Dean Maguirc boss McElroy braced for the Ulster Final replay

DEAN Maguirc manager Gavan McElroy says he’s glad that they’ll have a second bite of the cherry following Sunday’s Ulster Schools MacLarnon Cup final against Patrician High, an invigorating contest that ended all square on the scoreboard.

Appearing in their first ever final at this level, the Dean went full throttle against their Carrickmacross-based opponents at Celtic Park but couldn’t quite snatch victory, meaning both teams will have have to go at it again in tonight’s (Tuesday) replay encounter at Enniskillen.

It’s a short turnaround to say the least, leaving scant time for recovery, let alone the usual pre-match preparations, particularly with so much at stake for both schools.

Speaking immediately after Sunday’s draw – before the precise details of the replay were revealed – Dean boss Gavan McElroy expressed his pride in his team.

“Nothing’s been lost and I’m very proud of the lads’ performance – and if we’d have lost by a point, I’d have been just as proud. I’m delighted to have got another opportunity.

“They had a close-in free near the end and I’d have taken a draw at that stage, but we ended up having the ball for quite a while afterwards and we just couldn’t get the shot away, Patrician were back in numbers, but at least we have another day at it.

“It’s hard to analyse the game right now, as it was such a rollercoaster out there, but I’m sure it was a very enjoyable game to watch. We just have to regroup and go again.

“It’ll be a new chapter, a replay where we’ll have a day of our own [yesterday’s game was the curtain-raiser to the MacRory Cup showdown], and we’ll just have to work on it and see how it goes.”

The Dean had put themselves in a strong position at the interval, holding a two-point lead and knowing they had the wind advantage after the break. Patrician upped the ante, however, and both teams had their chances of getting across the finish line with their noses in front.

McElroy continued: “I thought we’d some huge performances out there but Patrician are a fine team. We opted to play against the breeze in the first-half and went in a couple of points up.

“But I suppose it just shows you that the breeze at your back doesn’t win you the game. Patrician played better against the breeze than they did with it.

“So we have to go again, it’s in the lap of the Gods now, we’ll go back to the Dean and have a look at what went right and what went wrong and will look forward to the replay.”