By Alan Rodgers

A MOORTOWN team whose anxiety to regain senior status in Tyrone catapulted them to an impressive Intermediate title triumph are now aiming to transfer that form onto the provincial stage.

It’s nearly 30 years since the St Malachy’s last played in the Ulster Club. On that day they lost out to the then All-Ireland senior champions, Lavey, in an intriguing game in 1992. Now they are intent on accounting for Fermanagh side, Erne Gaels, in the opening round at Carrickmore on Sunday.

Victory over Owen Roes in the O’Neill county decider three weeks ago heralded great celebrations. But for the past fortnight their focus has been on Ulster and they’ll be aiming for a good run and momentum as they prepare for the 2022 challenges.

This is a Moortown team which blazed a trail in Tyrone and there’s no reason to doubt that they can’t now go on and do something similar on the provincial stage.

One of the young stars of the side Tarlach Quinn said that the club was riding the crest of a wave right now on the back of success on several fronts in 2021.

“Words can’t describe it, it was unbelieveable. Half of our boys had never reached a semi-final, nevermind a final. It was just unreal. There was a real buzz around the club ths year.

“The girls won their County title and got to an Ulster Final and now the boys have done the same and get to play in Ulster as well.”

Midfielder Quinn, a former Tyrone All-Ireland Minor champion, felt that coming into the season the St Malachy’s were well-positioned to push for honours because of its
exciting blend of youth and experience.

“I’m 20 years old and we have a serious amount of young boys in the panel. But we also need the experience of big Pete (Devlin), Brian McLernon, and others. When the going has got tough in our matches everybody has stepped up and delivered in the last ten minutes when we needed them.

“We’ve known for years that there is something in this team. If we click we can beat any team on any given day. We never leave it easy for ourselves. It was our first final in 14 years, 2007, so it was a new thing for a lot of the boys, but we want to push on now.”

At the other end of the age spectrum Peter Devlin has been a stalwart for Moortown and he has no doubts about how important their Tyrone title is as they head into the Ulster Club.

“We have built up good momentum and lost one seven of our last nine games before the championship. That momentum has carried us through,” he said.

“Tommy Stevenson has changed the whole mindset of this team. It’s all about keeping things short and sharp and there’s been no slogging sessions.

“It would be great to get a good run in the Ulster Club, and I think it would give us a good platform for next year at senior.

“ It’s going to be a long winter for the lads to try and get into proper shape, but there’ll be no problem with the athletic side of things.

“The lads have been unreal in this year’s championship and once the county final opened up it just suited us down to the ground,” he said.

Tyrone teams have traditionally fared very well in the Ulster Club Intermediate Championship and there will understandably be high hopes that Moortown have the ability to maintain that tradition and follow in the footsteps of sides like Stewartstown and Cookstown by reaching and winning in the later stages.

This is very much a journey of discovery for the Loughshore side and they’re relishing the good times that have come their way in 2021, according to their full-forward.

“For the club, that taste of success was something that nobody had experienced for a long time. The club has been just sailing along in mid-table in Division Two and the hope is that we can now establish ourselves in Division One.

“Moortown are a Division One club and we’re definitely well equipped for that. Like the two lads at midfield, Blaine Ryan and Tarlach Quinn are still only 18 and 20. There’s a scatter of us over 30, but a host of young lads ready to challenge at the next level.

“The past 14 years have been difficult ones, but the effort by a lot of people has been unbelievable. The football is there to be enjoyed and it’s nice to put everything in perspective.”

Team manager, Michael Hassan, is also well aware of the opportunities which are now being presented to them.

“Everybody is pushing in the one direction in Moortown. The championship in Tyrone is always top quality play and Moortown are now back where they belong.

“We’ve an Ulster Club to look forward to now, and this is a reward for everyone in the club. You want success on the pitch and that’s what we’ll be working towards.”

MOOR TO COME?…Ryan Kelly Moortown St Malachy’s Captain holds aloft the LCC Group Intermediate Football Championship Trophy after his team defeated Owen Roe O’Neills