Final date would mark a special birthday milestone for Warner

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL

A LONG overdue Sigersons appearance in a major Championship Final would be an ideal 40th birthday present for Strabane attacking stalwart Warner Mullan, though he is acutely aware that their opponents in the last four won’t come bearing gifts.

The affable Mullan celebrated his special milestone last week but father time still doesn’t prevent him donning the sky blue jersey and giving it his all in the team cause, as he has done now for near on 25 years.

Warner was introduced as a second half substitute last Saturday as the Sigersons accounted for Brackaville 3-15 to 3-10 in an entertaining Junior Championship quarter-final tussle, Conal Crawford, Gary Quigg and Oisin McGillion their goalscorers.

Strabane appeared in the box-seat at various junctures during an engaging if slightly mapcap clash, but they continually allowed the fired up Brack boys to grab a lifeline, which kept things tight throughout.

Mullan cautions that they have plenty of lessons to take on board as they ready themselves now for Clogher in the semi-finals next weekend.

“ I always tell the lads every Championship game no matter what Division teams are in or how they are doing in the league you are going to get it tough. We looked like running away with it in the first five minutes but to be fair to them they came back into it because our boys became complacent. You can’t do that in the Championship.

“ In fairness we have a young team and they are going to have to learn. But it was good to have a battle. You didn’t want to come here (Killyclogher) and have a walkover to go into the semi-final. You are going to be meeting tough opposition then.”

The four fancied teams in the race for the Pat Darcy Cup got the job done in fairly efficient manner in their respective Junior ties, and Mullan stated that the quartet still in the reckoning- Strabane, Clogher, Cookstown, Drumragh- were the undoubted class of the field.

“ To be fair the four teams have been the best all year so they are deserving of their places in the semi-finals. Cookstown have aleady won the league so will they have the bite. That’s something that you have to look at. All you can do is give it your best shot.”

Speaking before Clogher was confirmed as their next opponents, Warner insisted that it was vital the younger members of the Strabane panel embraced the occasion.

“ I have been playing twenty five years and I haven’t too many semi-finals so I told the boys enjoy it. No matter what level it is you need to enjoy this and learn. Hopefully we are going to win it in my big milestone year.

“That match (Brackaville) was very open. They started to tire at the start of the second half. But this Strabane team is training hard and we knew our fitness would come into it. But it will be a different story altogether in the semi-finals. We will need to up it a few gears, that’s for sure.”

And Warner insists that despite ushering in his fifth decade he still feels he can play an invaluable role within the group, albeit he delivers a tongue in cheek gibe at manager Richard O’Neill.

“ The current boys have watched our teams over the years and they need older boys like myself to look up to and learn from so being in there helping them out is great. Mind you I still think I could play a full game but ‘Banana’ says otherwise.”