Gorman hopes Killyclogher can make the most of late reprieve

ANY team needs a slice of lady luck if they are to embark on a Championship run but Killyclogher defender Danny Gorman maintains their side must now capitalise on their first round touch of fortune.

Admittedly the last gasp winning goal in that dramatic derby with Omagh owed as much to the perseverance and fortitude of young Sean Bradley as it did to any rub of the green, but on the balance of play across the hour plus of action, only the most jaundiced Killyclogher fan could argue that they deserved the win.

A former pitcher with the New York Yankees baseball team Lefty Gomez is credited with donning the praise ‘I’d rather be lucky then good’ and that sentiment was echoed by relieved Killyclogher players after the final whistle.

Four points in arrears heading into stoppage time, Danny Gorman admitted that it did appear St Mary’s were on the cusp of a first round exit for the third year running.

“ We have a lot to learn from that game. We started off well for the first ten or fifteen minutes. We had the advantage of the wind and so targeted a positive start. We broke at pace and got a great goal but we died off a bit after that.

“ Omagh to their credit came out in the second half and used the wind well. They put us to the sword though we came back really well in the last five minutes.

“ We dug deep in fairness towards the end. Over the last few years we haven’t got over the line and past the first round.

“ It’s just a credit to Sean Broderick, the youngest man on the pitch, who scored the goal. It’s testament to him and how good he has been this year. I was just delighted for him and for us to get through by the skin of our teeth but make no mistake massive improvement is needed if we are to go much further.”

Killyclogher’s quarter-final opponents Carrickmore also required a bit of a late late show in the first round before snatching victory at the death against Dromore. Danny Gorman feels that the nature of those two results sums up the dog eat dog world of Tyrone club football.

“ It was a big derby game and we were delighted to get through it but that’s the competitiveness of Tyrone football. It is straight knockout and our season was within seconds of being over. You are talking fine margins. But that is why the crowds come out in force to watch it, it is the best Championship in Ulster.

“ We managed to get through and will have to build on that the next day. Carrickmore is going to be a massive test. We know we have to improve a lot based on that Omagh display.

“ They were in the same position last day against Dromore in the first round as well. Dromore were leading heading into injury time but Carrickmore to their credit came back. That is what it is all about, winning and progressing, no matter how ugly the performance. You don’t care how you get through as long as you are there.”

The tenacious Killyclogher full-back appreciates full well however that once Carrickmore get on a roll in the Championship they can be difficult to knock off track.

“ Carmen have a great tradition and are a great Championship team. They have a lot of improving to do too.

“ They won I suppose in trademark fashion against Dromore, Marty Penrose coming off the bench in the second half and helped change things. Both ourselves and them emptied the bench- we were able to call on the likes of Nathan Donnelly who came on and did fantastically well.

“ So our strength in depth on the bench stood to us and that seemed to make a difference for Carrickmore too.”

Meanwhile Gorman’s team-mate Conall McCann also agreed that a repeat of the drop of in performance levels after the break evident against Omagh will signal the end of St Mary’s O’Neill Cup dreams this Friday night

“ That will not wash against anyone, least of all Carrickmore. They beat us this year convincingly and looked impressive the other night as well. The reality is if we play like that again we won’t beat Carrickmore.”

McCann added: It didn’t look good for a while. It was sort of similar to our last few matches in the Championship over the past few years when we got beat after folding at the end of games. But we got the goal in the 35th minute which was crazy.

“ We were lucky to win the game. I thought Omagh were probably more deserving so it would have been a hard one for them to take but we were just delighted to get through.”