It’s a massive week for schools’ football at U19 level and St Joseph’s, Donaghmore will hope to continue a good run for Tyrone sides when they take the field at the Dub tonight against Rathmore in the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup final.
With Dean Maguirc having secured the Markey Cup on Wednesday night and the MacRory title destined to be going to the O’Neill county as well it could be a memorable hat-trick for Tyrone schools.
They go into tonight’s final as favourites but their manager Niall Kelly insists that will count for nothing and they are only focussing on their own game.
“It’s nothing that we think of to be honest,” admits Niall.
“We have travelled from “D” Colleges to “C” Colleges and now to “B” Colleges. We have never won a grade B title before so what I’m saying is that Rathmore have been there for many years now.
‘‘We will have our homework done before the game and the tag of favourites is not something that we really discuss. We focus on our own game and our own game plan.
‘‘Our boys just take it one game at a time. Under lights in Belfast, I believe that our boys will thrive in those surroundings. We have played five games so far in the competition this season and some of them have been on 4G and some have been on grass but the Dub is a fantastic Arena.
‘‘The boys have been watching the Sigerson Cup games in the Dub recently and they are very excited and we can’t wait to play there.”
Kelly is happy with the progress that the school has made in recent seasons and would love to cap it off with a first MacLarnon title. He is also full of praise for the work done by the feeder clubs who supply the St Joseph’s players.
“We are lucky that this is our third year in the MacLarnon Cup and we have made progress each time,” he said.
“The first year we got to the knock-out stages, which was a success for us, and last year we lost out to eventual winners Patrician, Carrickmacross who did so well in the MacRory Cup this season.
‘‘We had a vision of what we wanted to be like and I think last year we saw the potential in the team and this season we had more time to practice and get our plans in place and that experience is standing to us now.
‘‘We are centrally located in the county so we have players from a number of clubs and we are indebted to them with the work that they do.
‘‘All we have to do is get the players out on the field and get them organised to play, the clubs have all the groundwork done.”
Portglenone clubman Kelly insists there will be no divided loyalties at the Dub despite coming up against Antrim opponents.
“ I’m a St Joseph’s, Donaghmore man now”, he said.
“I have been lucky to have been given an opportunity in the school and coaching the teams.
‘‘It’s hard being from Antrim but we played against my old school in the semi-final (St Louis’, Ballymena) and that was probably more difficult.”
