McGlone feels Aghaloo can play with freedom

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL

WITH their objective of securing Division Two football for next season status safely attained, Aghaloo midfielder Jody McGlone feels they can play with a bit of freedom in the Championship.

The O’Neill’s performed admirably in the league after gaining promotion last year via the playoffs and finished clear of the bottom three drop zone to banish any concerns about potential relegation.

That feel-good factor was carried over onto the Championship stage when they got the better of Fintona 1-20 to 1-15 in the opening round of the Intermediate series a fortnight ago, Jody McGlone turning in a man of the match display. He weighed in with six points and also got through a trojan amount of work across the Healy Park pitch to help his side brush past the Pearses.

Next up for Aghaloo is Beragh in the quarter-finals this Sunday, a match which McGlone feels they can enter into in a relaxed frame of mind, as he spoke before their opposition was eventually confirmed, with the Red Knights requiring a replay to get the better of Drumquin.

“ We have been concentrating on one game at a time. Lucy enough we stayed up and results went our way. The shackles were off therefore for the Fintona game and there was no pressure for a change and lucky enough we pulled through.

“ We will keep the head down and not get too carried away. It’s a nice draw whoever we get from that match for the quarter-finals.

“ The last time we were up at Intermediate we reached the semi-finals and Derrylaughan beat us. It would be great to repeat that at least and who knows go a step further.”

Aghaloo suffered late heartache in last year’s Junior Championship Final to Killeeshil and Jody admitted it was nice to return to the winners enclosure against Fintona, back at the scene of the crime so to speak at the county ground in Omagh.

“ It was more enjoyable this time going to Healy Park. We made hard work of it again towards the end but we stuck to our guns and we pulled through it this time.”