Mickey Harte Looks Ahead To Monaghan Game

Wednesday 01.06.2011

Club

It’s a repeat of last season’s Ulster final at Healy Park this Sunday afternoon and while Tyrone are seeking to win the senior Provincial championship for the third year running it’s getting past the challenge of Monaghan that is the only thing on manager Mickey Harte’s mind.

“A first round victory is all that I can think of at the moment and that is not being smart, that is the facts of the matter. If we were to think about a hat trick of Anglo Celts at this stage then we surely wouldn’t get it. All we have to think about is getting out of Omagh having defeated Monaghan.

If we can handle that then we will know what the next challenge will pose for us and if we take these steps one at a time and do them well then everything is possible but at the moment the only thing that we need to concern ourselves with is getting to the semi final and if we can do that then there will be lots of people very happy.

Revenge mightn’t be the thought on their [Monaghan] mind it will be getting through the first round of the Ulster championship. I suppose coming into our back yard and beating us would be a nice thing to do for them. There is a new management setup there and maybe some of the players will feel that its time for redemption of some kind or other but I think every year is a new year and Monaghan will believe that they can come to Omagh and get a result and people looking at it will feel that’s the best time to get the reigning champions, the first round.

They [holders] are probably at their most vulnerable then, nobody knows what their form is going to be like in the first round of the championship and that’s the day when things can happen. I would say that is the way that Monaghan will be looking at it, if there is a day to get Tyrone then the first day is as good as any.”