Buoyant Edendork now set to tackle Trillick

PROMOTION from Division Two following a play-off at the end of last year has transformed the confidence of this Edendork team.

Now they’re on the verge of reaching the Tyrone Senior semi-final following a big victory over last year’s defeated finalists, Carrickmore. It’s a massive opportunity for the St Malachy’s, now under the management of former Derry and Ballinderry club star, Conleith Gilligan.

There is certainly no doubting the talents within the team currently at his disposal. Niall Morgan, Conn Kilpatrick and Darren McCurry lead the way. Their experience is clear with Tyrone, and they are now making that count at club level as well.

But there are others, too. Harry Og Conlon has returned from injury and is hugely influential for them. Neil Kilpatrick. Neil Kilpatrick was another who impressed against Carrickmore, and the talents of Ben Cullen, Fiachara Nelis and others are clear.

But you’ll not find Conleith Gilligan boasting them too much. He’s wary of the threat posed by Trillick this weekend, and the potential for this Edendork team to break new group by reaching the semi-final.

“It wasn’t easy at the start of the year. We have a very small squad, we can’t play in-house games because we only have 28 or 29 players,” he said.

“When you look back to the first five or six games. The boys that ploughed through the winter and getting ready for those starred games, it’s those boys that I’m even more delighted for.

“It’s those boys that have soldiered in the real hard days at the start of the league – it’s great for them to get this wee bit of credit.

“Carrickmore were out and our favourites. There’s no question about that with their tradition and everything. But we knew that if we performed, we can be a match for anyone.

“It’s all about performing on the day and we did. When you do that, you always give yourself a chance whenever you have a wee bit of quality.”

That quality will be needed more than ever as they face a Trillick team anxious to challenge strongly for the O’Neill Cup again in 2023.