Tyrone legend Harte now on the opposite side

Allianz Football League  |   Derry v Tyrone

Sunday, 3:45pm   |   Celtic Park (Ref: Noel Mooney)

It’s almost too big to be a subplot to Sunday’s game, because there is simply no getting away from the success that Mickey Harte enjoyed with Tyrone.

Harte won three All-Irelands and six Ulster championships in 18 years as manager of Tyrone, but it is much more than about a simple statistic, as he battled adversity throughout his time to turn his team into the most feared throughout Ireland. His work with underage teams in the 1990s and early 2000s brought unprecedented success to the county, which he followed up with an unprecedented and incredible haul of silverware ahead of his departure in 2020.

Now, Harte meets Tyrone on the other side of a huge rivalry, taking what he hopes are his first steps to leading Derry back to the promised land. Harte has plenty of fire left in his belly, and five wins from five as Derry manager is just the start he would have wanted.

Derry, in their first top flight game since 2015, avenged their All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Kerry by winning 0-15 to 2-8 in Tralee on Saturday night.

Derry led 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time but the All-Ireland finalists fought back before Shane McGuigan scored a late free to win it. It wasn’t a ground-breaking victory considering some of the key players that were missing for the hosts, but it was an important victory nonetheless, as the Oakleafers look to settle into life in Division One after such a long time away.

“These first two games are important, especially when you’re a new team in Division One because early points are critical,” Harte agreed. “If you didn't get early points then there is a weeks' break and before you know it, you're a month into the National League and still hunting for points. That puts you under pressure right away, before the league has even got to the half-way stage."

It was touch and go at one stage on Saturday with Kerry threatening to overturn Derry’s lead with two quick goals.

"When you put in a huge effort like our players did, to not win would have been so, so disappointing,” added Harte, “Again, it was an understrength Kerry team, we're not taking anything away from that, but any Kerry team is a strong team and to get two points out of that, I'm more than happy."

Conor Glass and his Glen team mates played a key part in Derry’s win at Kerry last weekend. (Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

"Emerging teams measure themselves against the best and invariably it’s been Kerry and Dublin over the last 10 years," added Harte, "You have to measure yourself against the best but the best of what they have on any given day.

"If it’s not their full hand, you understand that. You know that if they took you to the pin of your collar to deal with what we saw out there, well what will we need to be like when their artillery is back. That's something we have to ponder."

Key players

Key to the Derry victory was undoubtedly the presence of the Glen contingent who had just won an All-Ireland title with their club days earlier.

Conor Glass, Ciarán McFaul and Ethan Doherty all started Harte’s first League match as Derry manager and they will be important to Derr’s hopes again on Sunday.

“It’s a credit to them. We left it entirely up to themselves,” Harte said. “We let them enjoy their win. They joined us during the week. We didn’t demand that they play for us. We asked them how they felt and they felt well enough to tog out. It was a big ask of them obviously but they gave us full throttle.”

“We always left it up to them. We never interfered with their run to the All-Ireland. We never asked anything of them. We let them focus totally on the club championship. When it was finished, we let them enjoy a night or two.”

Tyrone head into Sunday’s game confident on the back of a 0-17 to 1-11 win over Roscommon in Healy Park in Omagh, their first opening day win since 2020.

The danger mean for the Red Hands will be Darragh Canavan, who chipped in with a majestic 0-8 against Roscommon, while Brian Kennedy impressed in the second half. It remains to be seen if Conn Kilpatrick will feature having been red-carded, with Brian Dooher insisting he will appeal.

The Tyrone joint-manager, who captained Tyrone to All-Ireland titles in 2005 and 2008 under Harte, is hoping the focus remains on football ahead of the showdown with their bitter rivals.

"It is just another match for us," he said. “We have to get back to what it is, which is a football match, 15 against 15. That's all we should be looking at. Hopefully the boys will give a good account of themselves and wherever that takes us, it takes us."

"I think it's all about football, the boys are here to play football and here to represent Tyrone and do their best in a Tyrone jersey.”