PROMOTION might not have been something Tyrone set out to achieve at the start of their league campaign but manager Sean O’Kane says they will certainly take it.
Victory over Donegal at the weekend guaranteed a top-two finish, and with it promotion to Division One and a league final berth, all with two rounds left to play.
Table-toppers Kildare have also secured top-flight football for 2025 and they will face the Red Hands in that Division Two final at Croke Park on Sunday, April 7.
Before that, however, the sides will meet in Beragh on Saturday week.
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“We have a very young team, some experience in there too, and we showed glimpses last year of what we could do, but nothing consistent. Four wins and a draw from this year and you couldn’t ask for any better,” said Glenelly man O’Kane.
“We are going up to Division One and we will take it. We have no qualms of the task ahead next season, but we will take it on.
“I didn’t expect it [promotion] to be as quick. If we can make the same improvement next year that we have this year, although there is no guarantee, I think it would be enough to keep us in Division One.
Tyrone’s return to Division One is a remarkable achievement when you consider that just less than two years ago they faced a relegation play-off against Clare to save their second-tier league status, with O’Kane having just come in two weeks earlier after a change in management mid-campaign.
Last year they collected nine points from their seven games in the league, enough to guarantee their Division Two status.
Before Sunday’s game against Donegal Tyrone had 10 points on the board and with the 13 they now have, even should they not add any further points, it is their best return in over 10 years.
A lot of hard work has been put in over the last two years especially and O’Kane, who says he has taken on more of a guidance role this year, is full of praise for his backroom team who have played a huge role in getting Tyrone to this stage.
“Two years ago, I came back in two weeks before a relegation play-off. How we have got to here has been through a lot of hard work.
“We have a brilliant management team – Fergal Quinn as maor foirne; coaches Barry Grimes and Noel O’Kane; Damien Corrigan in there as statistician and video analysis; Sean O’Neill is our goalkeeping coach; Conor O’Hagan our physio; Gerard Kelly our strength and conditioning coach; and Grainne Donnelly our FLO. She is also county chairperson.
“They are doing so much work. I am more in there in a guiding role, and I get to spend time with the players.”
With games against Kildare to come before the trip to Croke Park, O’Kane intends to give fringe players a run-out.
“Girls need game-time. Those on the bench are as good as those who are starting and they need their chance as well.
“There is nothing to be gained to be putting out your strongest team in these next two rounds,” he said.
Promotion will lead Tyrone charging into the championship and O’Kane is keen to see where they can go in the intermediate competition.
Last year, they lost the Ulster final to Antrim and bowed out to Kildare in a heavy All-Ireland quarter-final defeat, but from what they have shown so far this season, they will very much be on opposition radar.
“It’s a massive boost going into the championship. We have been more consistent this year; we were down in games and we rallied and showed good resilience to come back. Last year we were lacking in that.
“Everybody is elated to be back up. That’s next year though and we now must take that energy and use it for the rest of this year.
‘’We have beaten Tipperary and Donegal, two senior championship teams, that’s not bad going but we need to keep building on it.”
