Urney’s Kelly hoping for a change of fortune

URNEY defender Luke Kelly admits that the only way they can retrieve anything from a miserable season is by beating Glenelly in Sunday’s Junior Championship derby at Sigerson Park.

It’s been a year to forget for the St Columba’s who propped up the Division Three table at the conclusion of the league, their only points coming by virtue of a walkover when Brocagh failed to field.

Little wonder then that they are being written off as no hopers heading into the Pat Darcy Cup knockout competition, and especially so given their first round opponents are one of the Championship dark horses in Glenelly.

Not that Luke Kelly gives off any semblance of a defeatist attitude as he looks ahead to the weekend clash.

“ It’s a derby and definitely one we are looking forward to. The league is behind us now and we have had a good few weeks to get ourselves ready as best we can to get everything right and to get our strongest panel on the pitch. We will give our all on the 1st of September and that is all we can do.

“ There should be a good turnout to watch. It goes without saying that their league campaign has gone a lot better than ours. I’m sure Roger (Keenan) and Tony Scullion will have them well set up so it is up to us to do the best we can.”

Reflecting back on Urney’s tortuous league programme, Luke admits that psychologically it was tough to keep coming up short week on week even if the performances were encouraging at times.

“ It is tough. You are there training two or three nights a week from January and you are not getting any return or positive result come the Friday night. It isn’t easy. But if we get a win on the 1st of September it will have been worth all the pain. We love playing Championship football and especially in Tyrone where it is always so competitive.”

Kelly feels that in the latter stages of the league there was definite signs of encouragement for the St Columba’s and he puts that down to being able to field a stronger side.

“ We have looked to pick things up since the middle of July so we are determined to give it our all. We haven’t had to chop and change our panel as much in recent weeks which is a help. That was definitely a problem in the first half of the season. We have got a few injured players back and a few boys who were away working they have also returned. So it is up to us now to get everybody out now on the 1st of September.”

The Urney centre-half back appreciates however that they will still have their work cut out for them to get past a Glenelly side backboned by some exciting young talent.

“ They have been building over the past number of years. A lot of them were involved with Omagh CBS in the MacRory and Hogan Cup. So they are definitely a team on the up.

“ They are in the promotion playoffs whatever happens in the Championship and come in with a couple of good wins under their belts.”