Minor captain Conor aims to build on Cavan result

TYRONE minor captain Conor O’Neill has already amassed a sizeable medal collection with his club Donaghmore and recently he added Ulster and All Ireland Schools honours with St.Joseph’s Donaghmore but he is hungry for more.

He was part of the Ulster Minor League and Championship double winning Tyrone team from last season and he is delighted to be back out and wearing the Red Hands jersey and also delighted to be leading the side out as skipper.

“ It was an unbelievable journey with the school to win Ulster and All Ireland medals and it is something that will live long in the memory,” said Conor.

“ It was something that we targeted at the start of the year and it was great to achieve that but now all the focus is on Tyrone. With St.Josephs and Omagh CBS winning All Ireland titles and Dean Maguirc lifting an Ulster crown it was a great season for Tyrone schools and it’s brilliant to have everybody now on board with the County and it’s a real honour to have been made captain.”

An extended group format has been introduced for the Ulster Minor series this season, whoich will guarantee all sides at least three games. O’Neill is pleased with the new structure which he hopes will play into Tyone’s hands.

“ The new format this season may well suit us as most counties have been together longer than us. It will take a wee while for us all to gel together as at the end of the day there is only something like seven of last year’s squad back and the extra games should stand to us.”

The 2023 Ulster Championship campaign began last weekend with a narrow 1-10 to 0-12 victory away to Cavan, Darragh Donnelly with the all-important goal. It was a game that Tyrone looked well in control of at one stage leading by seven points but they were forced to cling on at the finish up holding out to win by the minimum margin

“I suppose at the end of the day we still got a win but we wouldn’t be happy with the way that we played,” admitted O’Neill.

“ We looked in control but when we were reduced to fourteen men we perhaps panicked and lost our shape a little and allowed them to come back into the game and to be honest we were hanging on towards the end.

“ We struggled to play the football that we are capable off at times but hopefully that will come.

“ We got a number of points from defence and its important to get scores from different sectors in the field and I thought that Conor Devlin was outstanding both in defence and getting forward and managing to hit a couple of quality points.”

Next up for Tyrone is a home game with Armagh at O’Neills Healy Park this Saturday and Conor is expecting a tough battle from the visitors despite their disappointing result in the opening round, when they slipped up against Antrim, drawing eight points apiece.

“Every game is different and there is no doubt that we need to improve this weekend as Armagh will certainly be up for it,” said the Tyrone captain,

“They let a lead slip last weekend as well against Antrim at home and had to settle for a draw and if anything that will make them even more dangerous.

“ They will be out to prove a point at Healy Park and we need to be on our toes. It’s a local derby and is sure to be keenly contested and we will be eager to build on last weekend’s result.”