ROCK'S familiarity with big-match occasions could give them an edge in Sunday’s Donnelly Vauxhall Tyrone Junior Championship final against Tattyreagh.
They have won two Ulster titles at this level in the past decade and have their sights set on another foray into the provincial arena. But the real prize for both teams is promotion and an opportunity to play their football at a higher level in 2017: “That was the goal. When we got together at the beginning of the year, we said we wanted to be playing intermediate football,” said Rock captain Tommy Bloomer.
“Obviously, to win a cup would be brilliant, but to get back into intermediate is the thing.”
Tattyreagh have been the form team this season in both league and championship and they have some exceptionally gifted players, notably James Darcy, Colin Harkin and Eoghain Murray, all of whom have been playing at the top of their game. Manager Stephen McHugh believes his players are deserving of any success they achieve, such has been their commitment to the cause this season.
“We deserve to be in it, I’m delighted for the Tattyreagh club and for this bunch of players because they have sweated blood and tears since January,” he said.
“They haven’t won anything, but they’re there, they’ve got their show day.”
McHugh expects a fierce contest against a group of Rock players who are no strangers to county final day: “It’s going to be a very tough game. The Rock are formidable opponents and they have experience in abundance and a very good manager in Adrian Nugent,” he added.
Apart from a couple of lapses in the league, Tattyreagh have performed consistently and, should they fail to deliver a championship title, promotion is very much on the cards via the league: “We’re top of the table, we’ve had a couple of blips, players injured, things happening and things just not working out for us," McHugh said.
“But at the end of the day, consistency throughout the year is what it’s all about and we have done well.”
Rock’s Aidan McGarrity is one of the most prolific finishers in the division and looks set to claim the championship top scorer award. He’s one of a handful of exciting young stars in the St Patrick’s side, but they also draw heavily on experienced campaigners such as Ciaran Gourley and Aidan Girvan, both members of the team that reached the All-Ireland JFC final in 2007.
Manager Adrian Nugent believes an attacking strategy has paid off for his side: “We have endeavoured to play attacking football all year and it has paid off. The league football has been a big thing, we have had hard games at the right time and the championship came at the right time for us,” he said.
“Boys are starting to play and believe in themselves now, which is key.”
Nugent accepted it took time to find some rythmn and consistency after taking over as manager at the start of the year: “When new management come in, it’s a bit slow and a bit lethargic at the start. We worked very hard pre-season, maybe worked a wee bit too hard.
“As a new management trio, you learn from that, you learn from your mistakes, but the team has now gelled. We have a couple of lads back in there playing key, pivotal positions, like Stephen Mullan, Conor McCreesh, Aidan Girvan, Ciaran Gourley. Ciaran Gourley wasn’t available at the start of the year for us after knee surgery, so those boys are all back.”
And it’s the more experienced players who have provided the guidance and encouragement that has helped younger prospects develop and mature: “The maturity of the older players has an impact on the younger players, you can see that in the changing room.”
