DERRYLAUGHAN’S hopes of progressing to the Ulster Club Intermediate Final came to an end at the hands of Ballinderry on Sunday leaving them to now put the full focus on preparations for their return to Tyrone’s Division One in 2025.
Hopes had been high that the Kevin Barry’s would reach the provincial decider for the first time. However a narrow defeat at the hands of the Derry champions means that their season is now over, and it’s about ensuring all is in place for the big challenge of senior football next year.
For the first time in many years, the Loughshore side stand almost alone in carrying the local hopes. The surprise relegation of both Clonoe and Coalisland in recent weeks mean that Derrylaughan have the scene almost to themselves.
But with that comes responsibility and both their players and management are well aware of the challenges ahead in the new year. A strong showing in the top flight is the aim, and it’s definitely one that they are embracing enthusiastically.
“Senior football is where we want to be. We’ve the likes of Brian (Kennedy) and Tomas (Carney) pushing every other lad on, especially Brian who has been a brilliant leader,” said defender, Sean Robinson.
“Kevin and Mark (managers) have all got us going well. On another day it could have been different and the rub of the green wasn’t there for us against Ballinderry.
“Around our parts, we’re probably flying the flag for this part of the county and hopefully the lads will stand up and do our club proud looking forward to Division One next year.
“When the dust settles a weel bit, this year has been brilliant. Look at the run we went on. It has definitely been a great experience for some of the younger lads coming through. A couple of us were here in 2010 and got a couple of games in Ulster. But definitely for our younger players, this will do them no harm.
“Everyone in this panel is very close knit together. We’re all staying together to try and push on in Division One and get the wins there.”
For now, though, the pain of losing out at the penultimate stage of the Ulster club is tough for Derrylaughan. There were high hopes of them progressing to the final and perhaps even beyond that again. But there is also a realisation that what has been achieved in 2024 is special.
“At the minute it’s hard to think of that. It seems like a long time ago, winning the county championship, but that was the ultimate goal when we set out. We did talk at the very start of the season about the belief that carries in to it,” said team manager, Kevin Niblock.
“When you’re in an Ulster series, you sorta get nostalgic, and you go through the years and want it so bad. But you can’t go on superstition, you have to have to show up, you have to perform, and unfortunately we just didn’t play to our potential, probably including myself on the line.
“We could have got back into it, we could have got over the line, but in honesty, we didn’t deserve it, and we have to hold our hands up. In other games, we felt that we put passes together, and we felt like we had the belief to get back into it.”
Now, though, it’s back to basics for Derrylaughan as they enjoy a few months of rest before embarking on the task of making their mark on their return back to the Tyrone top flight.
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