Sports Desk: Tyrone have stamina to take Dubs

Tyrone will probably start as favorites to beat Dublin in the quarterfinal replay on Saturday. After seeing Tyrone struggle against Monaghan a few weeks back I fancied Dublin to beat when they met at Croker on Aug. 13. But having watched the way Mickey Harte re-jigged his team at half-time and the manner of their second half performance I fancy Tyrone this time. Dublin tend to start games very well, but they don’t last the full 70 minutes. This is Tyrone’s third replay this summer, but the players are not playing any club football and at this stage they are practically full time players, except for the little matter of having jobs to go to every Monday morning. Dublin manager Paul Caffrey is expected to make a few positional changes. Full back Paddy Christie’s lack of pace was exposed by Eoin Mulligan last time and left halfback Coman Goggins will probably lose out to Peadar Andrews. It will be close, but I fancy Tyrone to grind out a win.
In an effort to try and get the Dublin supporters to Croke Park early it looks like the Ladies All-Ireland football quarterfinal between Dublin and Tyrone will be played as a curtain-raiser. Also there are several family connections. Anne Dooher is a sister of Tyrone captain Brian, while Avril Cluxton is a sister of Dublin goalkeeper Stephen. The game was originally fixed for Cavan on Aug. 28. The joke is that it’s difficult to try and coax the Dubs away from the many hostelries around Croker, but to be fair, traffic is crazy in Dublin city right now and a big football game on a Saturday afternoon does not help the already congested streets.
There will be a full house on Saturday, but there should be no difficulty getting a ticket for the first of the All-Ireland semifinals on Sunday. The meeting of Cork and Kerry is a repeat of this year’s Munster Final and is not expected to attract a huge crowd. Down through the years it was a tradition for those confident Kerry supporters to bypass the semifinal and wait for the final. But there is no guarantee that they will get to the final this year, despite having three points to spare in the Munster final. And it’s an expensive time for Cork supporters with their hurlers already in the All-Ireland final.
At Pairc Ui Chaoimh on July 10, Cork really put it up to Kerry and probably would have at least gotten a draw if they had managed to score a point with 10 minutes remaining. But then Tomas O Se came up the field to kick a great point and seal a Kerry win. Three years ago the counties also met at the semifinal stage when Kerry won easily. I don’t think there will be anything easy about next Sunday and with the wily Billy Morgan in charge Cork, could I feel pull off a shock result.

O’MAHONY SAYS
NO TO EVERYONE
All through the summer as the term of each intercounty football manager came to an end the name of John O’Mahony was mentioned as a likely replacement. But now the man who had success with his native Mayo, Leitrim and Galway, has said he is not making a comeback, at least not this year. O’Mahony seems happy with his media work for the present. It seemed certain that O’Mahony would replace John Maughan in Mayo, but now the Mayo County Board will have to look elsewhere. Names already mentioned include former Dublin and Roscommon manager Tommy Carr, who now lives near Mullingar.
In Derry there is speculation that Mickey Moran may not be re-appointed for another year. Already the likely candidates being mentioned include: Damien Cassidy, Slaughtneil manager John Brennan and Liam Bradley, father of Paddy and Eoin.

BOYLAN LIKELY
TO RUN AGAIN
There is speculation in Meath that Sean Boylan will have seven challengers if he wants to hold on to job. I reckon that Boylan would probably have come out by now if he wasn’t interested in seeking re-election for a 24th year. So it looks like the Dunboyne herbalist is willing to let his name go forward yet again. The full list of applications will be confirmed this week but already it looks like former Meath stars Colm Coyle, Gerry McEntee and Mattie Kerrigan will challenge Boylan. Eamonn Barry, who has regularly challenged Boylan in the past, has also been nominated again, as has Meath minor manager Benny Reddy. Also nominated is former Monaghan manager Eamonn McEneaney. However, Liam Hayes said that while he is flattered to be nominated he will honor his commitment to Carlow and stay with them for another year. The Meath Board will make a decision at their Sept. 5 meeting.
Donegal also hope to name a replacement for Brian McEniff at their meeting on Sept 5. Former county star Charlie Mulgrew, who did exceptionally well with Fermanagh last year is reported to be the favorite.
In Tipperary nobody is certain yet if manager Ken Hogan and his selectors Jack Bergin and Colm Bonnar will seek another term. Tipperary County Board Chairman Dan Shanahan issued a statement last week denying rumors of player power in the Tipperary camp. Rumors swept through the county last week that one player had dictated to management how to pick the team that eventually lost to Galway in the All-Ireland quarterfinal.

