IN MARCH 2018, Darren McCurry departed the Tyrone squad. When the Red Hand contested that year’s All-Ireland final, he wasn’t around.
At the time he put it down to work commitments, but later admitted it was down to him being low on confidence and not enjoying his football.
Fast forward to September 2021. A buzzing McCurry posted 1-4 in the All-Ireland final, deservedly taking man-of-the-match honours and his first Celtic Cross. An All-Star is expected to follow this winter.
The Edendork forward has clearly benefited from Tyrone’s more direct approach and habit of not leaving him alone on their last line of attack.
For his first-half goal chance that was well-saved by Rob Hennelly, McCurry was played through by a neat flick from Conor McKenna after a booming Niall Morgan kick-out.
When McCurry palmed into the net in the fourth quarter, it was McKenna who again turned provider with a glorious no-look handpass.
“He’s a real confidence player,” said Marc Ó Sé on the latest episode of The42 GAA Weekly.
“I marked him back in 2012 in Killarney in Fitzgerald Stadium in that Tyrone-Kerry qualifier. I could even tell then that this guy was a special talent. If the game isn’t going well for him he finds it hard to get into it, but by God is he playing with confidence at the moment.”
McCurry finished the campaign second in the scoring charts with 1-30, just two points short of leader Sean O’Shea. McCurry did finish as the top scorer from open play after registering 1-16, three ahead of O’Shea’s tally of 2-10.
“I thought in the semi-final Kerry nullified him quite well, but in the second-half of that game and into extra-time, he really came good,’ continues Ó Sé. “The last day, he was just absolutely phenomenal and really set the tempo.
“To come from where he has as well, he was out of the panel for a while. Gone and not enjoying his football, but he was in great, great form against Mayo. Scored 1-4 and probably should have got a few more scores.
“What I notice about confidence players as well, is that when they are playing with confidence and that swagger, they want the ball. They demand the ball. That’s the way he was the last day, he was really looking for that ball, trying to get on it and create scoring opportunities.”
