This Sunday Kevin Walsh and Mickey Harte's teams line out in what promises to be a captivating game between Galway and Tyrone in Pearse Stadium (2pm ) in round two of the NFL.
Both teams are on the back of a nice run of wins. Tyrone annexed the McKenna Cup for the fifth year in a row recently and they also defeated Cavan last Sunday (0-10 to 0-8 ) in a dogfight in Healy Park in Omagh. Galway cantered home by eight points (3-12 to 1-10 ) over Laois to follow up their FBD success.
Hence two form teams are coming head-to-head and it will be interesting to see how some of Galway’s young defenders deal with an extremely experienced and tactically astute Northern outfit.
Galway forwards Damien Comer and Adrian Varley were in top form in O’Moore Park last Sunday, shooting a combined 3-3, but being marked by Justin McMahon and Cathal McCarron in three days will be a different proposition, especially as Tyrone get so many players back defensively when they lose possession.
However as Adrian Varley points out elsewhere on these pages, a squad only learns by competing with the best sides in the country, and Tyrone are one of the top four or five teams in Ireland.
Some of their panel have three All-Ireland senior medals from 2003, 2005 and 2008 and they also won the All-Ireland U-21 final last season so Galway will have to produce a really gritty and high quality performance to down the Red Handers.
The winners on Sunday will be in a position to genuinely start considering themselves possible promotion contenders.
Advance tickets are available at €10 for adults from designated SuperValu and Centra outlets ( €15 on the day ). Admission for U-16s is free.
