OWEN MULLIGAN, THE former Tyrone player, has criticised Dublin’s discipline in the aftermath of the Battle of Omagh.
The three-times All-Ireland winner played in the original battle between Dublin and Tyrone prior to witnessing Saturday’s sequel.
Mulligan, Paddy Power’s GAA ambassador, said: “Dublin won’t forget the night they came to rainy, windy Omagh and were challenged in more ways than one. Tyrone will be waiting for them in the long grass.
“All I was hearing last week was that the rivalry is gone now from the Tyrone and Dublin games from years ago. How wrong the experts were!
“Personally, I couldn’t understand how the game went ahead. The pitch was soaked right up the middle and there was no bounce on the ball what soever, not to mention the driving rain and gale force winds.
“I felt Tyrone were more up for this as they were out warming up a good 40 minutes before Dublin.
“This game will be unfortunately remembered for what went on going up the tunnel in Healy Park. This is not the first time Tyrone and Dublin has clashed in Omagh. I was playing that day when the famous Battle of Omagh brawl broke out, and for four or five minutes its dog eat dog in there.
You must first protect yourself then your team mates. But it seemed on Saturday night that back room staff and water carriers all felt the need to defend their teams’ honour. A tunnel bust-up is the most dangerous of them all as players can take a free go and not be seen.
“It is too easy in Omagh to access that tunnel and get on to the pitch for supporters. I will be very surprised if anyone gets suspended from this altercation. But I do expect to see fines for both counties who will be warned about future conduct.”
Mulligan, however, delivered a scathing critique of Dublin’s indiscipline.
He said: “James McCarthy was lucky not to be sent off. Niall Scully also received his marching orders with a black card. This is starting to be a regular pattern for the Dubs, and their discipline is being questioned. This did not happen in the previous years.”
Nor did too many victories for Tyrone over their rivals – Saturday’s victory coming on the back of some brilliant free-taking from Niall Morgan.
Mulligan said: “Niall put on an exhibition of place kicking off the ground with swirling winds to contend with. That was worth the admission fee alone.
“Peter Harte was a threat all game and the Dubs found it hard to keep tabs on him in the new position of full forward. But Brennan grabbed the headlines with a commending performance at 6. He tackled everything that moved and joined the attack all game. He was finally rewarded when he burst through and roofed the Dublin goal for the winning of the game bringing his tally to 1-1 on the night.”
* Owen Mulligan is a columnist with Paddy Power news.
He’s one to comment on discipline, also one of the most anti Dublin narrators on Twitter and beyond!!
@Lord Lurgan MBE: anyone that remotely offers any criticism on dublin is anti dublin of course
@Mel Roberts: another brand new account Mel, what were you banned for this time?
@Gareth Keenan: someone down in the journal doesn’t like me
@Mel Roberts: Mel, from those who know you, you seem to be a bit of a ⚽️
@Lord Lurgan MBE: coming from someone called lord lurgan. I’d say youd be welcome around kilwilkie
Not a huge Dublin fan… But Owen is talking some BS.
Prob just trying to move the focus away from Tyrone
Dublin lost, simple as that.
The team with the biggest discipline problem in the country is Tyrone.
Everyone knows it, Mulligan knows it, the dogs on the streets know it.
@John A. Dixon: hahaha and how is that so?
@Mel Roberts: Galway match
@Phil O Stine: man sent off for something that wasnt even a yellow and even the southern media who just love to hate on tyrone said as much
@Mel Roberts: when you have a prime time special on you after winning an All Ireland then you can feel hard done by. For the love of God you’ve a serious chip on your shoulders Mel. Tyrone haven’t won a national title in years and you think the world owes you
@my name: how could we have won a national title when you lit have bought them all? Why do you feel the need to get involved in absolutely every comment I make? Dont like what I’m saying dont read it simple as that. Theres enough of your tripe I pass over
@Mel Roberts: I’m not wrong though. Tyrone haven’t won anything in years yet you bang on that everyone owes them. You got hammered against Galway the last day out and now you best Dublin. You expect a 4 page pull out for one win in two games? If money is everything then why didn’t Dublin win at the weekend ? Tyrone are owed nothing Mel. They won a game like other teams this past weekend, those other teams are happy with the win and more importantly the 2 points that go with them.
