Eirgrid Ulster U20 Football Champions preliminary round: Down v Fermanagh (tonight, Pairc Esler, 8pm)
FORMER Down ace Darragh O’Hanlon has joined the Down U20 football management team as the Mournemen open the defence of their provincial title against Fermanagh at Pairc Esler this evening.
One of the brightest prospects coming through the ranks in Kilcoo and Down, O’Hanlon was forced to retire last December at aged 28 due to back and knee injuries.
Now, O’Hanlon will be hoping to lend his renowned game intelligence he displayed throughout his playing career to Down’s next generation – and he’s already made a telling impact, according to U20 coach Declan Morgan.
“We brought Darragh in this year to help the management team,” said Tullylish native Morgan.
“He’s a really good lad and has good experience. He knows his football and only for his injuries he would still be playing. He knows what the young lads go through. Emotionally, he can tune into our lads; if a player needs an arm around them, he can spot things like that. He is very, very good.”
Once again, the reigning Ulster U20 champions are spearheaded by former Mourne footballers Conor Laverty and Marty Clarke.
“It’s a brilliant dynamic to work in,” said Morgan, who coached Kilcoo in 2015, 16 and 17 under Paul McIver and was with Aghagallon last year who reached their first-ever Antrim senior final.
The Down senior football team are undoubtedly at a low ebb with James McCartan’s men being relegated to Division Three last week, but Morgan insists the county’s underbelly is in good health and that it will take time for last year’s U20s to find their feet at senior level.
“Some of our boys from last year have already stepped up which is brilliant to see – Andrew Gilmore and Eoin Murdock, Tom Close has pushed on, Andrew Morgan made his debut against Cork last weekend, Charlie Smyth is also involved.
“They’re all overage for us now but that’s half a dozen players who are moving into the senior set-up. Our underage structures are fairly good. All the boys are playing at a good level in their schools – St Colman’s, the Abbey, Red High, St Malachy’s Castlewellan and Our Lady and St Patrick’s College Knock are in the MacRory.
“So I wouldn’t worry about no players coming through in Down – I’d say it’s quite the opposite.”
A strong nucleus of players remains from last year’s Ulster-winning squad who edged out Monaghan after extra-time in an emotional decider following the tragic death of Farney captain Brendan Og Duffy in a car accident a fortnight earlier.
Down came unstuck against Roscommon in the All-Ireland semi-finals. But Morgan insists all slates are wiped clean as they prepare for Fermanagh in Newry tonight whom they beat in last year’s semi-finals by six points.
“I enjoy working at the U20 age group,” said Morgan, who’s a school teacher at Red High.
“It’s a unique group. We have one or two still in school doing ‘A’ Levels but the majority of them now are out working or at university. They are on the cusp of being men but they’ve still a bit to go.
“They're still looking for guidance and leadership and the craic is always good with them. There’s always a story out of the boys from university, a bit of scandal when they come to training, somebody giving you a wink and a nudge about something that happened in the Hatfield. It’s very enjoyable.”
“We’re pushing hard. We’re into two-and-a-half, three months of good work with them and we also had a development league this year which was brilliant. I’d like to think the boys are ready for Friday night but we’ll find out at eight o’clock.”
