New Donegal team pose a real threat to CBS -McNulty

OMAGH CBS manager Diarmaid McNulty stresses that it is up to the new batch of MacRory Cup players in his squad to ‘write their own history’ as the school continue their quest for a ‘three-peat’ of Ulster titles this Friday night.

A huge squad overhaul comes with the territory for any MacRory team each year, as students pass through the gates for the last time every summer, and that was again the case for the Brothers who make their bid for a hat-trick of provincial crowns with an almost entirely clean slate.

It’s been a case of so far so good however, as the CBS marched serenely through the group phase unbeaten, before eventually getting the better of St Paul’s Bessbrook after extra-time in their first knockout game prior to Christmas.

While Omagh are again many people’s pick to go the distance again Diarmaid McNulty states that very few of the regulars from last year’s glorious Ulster and All-Ireland campaigns remain.

“ We lost 25 players from last year’s squad so that says a lot. Most of these boys are new to it and are trying to write their own history. We are in the last eight now and will look forward to it.”

The holders now face South-West Donegal in the MacRory Cup quarter-finals this Friday night at O’Neill’s Healy Park.

The amalgamated team from various schools across the Tir Conaill county impressed in getting the better of St Patrick’s Cavan last time out, although their participation in the competition as a whole has raised one or two eyebrows.

Diarmaid McNulty queries himself if their inclusion provides a level playing field across the broad.

“ They are very strong. It’s five schools over a vast catchment area.

“ The amalgamation in Derry City to form one team is fair enough because they are all within the same smallish locality but in this (Donegal) case there is 40kms between a couple of the schools which would be like us and Dungannon amalgamating. We would be laughed out the door if that was suggested.”

While the Omagh manager appreciates that mixing schools to provide one representative gives more young players a crack at the MacRory Cup, he points out that such a practice isn’t in place for other Ulster Schools competitions.

“ There is that possibility but at the same time they are also representing their own schools at Grade B and Grade C levels. The reason Grade B and Grade C levels were brought in was for everyone to get football.

“ But aside from all that it will be a huge challenge. Our boys will work hard and get prepared to play the side who are now probably the favourites for the competition.”

Omagh’s strength in depth was called upon last time out against St Paul’s at Augher with second half substitutes Peter Colton and Padraig Goodman making a real difference when introduced.

The Brothers wastefulness nearly cost them dear, and right at the death of injury time, Bessbrook struck the post with the last kick of the game which would have knocked Omagh out.

McNulty was pleased with the character shown by his charges and especially the impact of the younger squad members, who were also an integral part of the school’s successful Rannafast Cup team in December.

“ We have a special group in fifth year who were in another Rannafast Final. We had to have negotiations through the week because I didn’t want them distracted. The Rannafast is their competition but we needed them against St Paul’s and we were grateful for all the scores they took.

“ Bessbrook were past Rannafast champions themselves and they were in Group D of the MacRory which was probably the group of death so they were battle-hardened coming into the match with us. “ There was serious competition in that group to make the knockout stages. We were pushed to the pin of our collar and they had a shot at the end which hit the post which would have put us out, it was that close.

“ Overall we were disappointed with our shot selection and a few other things which didn’t go to plan, But that happens in knockout football. Not everything goes to plan and we came away learning a lot from that game.”

The Omagh manager admitted that his team did look a bit leggy at times against St Paul’s, maybe a fallout from the players having such a hectic period of matches across the season. The newly adopted MacRory Cup format adds further to the schedule, with more competitive games to be pencilled in, but McNulty wasn’t complaining.

“ Boys love games. We were in the group of five and maybe we were unlucky in the fact that we were last out of the pot in Group B. That meant we had our bye at the start and so then had five games in five weeks. That is tough on the body especially when they are juggling in other football with their clubs and county sides over the course of the year.

“ It is a big commitment across the whole season for young fellas. And don’t forget they have their studies on top of it all. It’s a tough schedule and we have to use a bit of common sense and pick and choose when to train.”