I enjoy what you have to say and you stir the pot a good bit. It’s quiet when you’re off on the naughty step for a while, but it’s high time that you realise that Tyrone are a team like everyone else and aren’t owed any plaudits for getting results in February
@my name: owed anything? Who owes them something? It’s about time though they deserve a bit of credit. We get hammered by galway as you say and we are supposedly the worst team in division 1 and then as you say we beat dublin and it’s down to the weather. Why not just give them the credit or respect they deserve like any other side that has beat dublin and kerry would get, league or not
@Mel Roberts: the way you cry on about Tyrone here Mel. It’s you that thinks they’re owed something. Hammered by Galway and won a crap match against Dublin. They aren’t world beaters pal. How much credit do you want? For the craic now, tell me exactly what it is exactly that you expect from one win after getting hammered the week before
@my name: I mean that comment right there says it all about the attitude from you lot down there towards tyrone. Because tyrone won it was a crap match. Theres always an excuse when Tyrone beat a team from down south
@Mel Roberts: you’ve some complex Mel. Anyone with eyes could see it was a bad game, but Tyrone got the result. Do you want All Stars handed out for a league win in February? Your argument about us “down south” is as childish as you thinking the country owes Tyrone. Like I said, do something similar in the summer and maybe you’ll get the poster pull out from the paper.
“It’s a league game in February, no one cares” you’re exact words Mel. You don’t know what you want all you want to do it twist words and hold onto the “us against them” that Harte has used for years
@my name: and he isnt wrong at all. Colm o Rourkes comments on rte showed that harte ain’t wrong
@Mel Roberts: so go on the RTE platform or his twitter account and let them have it. You brought all this stuff here even though it’s been pointed out to you that this place posted a fair and balanced match report after the game. Tyrone got the respect and credit it deserved here. Every poster here was looking for you on Saturday night to knock a bit of craic outta you.
@my name: haha I was sitting in mugsys bar in liverpool with a feed of pints. Youd of done well to get anything out of me
@Mel Roberts: so that explains a 19 point loss…even cavanagh agreed on league sunday that it was dangerous and therefore deserved red…if you believe tyrone are ahead of Galway then they wouldnt have caved in like that
@John Tuohy: Tyrone are ahead of galway. As championship over the last I dunno how long has shown. Galway have played in one semi final in how long? Tyrone have been consistently in the business end of the season. Sean cavanagh would sell his granny to take a dig at harte. The fact that he is on rte even shows that. The guy is fast tarnishing his legacy in tyrone and that’s not even coming from me. That’s from a guy that played with him for years
@Mel Roberts: I’m sorry for butting I’m here genuinely I am, but.. Mel, are you still talking about Tyrone or Mayo now??
@my name: mayo are on the decline. Tyrone very much arent. The only reason I wouldn’t have mayo ahead of galway is because of their results in championship against galway. But Tyrone in the last 3 years have been in 2 semis and a final. Galway 1 semi final. Tyrone sit what 1 point behind them in the league? Tyrone could play galway tomorrow and I can guarantee there would be no 19 points in it. Was just a very bad day where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. You cant seriously suggest that galway are ahead of Tyrone over the last 12 months?
@Mel Roberts: are you making excuses for Tyrone losing a game now? You can’t have it both ways Mel
@my name: that’s not an excuse. Using the weather is an excuse as it was the same for both sides. Saying it was a bad day where anything that could go wrong did is not an excuse. Blaming the wind and rain when both sides played in it is an excuse
@Mel Roberts: im not talking about 12 months im talking about now 2020. 2019 was a right off management set up coming to an end and ravaged with injuries. Galway have a new management new approach. Playing traditional Galway football. Tyrones defensive football will get them only so far. You cant seriously think Tyrone have the calibre of player Galway have now. From mid 00s until 2018 yes tyrone were mostly far ahead but not now. Top 2 are Dublin and Kerry then Galway and Donegal. Next bracket are Tyrone Monaghan Rossies and maybe cork but thats yet to be seen.
@John Tuohy: do me a favour. Tyrone are ahead of both donegal and galway still. Your basing all that on 4 league games? Come back to me in championship and we can talk. Christ the night tyrone in same bracket as a division 3 side. Give me whatever your on pal it sounds like a laugh. The calibre of player? It’s the same galway squad as it was last year. Same calibre of player. And funny enough tyrone went further than galway as they have done every year since galway last won an all ireland. We were a bounce of a ball away from another all ireland final 6 months ago against kerry. Galway are coming theres no doubt but 4 league games doesn’t put them in the same bracket as tyrone who for me are ranked 3 in that group on merit.
