BY TOMMYNETHERY
TYRONE will be aiming for unprecedented success on three fronts in what promises to be the first bonanza weekend of top class action for supporters across the county in 2007.
Top billing has been rightly reserved for Greencastle, who on Saturday evening launch a bold bid to be become the first team from the county to annex an All Ireland Club Championship when they face Kerry side, Duagh in the Junior final under lights at Croke Park.
Excitement has reached fever pitch in the village situated in the heart of the Sperrins and over recent days the area has been decked out with green and white flags and bunting as Sean Teague and his players prepare for the biggest day in the club's history.
Two seasons ago, Pomeroy Plunketts and Stewartstown Harps fell at the final hurdle in a bid for Intermediate and Junior All Ireland glory respectively. Lessons from those experiences will no doubt have been learned and having come this far the men from the Castle a determined to complete their mission at headquarters on Saturday night.
Should the St Patrick's achieve their ultimate goal, manager Sean Teague says it would be an amazing climax to a fairytale season.
"I enjoyed my playing career with Tyrone, every minute of it but Saturday will be the pinnacle of my career without a doubt," he said.
"To be manager of your club in an All Ireland final can't be beaten and we are determined to go there and win it. It won't be easy against Duagh as they are aiming to keep the title in Kerry for the third year running but I am confident that if we play to the best of our ability then we won't be far away."
"The games against Drumhowan and Naomh Brid showed the character and will to win that was in the squad and the players have all worked hard to get this far."
While Greencastle take centre stage at the Jones Road venue, county matters will be the focus of attention as Tyrone square up for a mouth-watering double header against Donegal at Healy Park.
As a curtain-raiser to a crunch National League clash, the Red Hands and Tir Chonnaill go head to head in a preliminary round U21 Ulster Championship winner-takes-all tie.
Defending champions Tyrone are approaching the opening match of their title defence in confident but guarded mood, and the management team of Liam Donnelly and Martin Coyle will be well aware of the threat posed by their opponents.
By the time that U21 heavyweight clash has been decided, the Healy Park faithful should have had their appetite well and truly whetted for the main event as Tyrone bid to exorcise the ghost of that horror show in Cork against a Donegal side sitting proudly on top of Division 1A with three impressive victories out of three.
Brian McIvor's men will arrive in Omagh still smarting from a 10-point reverse in the Gaelic Life McKenna Cup final and will be keen to present further evidence that they will be a force to be reckoned with in 2007.
Revenge is certainly in the air although Mickey Harte and his troops will be fully focused on addressing the shortcomings that led to that nightmare performance in Cork when the Red Hands suffered a nine-point mauling.
The returning Ryan McMenamin this week talked of the hurt felt by the players following that abysmal showing against the Rebels and, while acknowledging Donegal would be a tough nut to crack, insisted that Tyrone would be out to prove a point on Saturday evening.
He said, "The manner of the defeat against Cork hurt the players a lot. The mood in the dressing room afterwards was one of disappointment and dejection.
"We were outplayed for the entire 60 minutes and during my years playing with Tyrone I can't remember the last time we lost by such a massive margin.
"Hopefully the players will carry the pain of that reverse onto the field on Saturday night and use it to our advantage. After Cork and the subsequent post mortem the players should be questioning themselves and asking what more they can bring to the table for Tyrone.
"The players should be up for the game against Donegal. It's an opportunity to set the record straight and hopefully it will show in our performance on Saturday."
Previews on Greencastle, National League, and U21 Championship inside.
