Former boss says Junior Cup success put Harps on the map

AS Strathroy Harps launch their bid for Irish Junior Cup success against Magheralin Village this weekend, it will evoke many precious and wonderful memories for former boss Seamus Fanthorpe.

It’s hard to believe but it’s just over 10 years since the Harps were crowned Junior Cup champions for the first time in the club’s history. The Omagh side defeated Portadown outfit St Mary’s 4-1 in the showpiece decider at Moyola Park’s Mill Meadow in Castledawson.

Despite player-manager Fanthorpe being controversially sent off around the half hour mark, Harps produced a sensational, yet, mature performance to ultimately triumph with goals from Benny McElholm, Tony Quinn, Patrick Nugent and Mark Sloan.

It was the stuff of dreams. Harps became the first Omagh team in 124 years to capture the most prized possession in junior football and Fanthorpe recalls that it put the club firmly on the map.

“Everyone knew who Strathroy Harps were after that,” said the ex-Omagh Town and Dungannon Swifts player.

“I won the Junior in my second year in charge. I remember when I went for the interview for the Harps job after the club had got relegated the same year that they won the Mulhern Cup for the first time.

“It was put to me at the interview that the ambition would be to retain the Mulhern and gain promotion. The Junior Cup wasn’t even mentioned.

“I told them that they were forgeting something and that I wanted to win the Junior Cup. It wasn’t even on the club’s radar. I think they were even talking about not competing in it because it was costing too much money.

“But I put an emphasis on the bigger competitions and for a crowd of boys from the park to head up and win the biggest prize was something else. It was brilliant and to go and win it two years in a row was the making of the club.

“It put our stamp on the competition and we became a club that was instantly recognised in the junior ranks across the country. It effectively put us on the map, everyone knew about us after that.”

Harps defended their prestigious crown the following year by defeating Harryville Homers 3-0 in the final back at the same venue. Those back-to-back successes also marked the beginning of a very successful period for the Omagh club who went on to win three Mercer League titles in four seasons as well as winning the Mulhern Cup three years running from 2015 to 2017.

With good reason, Fanthorpe will always have a soft spot for the Junior Cup and while he harbours great memories of the finals, the build up to them and the jubilant celebrations afterwards, it was the semi-final victories over Windmill Stars and Ballynahinch Olympic that were key to success for him.

“Both years we won it, I think we recognised how crucial it was winning the semi-finals,” he continued.

“We played Windmill Stars the first year at Loughgall. We were 2-1 down with 10 minutes to go and I remember a young Mark Sloan saying ‘awh Seamus we’re beat, we’re beat.’

“I turned around to him and said that we weren’t. Tony Quinn grabbed us an equaliser and Pogey Nugent scored the winner in extra-time. I think we took more out of that than the final, it galvanised a lot of boys in the team.

“The other semi-final was against Ballynahinch at Stangmore Park. It was a real ding-dong and it was one of those occasions when the defence won the game. Darren Teague scored the only goal and in the final we bowled over Harryville Homers quite easily.

“Those two semi-finals will have a special place in the memory bank for everyone involved.”

Last season Harps, now under the guidance of Benny Boyle, reached the last four before being knocked out by eventual winners Coalisland Athletic and on Saturday they begin another quest for a third title when they host Magheralin at Strathroy Road.