COCKY FRENCH SET
NOV. 12 FRIENDLY
The return of their three former stars Zidane, Makelele and Thuram has no doubt given France a better chance of qualifying for next year’s World Cup Finals, but the French appeared to have been very confident already. They have organized a friendly against World Cup hosts Germany for Nov. 12 at Stade de France. Only problem is that Nov. 12 is the date for the first leg of the World Cup play-off. So it looks like the French are supremely confident that they will win the group or perhaps they believe that they will be eliminated.

O’CONNOR WITHDRAWS
Controversial showjumper Cian O’Connor is out of the Irish team for this week’s Nations Cup event in Aachen, Germany. Last week it was announced that O’Connor’s horse Waterford Crystal was injured. His place on the Irish team will be taken by Dermott Lennon after the selectors failed to contact Jessica Kurten, and Harry Marshall refused to make himself available. Marshall, who was controversially dropped from the Irish team for the Dublin Horse show, said the call-up came too late and he didn’t have enough time to prepare. Two weeks back, Marshall said he wouldn’t ride again under the current Irish team management.
The Irish team need to pick up some points in Aachen this week or they could face relegation from the Samsung Super League to the second division of international showjumping. At present we are only two points clear of Holland, who are propping up the Super League table.

KILMACUD DEAL OVER VAUGHAN
Dublin may have to nominate a team to play in the Leinster club football campaign, which is due to begin in October as their own club championship might not be over by then.
Dublin’s good run in the championship this year coupled with a dragged out row over the eligibility of Kilmacud Crokes player Mark Vaughan has meant a major hold up.
Vaughan played for Crokes in their first round win over St Brigid’s of Blanchardstown in May. But St Brigid’s objected, claiming Vaughan was ineligible having been sent off in Crokes’ Leinster club semi-final against Portlaoise last November.
Now the question is this: Following that sending off, was Vaughan banned from Crokes next game in the Leinster championship, which in reality could be five or 10 years away or their next game in the Dublin championship? Crokes would have to win the Dublin championship again this year for the ban to apply this autumn. It’s a tricky question, which has yet to be properly sorted out.
Last week the GAA’s Central Appeals Committee upheld a Leinster Council ruling that Vaughan was ineligible to play against St. Brigid’s in May. But Crokes are likely to appeal as they had sought and got clarification from the Dublin County Board last May and that Vaughan was clear to play.
But now St Brigid’s have offered Crokes a replay provided Vaughan does not play and Kilmacud are likely to accept.
Vaughan was a hero for Dublin in the Leinster championship earlier this summer when his late frees helped them to see off the Wexford challenge. But the row over the suspension only refers to club football.

SHOULDER KEEPS CULLEN OUT
Yet another blow for Munster Rugby. Christian Cullen, the former All-Black, who has been unfortunate with injuries since joining the province, is now ruled out until February 2006 with a shoulder injury.

CORK FAVORED TO ADVANCE
Eircom League premier division leaders Cork City should progress to the third round of the UEFA Cup when they play the second leg of the second round tie against Swedish club Djurgarders at Turner’s Cross tomorrow night. City drew the first leg in Sweden 1-1 two weeks ago. And that away goal should be enough to see them through.

KILARNEY TO HOST CONGRESS
The GAA’s Central Council confirmed last week that their 2006 Congress will be held in Killarney next April, which means Sean Kelly will step down as GAA president in his home place. Kelly is from Kilcummin, just a few miles from the town. He will hand over the presidential reins to Kilkenny’s Nicky Brennan. Kilkenny have said they would like to host Congress in 2007.

BOXER SAUNDERS, 87, DIES
Former Irish champion boxer Jackie Saunders died last week at the age of 87. The amateur boxer from Drimnagh on the south side of Dublin got a fantastic reception when he returned home to Dublin in 1938 after winning the Golden Gloves featherweight world title at Madison Square Garden, New York.

BECKHAM’S BOOTS HAS
CRITICS HOPPING MAD
Real Madrid and England star David Beckham has been getting criticism for wearing Kangaroo-skin football boots. Kangaroo leather is chosen by Adidas for its lightness and suppleness. Beckham, who did a photo shoot on Brooklyn Bridge to publicize the boots last June, has been criticized by animal rights activists, who claim that the trade in killing female kangaroos is the biggest annual wildlife slaughter in the world. If a female kangaroo is killed the baby or joey must also be killed. However, the Australian government claim that the shooting of wild kangaroos is required to control numbers.