Football

Ricky Johnston hoping Ulster University feel the glove against IT Tralee

Antrim's Ricky Johnston will marshal the Ulster University full-back line when they take on IT Tralee in Ballykelly on Monday night
Antrim's Ricky Johnston will marshal the Ulster University full-back line when they take on IT Tralee in Ballykelly on Monday night Antrim's Ricky Johnston will marshal the Ulster University full-back line when they take on IT Tralee in Ballykelly on Monday night

Higher Education Ryan Cup semi-final: IT Tralee v Ulster University (Monday, Ballykelly, county Kildare, 8pm)

THERE were no injuries to report, other than a bit of dented pride, as Ricky Johnston emerged unscathed from a white collar boxing bout to look ahead to Ulster University’s Ryan Cup semi-final clash with IT Tralee on Monday.

Antrim full-back Johnston may have come out on the wrong side of the judges’ scorecards in Saturday night’s ‘Clash of the Saffrons’ fundraiser, but he is hoping UU can deliver a knockout blow against IT Tralee down in county Kildare.

“I thought my head would’ve been a bit sore but I’m grand thankfully,” laughed Johnston, who went toe-to-toe with Lámh Dhearg’s Gerard Walls.

The Creggan man was part of the UU team that saw off Maynooth University at Jordanstown in the last-eight, when two points at the death from Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty helped them progress. Lying in wait are the men from the Kerry college, who defeated University College Dublin to book their spot in the semi-final.

IT Tralee have boasted some stellar names in years gone by, from Kingdom legends Séamus Moynihan and Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper to Galway great Pádraic Joyce and Donegal All-Ireland winning player and manager Jim McGuinness.

The current team, under Stephen Wallace, is more about the collective than star individuals, though Paul O’Donoghue and Conor Keane have both been part of Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s extended Kerry panel in recent years.

Still, Martin McHugh’s men will fancy their chances of setting up a decider with Dublin City University on Wednesday, November 30: “It’ll be a difficult task, but it’s a winnable one for us,” said Johnston, who is in the final year of a masters in business development and innovation.

“It’s a semi-final of the Ryan Cup - it’s not every day you get to play in a semi-final. You’re best playing competitive football as long as you can before Sigerson. We’ve had our ups and downs in the Ryan Cup with St Mary’s beating us, a close game against Queen’s and then in the Maynooth game we just got over the line.

“We took our foot off the pedal in that game. There was four points in it at half-time, maybe our heads weren’t right going into the game, I don’t know. We just weren’t really playing as well as we can, but thankfully some players stepped up to the mark and got us over the line.”

Ulster University will welcome back Paddy McBrearty to their forward line for tonight’s trip to Ballykelly, but he won’t be joined by county colleague Michael Murphy any time soon. The Tír Chonaill captain had registered for a masters in psychology at the Jordanstown campus, and was expected to line out during February’s Sigerson Cup weekend.

However, Murphy has decided not to pursue that, opting instead to focus on preparing for Donegal’s National League and Ulster Championship campaigns. It is a blow, admits Johnston - but one they can overcome.

He said: “I had heard he was coming, then he wasn’t coming, then he was and now he’s not.

“He’s one of the best forwards in Ireland, any team would want him, so obviously it’s a big disappointment. But we’ve a good side here, there’s a lot of other good players who will hopefully step up to the plate come Sigerson time.

“We haven’t really got everybody out together this year, which has given other boys a chance to show what they can do. It’s good for the depth of the panel, especially if you get to the Sigerson weekend, that’s what you need.”