By Niall Gartland

EXTRA focus on the small-ball game is paying dividends for a Con Mageess team bidding to make a slice of history for the club in this weekend’s Ulster Junior Hurling Championship semi-final against Burt.

Con Magees are your classic dual club and that poses very obvious challenges as well as opportunities, according to their hurling manager Neil McCann.

The footballers’ premature exit from the championship has afforded the hurling management more time to work with their players than in previous years, and now they stand on the cusp of a first-ever provincial final appearance in either code.

McCann said: “We’re a dual club and it’s not always straightforward. The footballers have been quite successful in recent years, winning the Intermediate Championship and getting themselves up to Division One, though this year they unfortunately bowed out a bit earlier.

“That’s had the effect of giving us a bit more time at it and to do the hard work that’s required. We’ve had a good run at it and have been able to get the lads into the best possible shape – we’ve done a lot of stick work and handling work and I think that was evident in the first round.”

The Glenravel-based team dug deep in extra-time against Monaghan side Truagh Gaels to advance to the last four of the competition. McCann was delighted with how they stepped up to the plate against a physically imposing Truagh side.

“We watched Truagh play Omagh, St Enda’s in the preliminary round in Truagh – they’re a big physical team – they’re bigger than us in that respect.

“We stood up to the challenge well – the game went to extra-time but we came through in the end. Our hurling and all the work we’ve been doing paid off in the end. In extra-time we seemed to have the edge and we got over the line.”

Now the question of the hour is whether they can repeat the trick against Donegal representatives Burt in this weekend’s semi-final. If they overcome that particular hurdle, they will be the first senior men’s team from Glenravel ever to feature on Ulster final day.

“None of our senior men’s teams have ever been further than an Ulster semi-final, so that’s the big target. Burt are a very good team with plenty of experience, so we’ll need a bit of luck, but we’ll see how it goes and give it our best shot.”