Minors Ladies set to start out away to the Saffrons

TYRONE Minor Ladies will step into action next Wednesday in Belfast when Darren McCann’s squad travel to face Antrim keen to go one further step than last year.

The loss in the Ulster Final still resonates with McCann. His side came into that gaame against reigning All-Ireland champions Monaghan with a handful of injuries. The loss of several key performers hindered the Red Hand challenge and the hurt of that defeat is still keenly felt in the camp.

A new season beckons though with the Saffrons up first, one of three away outings in the top tier of the Ulster series, with trips toa Monaghan and Cavan also beckoning. Tyrone will host Armagh and Donegal in their other matches in the competition.

Going a step further than last year remains the key focus points for the season, according to McCann.

“I suppose we have targets. For now we will want the girls to be competing at the highest level and hopefully go one step further than last year,” explained Mc Cann at training in Garvaghy this week but he expects another tough campaign.

“We are under no illusions it’s going to be very tough especially with those three away games.”

There will be a transition in playing personnel within the squad although McCann does has a healthy cohort who remain from 2023. Among them is new captain Sorcha Gormley from Carrickmore.

The talented attacker has received rave reviews throughout her career at club and county level so far and she replaces Emma Conroy who has stepped up to the Tyrone senior squad.

A daughter of former County star Brian and niece of the irrepressible Eilish who starred for Carrickmore and Tyrone for near two decades, Sorcha will be joined by former Loreto All-Ireland winning skipper Bree McBride, from Glenelly, and Coalisland’s Aoife Quinn as vice captains.

As Tyrone prepare to face the Saffrons ,who continue to evolve as a force in Ulster ladies football, Darren has been heartened by his side’s preparations.

“Things have been great. We had some great challenge games over the past two months with all the girls getting plenty of game time and the opportunity to represent Tyrone at highest level.

“ Training has been great and week on week the girls are raising the bar.”

“ Our squad is well settled now. We had it finalised a little bit earlier this year than last so it gave us a great opportunity to get a good body of work done over the Christmas period.”

McCaren, now in his second year as manager, explained that due to study and work there has been changes to his original squad. It remains unclear if he will add numbers to the squad. Pre-season trials attracted a big turnout and there’s no doubting the quality that can be called upon if need be.

Darren continued: “I would hope we avoid the injury issues that hampered us last year but we have a squad that is very committed. They take everything on board and are doing what we ask of them, we are positive.”

A trip to Belfast on Wednesday February 21st will be followed by Armagh at home on March 2nd, away to Monaghan on March 9th, home to Donegal on March 23rd, and wrapping up away to Cavan on April 13th.

Tyrone are again earmarking the platinum final later in April but there’s a lot of football to be played before that.

Meanwhile dates for the Under 14 and Under 16 Ulster championships have also been confirmed.

Tyrone Under- 14s start on March 2nd with games against Cavan and Derry while the Under-16s begin a week earlier with a trip to Monaghan, with games against Armagh, Derry, Cavan and Down to follow through to April.