All about the teamwork as Sorcha savours title success

By Alan Rodgers

A PERFORMANCE worthy of the finest ever produced by Tyrone players at Croke Park saw Sorcha Gormley shine in a memorable victory that propels the Red Hands back to the challenges of senior football.

It was a memorable day for the young Carrickmore player.

She was among the key stars for the county as they captured the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup for the second time.

But, for her, this win was appropriately all about the team.

Sorcha has blazed a trail through the youth ranks for the county in recent years. Now, a debut senior success has opened up the potential for more exciting progress in the years ahead.

“It’s our dream to play at senior level in Division One and to be chasing All-Ireland titles. Hopefully, we can make a stab at that in the next few years,”she said.

“A win like this takes the whole team to get over the line. Fortunately, I was in the right place at the right time and thankfully everything worked out on the day.

“The group we have at the minute has a great bond and we can call every single player in that team our best friends.

“Obviously, there’s a sadness that this has come to an end. But hopefully this group will stick together and be hard to stop in the years ahead.”

Hopes will be high that this young group of Tyrone players will meet the challenges ahead with confidence and skill. Games against Armagh, Donegal, Dublin, Meath and Kerry all beckon in 2026 and it’s a challenge which they certainly won’t be overawed by.

“We have always wanted to play in Croke Park and to get a win here and go up the steps of the Hogan Stand is very special indeed,” added Sorcha.

“From a child this is all that we’ve been aiming for. We wanted to make up for last year and we knew what to expect, and not to get worked up by the day or the occasion.

“This was just another game, and it was about playing it to the best of our ability.

“There were four goal chances in the first half and we just set those to the side at half-time. Everyone looked to the positives; we were creating goal chances and our time clearly came at a crucial moment.

“The second goal was like a real weight off our shoulders. You could take a moment of time to just drink in the success. That was amazing.”