Ardboe’s O’Neill know what to expect from neighbours

COALISLAND’S recent pedigree in the Championship ensures you write them off at your peril, Ardboe assistant-manager Noel O’Neill has cautioned.

The Fianna have endured a wretched year in the league, and face the ignominious prospect of a relegation playoff if they don’t lift the Paddy O’Neill Cup next month.

The stakes therefore couldn’t be higher as they prepare to meet Ardboe this Sunday afternoon, the two goliaths from the east vying for a last four spot in the Senior Championship. On the back of an encouraging victory over Omagh last weekend, Ardboe will be expected to prevail but Noel O’Neill warns that recent history would dictate otherwise.

“ Coalisland have plenty of fight in them, they are neighbours of our own. We know them well down through the years. The team they can put out onto the pitch matches any team in Tyrone.

“ I can’t see how they won’t get out of the hole that people think they are in. They will be thinking they can win the Championship to get them out of that hole, that’s the belief that club has. They are well capable of doing so and have the pedigree to follow through on that. They have shown that in the recent past and that means a lot especially in Tyrone.”

A second half goal from man of the match Shea O’Hare helped Ardboe stave off the challenge of Omagh 1-8 to 1-6 at blustery Pearse Park in Galbally last Saturday. O’Neill, part of Gavin Devlin’s backroom staff, was delighted with the character shown by the Rossas.

“ We were just relieved to get through it. It was hard-fought. Conor Meyler hung a ball into the top corner of the net and it left two points in the game. We were scrambling after that. All hats off to Omagh they gave us a really good game. We didn’t expect anything else. They were a missing fellas like Ronan O’Neill and Meyler, who came off the bench, which was a big miss for them.

“ Omagh had a lot of the ball in the first half and we managed to hit them for a couple of scores. “ The weather dictated that to some degree. It was a breezy day but the weather never won or lost a game for any team. We talked about it at half-time and told the lads that even playing against the breeze nothing changes from our perspective. We went out and did our job and got over the line so we were delighted.”