Football

O'Brien would welcome county call after coming full circle on quitting altogether

Terence O'Brien wheels away after scoring his first ever championship goal for The Loup at the weekend. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Terence O'Brien wheels away after scoring his first ever championship goal for The Loup at the weekend. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Terence O'Brien wheels away after scoring his first ever championship goal for The Loup at the weekend. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

TERENCE O’Brien began the year by opting out of club football altogether – and now he would be open to a return to inter-county football after putting on a masterclass in The Loup’s Derry SFC victory over Bellaghy on Sunday evening.

O’Brien was just 18 when he was thrown into his championship debut weeks after Derry had reached the 2014 National League final, only to suffer a raft of player losses after defeat by Donegal in Ulster.

The Loup man started at full-forward that day but has dipped in and out of Oak Leaf panels since then.

His career trajectory appeared to have nosedived completely at the beginning of this year when he informed club boss Paddy Bradley that he was taking a break for the season.

On Sunday evening, he looked like a player completely revitalised.

In front of the watching management team of Rory Gallagher and Ciaran Meenagh, O’Brien caught the eye and admitted that seeing Derry’s good form over the last 18 months has renewed his interest in playing at the top level.

“Aye, look, seeing what Derry did last year, they seem to be going well. If Rory decides he wants me involved in some capacity, I’d be more than happy to,” he said.

“I was gonna take a break from the football altogether, I’d lost the enjoyment in it.

“I told Paddy at the start of the year I wasn’t gonna come back out. He gave me the time to see what I wanted to do.

“I went and watched a few of the league games then, and the itch came back to me. It was tough.

“The results weren’t really going our way at the start of the year in the league, and it’s hard to watch the boys you’re playing with when they’re not getting the results.”

The telepathy of his understanding with goalkeeper Thomas Mallon was matched by the endless wing-to-wing running by the bearded number nine, who won kickout after kickout as Bellaghy tried and failed with three different markers on him.

Midway through the first half he came short inside his own 45’ to receive the ball and followed it up the pitch to burst through and drive home the first of his side’s three goals that settled the game.

They were helped too by a good start, hitting the first five points unanswered and making a Bellaghy team that had been through an emotionally exhausting week try to chase the game.

“We had planned for a good start, we tried to aim for the first 15 minutes,” said O’Brien afterwards.

“We were lucky enough we got a couple of goals there. Bellaghy didn’t lie down there. That’s the way championship games go.

“That was my first championship goal, it could have gone anywhere. The other boys took the goals when they got in there.”

Roddy O’Kane, who also starred with 1-4 in a brilliant display at full-forward, and Paddy Coney got the other goals in a promising display.

Magherafelt’s resolute shape ended The Loup’s hopes in last year’s semi-final but there’s a feeling that Malachy O’Rourke’s Glen team will be up for a more fluid game that could well suit the underdogs.

Links to that 2003 Ulster success are lightening but remain. Dominic McVey was the only man involved that year who started on Sunday evening, although his twin brother Colm and Aidan McAlynn would come back in if fit for the semi-final. Paul Young, Paul McVey and Gavin Mallon were all there 18 years ago and remain on the senior squad.

The last four standing are the four who were expected to be before a flat weekend of games, but Loup v Glen and Slaughtneil v Lavey are two intriguing semi-finals.

“Anything can happen out there on the day. We’re capable of beating anyone but at the same time we’re capable of being beat by anyone,” summed up O’Brien.