By John Harrington

Cathal McShane admits the Tyrone footballers have suffered a hangover from winning last year’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

They’ve struggled for form so far in this year’s Allianz League with last weekend’s convincing defeat to Dublin leaving them with just three points from five matches.

The Red Hand County attacker knows that nothing less than a significant improvement in their final two matches of the campaign will enough to ensure they avoid relegation to Division Two.

“I wouldn't say we're panicking, but you have to be realistic about the situation,” he says. “We have two games left and we're down the table and all the rest.

“I know from previous years we've been involved in different situations like this with Tyrone in the League so it's just a matter of us sticking together and working hard and trusting what we're about.

“Even if you look back to last year the League didn't go well either. We just need to make sure we're working hard and trusting ourselves going forward and that more positive times will come.

“Last year probably took a lot out of us. Even after Tyrone was finished we were straight in with our clubs and that ran until mid-December.

“We had a bit of time off and we're just trying to regroup now and get back at it. We know at the minute we're not where we want to be. There has to be a big improvement going forward.”

Tyrone haven’t been helped this year by an exodus of six players from last year’s All-Irleand winning panel with Lee Brennan, Tiernan McCann, Mark Bradley, Ronan O’Neill, Hugh Pat McGeary, and Michael Cassidy all opting out.

McShane admits their departure has weakened Tyrone’s collective strength, but isn’t critical of their decision to step away.

“Some of the lads who stepped away would be very competitive Gaelic footballers who have done a lot for Tyrone in the last number of years,” he says.

“Everybody has personal issues and things in life they have to deal with along the way that means you maybe have to step away for this or that.

“I've no doubt that if they had stayed this year we would be in a much more healthy position. The competition within the team would have been serious.

“I'm not saying it's not now because it is. In Garvaghy on Tuesday and Thursday nights the panel we have is next to none and there are boys pushing each other on.

“But just with the experience that some of those guys had it definitely would have added to what we're about this year.

“The guys who stepped away after last year might not have been getting the starting jersey, but it could have been an option to try to show this year they could push on and get that starting jersey and have Tyrone in the League in a better place.

“But things happen in life that you need to deal with and who's to say that a few of those guys won't be back next year. They're all great fellas but if they were still in the team it would just make us a more dangerous weapon.”

Tyrone couldn’t have asked for two stiffer tests to finish their Allianz League campaign with. Mayo visit Omagh on Saturday night and then it’s a trip to Kerry in Round 7.

“Yeah, they're going to be extremely tough, that's just the facts of it all," says McShane. "Obviously Mayo had just a one-point defeat to Kerry at the weekend so that was a tough game for them.

“We know ourselves that we underperformed against Dublin so we need to look forward and get a reaction this weekend. We can't afford to not get the reaction. We need to start this weekend and it needs to go from there.

“There are two games left and we know the importance of them and will be striving to get a reaction this weekend.”

To celebrate 30 years of the Allianz Leagues, six counties will wear once off retro jerseys inspired by those worn in the first season of Allianz’s sponsorship of the competition. The kits will be worn this weekend by Tyrone and Mayo in football along with Galway, Clare, Wexford and Cork in hurling. Fans can enter a draw to win a signed retro jersey with all proceeds going to Allianz’s charity partner Women’s Aid. To enter the raffle simply visit www.idonate.ie/raffle/AllianzWomensAid.