Knock step into the unknown

By Michael McMullan

THURSDAY is a step into the unknown for the ladies footballers of Our Lady and Patrick’s Knock.

After clinching the school’s historic first-ever Ulster u-20 A title, they will face Connacht champions Coláiste Bhaile Chláir from Claregalway.

With match footage of highlights not available, the Knock’s focus is on digging up whatever nuggets they can on their opponents and focussing on what’s under their own bonnet.

The team is coached by Stephen Dyas, Maeve Deery and Catherine McGourty, the latter a past pupil of the school.

“It was a great achievement,” Dyas said of making the historic breakthrough in Ulster.

“It was our first time ever being in the final which was a great achievement first of all. Then, to go on and win it, that put the icing on the cake.

“It’s a good bunch of girls and they have put in a lot of work,” added Dyas, now in his second year with the school.

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Having been part of the coaching team with the minors in his native Dromintee, he can see the similarities between the Knock group and the club’s Ulster minor winning group.

“I’m only in the school and it was great to be asked to help out with them,” he said. “The work ethic, it’s similar to what I saw with the Dromintee group.

“The desire to win from this group of girls, it makes the coach’s job so much easier whenever they want to win.

“They want to train more and we are there to accommodate their needs, of what they wanted.

“That goes a long way towards getting things over the line as the team that you’re working with, they themselves want to win things.”

To put their achievement into perspective, ladies’ football only began in the school 20 years ago, stretching back to McGourty’s time as a pupil.

“It’s crazy to think of the level that they’ve got to in such a short period of time,” said Dyas, who, as a past pupil, was also helping out with stats for the Abbey CBS MacRory team.

He points to the achievement of Knock going from not having ladies’ football to now being Ulster A champions.

Aside from the work in the school, Dyas stresses the importance of the development taking place in Knock’s feeder clubs – Carryduff, Bredagh and St Brigid’s.

“They’ve done a lot of work as well as the school,” he said. “They’ve put loads of time into the girls at this age, not just this year, but right through from Year 8 up to Year 14.”

After a few years of competing at u-20 level, it was a first final but there has been progress down the school.

Knock were u-16 A champions last year with a core of that group moving up to the u-20s.

A mixture of ages then formed into what Dyas described as a closely knit panel of 22 players. There was time for craic and banter until it was time to get serious. When the work needed done, they didn’t shy away.

Outside of the squad, the excitement built all across the school ahead of the final with St Mary’s, Magherafelt who had accounted for Cavan giants Loreto in the semi-final.

FULL FLIGHT…Lara McNicholl in action during Knock’s Ulster final win over Magherafelt

In difficult conditions, it was Knock who bagged goals at crucial times and defended excellently. It was the perfect mix. A winning combination.

“The buzz of just walking into the staff room with the cup the next morning was brilliant,” Dyas said.

“It was just before mid-term and when we returned, the school held an assembly to celebrate their success.

“It was just great for the girls to have their friends, the teachers that they’ve had since they were in Year 8 all there to just celebrate and welcome them back in,” he said.

“We do so many sports, but I feel like winning an A title in girls or boys’ football is just a real landmark and statement for us, for Belfast and for the Down area. To get a team to win at that level, the buzz around the place was brilliant.”

The squad are not finished yet. There is All-Ireland title up for grabs and Knock take on Coláiste Bhaile Chláir with another final on the other side.

“We are going into the unknown,” Dyas said of this week’s semi-final.

“You can get information but really getting to know the opponent is difficult.

“There are no videos or match highlights. We have been preparing as much as we can, based off word of mouth.

“We’re just preparing as much as we can to give ourselves the best opportunity to hopefully get into an All-Ireland final.”

It’s new ground but they’re an ambitious group. There are Ulster medals tucked away for keeps. They’ll hope the amazing journey has a few more twists to come.

SQUAD: Erin Boyle (Naomh Bríd), Maria McLornan (Carryduff), Helen McGeough (Bredagh), Dara Cotter (Bredagh), Hannah Cassin (Carryduff), Caoimhe Hefferon (Naomh Bríd), Niamh Napier (Carryduff), Lisa McCarron (Carryduff), Lara McNicholl (Naomh Bríd), Abigail Hanvey (Carryduff), Grace Guest (Bredagh), Orla Hughes (Carryduff), Evie McHugh (Carryduff), Rose Horisk (Carryduff), Holly Donnelly (Bredagh), Cara McDermott (Bredagh), Cara O’Donnell (Bredagh), Ellen Farrell (Carryduff), Florence O’Brien (Naomh Bríd), Caitriona Blaney (Carryduff), Olivia McCusker (Bredagh), Orlaith Mann (Bredagh)

MANAGEMENT: Catherine McGourty, Stephen Dyas, Maeve Deery