Glenullin look into a busy weekend on two fronts

By Michael McMullan

A BUSY weekend of then and now beckons in Glenullin, both on and off the pitch.

On Saturday, the club will host a special 100-year anniversary gala dinner with the senior footballers in Ulster action against Sarsfields of Armagh on Sunday.

After winning a third Oakleaf intermediate title in four seasons, Glenullin have an Ulster semi-final in their sights.

“There’s nothing we can do about it as a team,” said manager Michael O’Kane of the busy schedule.

“I’m on the organising committee and we’ve met once or twice a week for the last nine months for this gala dinner.”

Virtually half the club’s car park is currently taken up by a pop-up venue that allows Glenullin to host their event on home soil.

The Glenullin man in him is looking forward to it. The football manager in him is focused on Sunday and their date in the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.

“We’re looking forward to Sunday, that’s all we can do. It would be a disservice to the last 100 years if we thought we were going to go out and enjoy ourselves on a Saturday night at a gala dinner,” said O’Kane, who has three brothers on the squad.

“We’ll just push and try our best for Sunday. Saturday is massive for the community, next Sunday is massive for the community.

“We won’t be able to be part of it on Saturday night, but everybody will be part of it and everyone will be part of it on Sunday. That’s the main thing.”

While this week is busy, O’Kane welcomes it and the “privilege” of playing in November and representing the community on the Ulster stage.

“It’s not something we think about or just throw away,” he said after Saturday’s win over Moneyglass.

“We’re really, really privileged to be in the position we’re in. I can’t wait to get back on the pitch again to right all the mistakes we made.”

Despite winning by 17 points and never being in any danger after two Néill McNicholl two-pointers cemented a position of control, O’Kane was far from happy with his side’s performance.

He said it was their “poorest” championship performance of the season and his side were too “stop-start” over the hour.

O’Kane wasn’t happy with the mistakes and the missed chances, expanding on how his side didn’t meet their expectations.

“It shouldn’t take me coming in and telling boys at half time,” he added. “We have set good standards on the last three or four years in Glenullin.

“The boys know the standards they have to get to. They’re probably more disappointed in themselves than I am in them.

“That’s the feeling I’m getting from them already in the changing room. We just need to get better.”