@John Tuohy: as for your defensive football narrative only one side has scored more than tyrone in the last 3 years and that’s dublin. So much for defensive football
@Mel Roberts: are you sure you’re not talking about Mayo there Mel?
@my name: are you on repeat?
@Mel Roberts: you are still going back to the past. If you want an impartial view then ask paddy power. He has the AI favourites in this order Dublin Kerry Donegal Galway and then Tyrone.
@Mel Roberts: nope it’s just that you’re talking like the Mayo fans you slagged off here for ages. Nearly this nearly that, bounce of a ball from a final etc etc but no cups to show for it. Matter of fact Mayo have a better national record than Tyrone over the last few years buddy
@John Tuohy: because the bookies are always right. The past. Its 6 months ago. Teams have played 4 games since then. 4!!! Not even a single championship game played. You know the one that actually matters. Mayo won the league last year and look where they are now. If you care about league results that much fair play to you. For me it’s all about staying in division one. If you wanna look great at this time of year fair play to you
@my name: I’m comparing Tyrone to galway pal. Tyrones record compared to galway has been much better at national level. Hes saying that tyrone are in the same bracket as a division 3 side. I’m saying that we were the bounce of a ball away from a second all ireland final in a row which is the truth. How can we possibly be in the same bracket as a division 3 side. Mayo fans celebrate it like a badge of honour as if it’s something to be proud of. Personally to me nothing is good enough but an all ireland. But to say a side that in the last 5 years have been among the best of the rest after dublin are in the same bracket as fcking cork and roscommon. Do me a favour
@Mel Roberts: not always right but right way more often than not…some would even say more than a man like yourself (actaully i am only assuming you are a man you hide behind an anonymous profile)…do you honestly think you know more than the people paddy power employs?
@John Tuohy: if paddy power is basing those odds off the back of 4 league games like you are then no problem. The fact is galway will have a handy run to the super 8s. We have to go to ballybofey which is probably a factor in those odds plus the fact that we are based in Ulster. All that tells me is donegal are favourites for our game in ulster and probably rightly so given the venue and the fact they are ulster champions. But I would bet on us still being in the championship when they are out and beating either donegal or galway when it really matters
@John A. Dixon: what Tyrone did a few years back in under 21 all Ireland was scandalous v tipp they were an absolute disgrace and gaa were not ballsy enough to follow it out
Ah here it’s only handbags. Move on
Was the weather and pitch not the same for both sides? A lot of excuses being thrown about in regards to dublin getting beat
@Mel Roberts: is it not a Tyrone man saying that in the article? Is he anti Tyrone now?
@my name: I didn’t know dublin couldn’t play in the rain
@Mel Roberts: Big difference between the last weekend in February to the last weekend in August. Dubs will be back
@Sean McFadden: no ones saying they wont and theres not much celebrating a league victory in these parts. But they must have been taking lessons in excuses from wilder during the week
@Mel Roberts: so is Muggsy anti Tyrone now as well? What did you do with the time off go shopping for a new tinfoil hat?
@my name: I’m not referring to mugsy. I’m referring to every newspaper and pundit since saturday night saying the only reason tyrone won was because of the conditions
@Mel Roberts: but isn’t he saying the same thing here?
@my name: where has he said that’s the reason Tyrone won?
@Mel Roberts: you can’t even keep up with yourself! I replied to your comment about the weather & excuses when Mugsy himself said
xperts were!
“Personally, I couldn’t understand how the game went ahead. The pitch was soaked right up the middle and there was no bounce on the ball what soever, not to mention the driving rain and gale force winds”
So again I’ll ask you is Owen Mulligan anti Tyrone as well?
@my name: of course hes not anti tyrone and then again he only said he couldn’t understand how it was played. Didn’t see him say that was why tyrone won? However there were plenty that did say that.
@Mel Roberts: not seen that here in all fairness Mel. No need to be popping off at all on this platform. It was a horrible night & being honest a horrible game,Tyrone scored more than Dublin so deserved the win
Interesting that he mentions Dublin’s discipline…. I thought Tyrone had 2 players sent off against Galway
See you in the Summer Mulligan. COYBIB
And people give out constantly about soccer. Sure theres killings every week in gaa