Tyrone v Westmeath, Healy Park, Saturday, 7pm
Tyrone will be looking to maintain their 100 per cent record against a Westmeath side who travel to Omagh with a renewed sense of hope after a last-gasp win over Galway last weekend.
Manager Mickey Harte has given youth its chance so far this spring and he has been more than amply rewarded with wins over Kildare, Derry and Louth.
Indeed, the fresh faces have done so well that the manager has opted to stick with them for this clash, despite the return of veterans Stephen O’Neill and Conor Gormley from injury.
Harte has admitted that Division 1 football is a priority for him, with the failure to bounce straight back up to the top flight last year an obvious source of frustration.
The Red Hands could have been forgiven if they had taken Westmeath for granted last weekend, as the Midlanders showed little in their defeats to Meath and Louth that suggested they would be anything more than cannon fodder this spring.
But the unexpected victory over Galway, the return of midfielder John Heslin from Australia and Garrycastle’s qualification for the All-Ireland SFC club final has give a whole new perspective to the county’s prospects.
Manager Pat Flanagan will be hoping Paul Bannon’s point deep in stoppage time in Mullingar will prove a catalyst for the rest of the season.
But one win means nothing in isolation, and the fact is that the Lakesmen remain rooted to the bottom of the table. Anything other than defeat on Saturday evening, however, would suggest they have what it takes to survive.
Verdict: Tyrone
