Minor boss Donnelly encouraged by league campaign

TYRONE Minor manager Gerard Donnelly admits that they will have limited time to integrate the players from various successful school teams back into the county fold in time for the Ulster Championship.

The Red Hnads rounded off their Ulster League campaign with a resounding 2-13 to 0-6 victory over Fermanagh at Dromore on Sunday morning, Kelvin Nelson and Liam McGeary the second half goalscorers.

Ultimately an opening round loss by a severely depleted Tyrone side against Donegal cost them a place in this weekend’s League Final but despite missing out on some early season silverware Gerard Donnelly was pleased with how their programme of matches unfolded.

“ Donegal beat us to reach the Final this weekend. A lot of boys got plenty of fooball which is the big positive. There has been a lot of different lads used. The great success of the Tyrone schools meant they were unavailable and we have quite a few lads from all of those teams.

“ We got four good games but that’s the League done now and it’s full attention on the Championship.”

Tyrone go into the Championship as reigning provincial champions but Donnelly points out that this year’s squad consists of very few mainstays from the 2022 campaign.

“ We have just four from last year so it is almost a conpletely new panel. But that’s what you expect when you are working with the U20s or U17s, a different group of players each year. It’s a short season but they are a great group of lads and we would like to see as many as possible pass up to Paul (Devlin, U20s manager) and then ultimately the seniors.”

Over the course of the Ulster League, Donnelly stated that they tapped into every player at their disposal to run an eye over them ahead of the Championship.

“ Thirty-six lads probably got a run-out during the league. Some of that was forced by lack of numbers because of school games but we have always told the lads that everyone would get their chance.

“ You can have challenge games but competitive action is hard to beat. Fermanagh came and asked questions of us just like all other four teams have done. They gave us a real good game and we just pulled away towards the end.

“ But it was what our boys needed and what we needed to have a look at them. Hopefully we have taken a lot out of it.”

And Gerard accepted that in an ideal world he would have liked to have given a run-out to members of the successful Omagh CBS, St Joseph’s Donaghmore and Dean Maguirc Carrickmore school squads who have been otherwise engaged in recent times.

“ You would like to bring them in but it will be difficult to sort any challenge match now because all of the Championships are starting so it will be mainly be training sessions and in house games.

“ By the look of things at this stage Donegal and Derry appear to be blowing everyone away in Ulster. We will have a good look at that League Final next week to get a proper picture of where we are it.

“ But those teams are well down the line. We have Cavan in three weeks and then Armagh and Antrim are also in our (Championship) group. That is what our focus is on. Those three knockout games will now take up our time now to try and get out of that group.”