Stephen O'Neill tells Ian O'Riordanhe is fit and raring to go ahead of Sunday's Ulster final yet is wary of Monaghan

Strictly speaking, a Monaghan victory over Tyrone in the Ulster football final wouldn't come close to rivalling Sligo beating Galway in Connacht last Sunday - a shock result that landed Sligo only their third ever provincial title and their first since 1975.

Monaghan have actually won more Ulster football titles (13 against Tyrone's 10), the difference being they've won only three since 1939, while Tyrone have won five since 1989. And by beating Derry in the semi-final Monaghan have sent out a clear warning of the threat they present on their home patch in Clones next Sunday.

Yet, given Tyrone's apparent return to form, a Monaghan victory would inevitably cue wild celebrations similar to those witnessed in Sligo, or more specifically, mayhem in the streets of Clones until long after dark.

One of the reasons behind Tyrone's renewed ferocity is the return of their most prolific scoring forward, Stephen O'Neill.

Although not a definite starter for Sunday, O'Neill is over the worst of the hamstring and knee injuries that severely limited his football for most of the past year. He's talking up a big performance too, acutely aware of the need to produce vintage Tyrone football.

"Maybe we're expected to win," says O'Neill, "but a lot of teams that are expected to win don't produce the goods. We know we have to get our consistency levels back up to where they were in 2005 and 2003, Because we haven't been that way in a long time.

"We've looked closely at Monaghan's performance against Derry, and they were very, very hungry. They work very hard, put two or three men around the ball the whole time, tackling hard.

"We know we're not going to have a lot of time on the ball and have to make sure we do things fast and efficiently.

"We also played them in the league a couple of years ago, and they really put it up to us.

"They're a very good team, very fast, very fit. They run all day, full of energy, and produce a very high-intensity work rate. They finished very strong as well.

"As players we're very worried about the game, and I'm sure the management are extra-worried. But Mickey Harte has done the best he can in preparing us."

O'Neill played only the last 25 minutes of Tyrone's semi-final win over Donegal, chipping two smart points, but that was enough to suggest he's fast coming back to his best. And at his best O'Neill is still a sight to behold, his 5-50 in the summer of 2005 just one reason why he claimed the full sweep of football awards that year - All Star and GAA, GPA and Texaco footballer of the year.

Last summer, however, was a downer; he missed Tyrone's Ulster championship defeat to Derry and played just a limited role in the qualifier defeat to Laois. He's gone to considerable lengths to get his injuries mended, including oxygen-chamber treatment and the more extreme cryotherapy.

"The hamstrings have been the main problem, though some people think it's coming from the back. I've also a bit of tendonitis in the knee, which isn't helping as well. It's been unfortunate but I am getting over it now.

"The physio team have been working very hard with me, doing a lot of weights to build up the muscles in my legs. I think the cryotherapy has also helped.

"I've found for the first time in about six months I've had no pain in my knee, after about 10 sessions.

"It has helped speed up the recovery from the wee hamstring tear as well.

"I still haven't had a good run at the training over the past couple of months, but I've been doing a lot in the gym. I suppose every player has their own programmes now to improve their fitness and prevent injuries. It's up to yourself to do the work."

Though O'Neill is still only 26, it feels as if he is one of Tyrone's most seasoned players, which of course he is, having won a minor and two under-21 All-Irelands before his two senior titles. Not surprisingly, he rates their win over Donegal as one of the best displays since 2005.

"I know Mickey Harte knew that performance was in there, but the players knew the performance was there as well. We were very disappointed with our performance in the Fermanagh game, and it had been a couple of years since we produced a good performance, at least for 70 minutes.

"We knew as well we had to produce that kind of performance to beat Donegal. They were the form team, and I think we did that. Everyone was really up for it, there was good banter going around, so I knew we'd give them a good game.

"We're very hungry to win an Ulster title now. Armagh have held sway in recent years, and we were very disappointed to lose to them two years ago. So we haven't won it in four years. And I'd still much rather the straight route to the All-Ireland. With no replays."

For now, at least, that's the way they're headed.