benny Coulter and Dan Gordan got goals. Then Tyrone got a point and Canavan scored a penalty and closed the gap reasonably quickly. The game was level and then we got another goal and they came back again with three points and it finished a draw. It was certainly an exhilarating game. As a selector you have some involvement but it is a very poor second to playing. We were underdogs so possibly there was the sense after the draw it was one got away. In the replay there was no doubt, we were well beaten."

Looking forward to Sunday he believes Down are in with a shout. "We did well in the McKenna Cup but as the league went on we seemed to fizzle out a bit. I would give us a reasonable chance but Tyrone would still have to be favourites."

Regarding the destination of honours for championship 2008 Greg believes Derry can break the Tyrone-Armagh strangle hold of Ulster that goes back to 1999 while he has a 'feeling' Kerry will not win the three-in-a -row. He does rule out the Sam Maguire Cup making the journey back up North again.

Blaney will be in Omagh on Sunday cheering on his county and renewing old acquaintances.

"I would meet opponents at games occasionally and often have a quick chat. There is always a smile and a bit of banter with them. There are never grudges held. Championship meetings always brings back pleasant memories."