The next time Tyrone play Strabane Sigersons, Mickey Harte will definitely call upon Lee Brennan.
Listen, club form doesn’t always translate to county level. You’re playing with less pressure, less scrutiny, more space and time and, in cases like Brennan for Trillick, the whole side is probably playing through you.
You get into a team like Tyrone and you have to fend for yourself a lot more. You have to play a different system, accept that there are guys there way more senior than you, and sometimes you have to feed off scraps waiting for your moment and waiting for a patch of grass too.
But some facets of the club game are very, very transferable. Things like accuracy don’t go away all of a sudden because you’re playing against a different team. Guile, speed, creativity don’t desert you because you’re wearing a different jersey.
Some of the scores that Brennan hit last week in Division One of the Tyrone league aren’t ruined in any way because he was playing a club game.
Surely a record https://t.co/H6cEZT6Dz9
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 16, 2017
The man scored 3-14 for God’s sake – 3-8 of which were from play – and the angles and distances and skill he was working with for some of them were simply jaw-dropping.
From the wing, from downtown, from either foot, Brennan laid on a shooting masterclass for Trillick and one of his goals was downright filthy.
I don't think Tyrone should play Lee Brennan pic.twitter.com/fFSQoQ6A3H
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) April 24, 2017
You watch the exhibition of attacking play and some of the tricks he was pulling out, the balance and composure, and you scratch your head and wonder how on earth he’s featured for just three minutes of football for Tyrone in the league this season – back in the first game of the campaign too.
Okay, he had under-21s to focus on. His late extra time strike forced a replay with Donegal in that championship clash but he could only register just once the second day out as the men from the hills marched on and ended up with another Ulster title.
Perhaps Brennan is still unproven at county level but, lord above, you’d think anyone would be dying to give him his chance. Especially Tyrone who are crying out for a full forward to come in and dominate games for them.
And this man can go off the left. From anywhere.
He can off the right.
He can sure as hell go from the ground too.
Brennan is young, Tyrone are Ulster champions on the cusp of something more, but who couldn’t use a talent like this?
He looks to be exactly what they need – and the last thing anybody else needs to see.
Take a look at all of his 3-14 for Trillick. It really is something special.
Video via Gaelic Weekly.
