UUJ manager Martin McHugh is expecting a backlash from Tyrone in tonight's Dr McKenna Cup second round clash at Healy Park.

The Red Hands' hopes of winning a sixth successive McKenna Cup suffered a serious setback last Sunday when they lost to Cavan. On the same day, UUJ defeated a Donegal U21 selection, but the students will be without Niall McKeever, Ricky Johnston, Lorcan Connor, Mark Bradley and Frank Burns for the trip to Omagh.

"A semi-final would be good preparation for the Sigerson but with the amount of players that we're missing it's going to be very, very difficult for us," McHugh told the Irish News.

"We'll have to battle away. We'll expect a backlash from Tyrone because Mickey Harte wants to win every game and understandably so - he won't want to lose two games in-a-row and he'll be using this game as a way to get the boys back on track.

"What you want out of games like this is to find out that your players are good enough to compete at this level and that they are good enough to go forward in the Sigerson."

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