By Michael McMullan

LAVEY would rather be hurling at a higher level but this weekend’s Ulster Junior Championship is the hand they have been dealt as they prepare to face Cootehill Celtic.

The 18-time senior champions last won the senior title in 2010 but have been among the teams in the shadows of Sleacht Néill’s golden generation.

An influx of underage titles suggests signs of change, but they failed to qualify for the senior or intermediate grade in Derry this season.

Drawn in a tough group left a top two spot a tall order. After losing to Kevin Lynch’s in what would prove a must-win game, losing to Sleacht Néill saw them into the junior grade in the Oakleaf County.

“We definitely had a tough group, especially with Sleacht Néill being the Ulster senior champions,” said Segdae Melaugh, the oldest of four brothers in the Lavey squad.

“We pulled ourselves together and we just kept at it. We want to be in a better position, in the intermediate grade or whatever, but we’re here now.

“We a lot of young boys so it’s good to get that experience, playing more and more senior hurling.”

A recent upsurge in underage hurling success has given Lavey an injection of 10 players who have tasted senior action in the last three seasons.

“The minors have played three years in the Ulster competitions,” Melaugh pointed out.

“There are lot of us coming up which is good to see and we can get more experience or playing senior hurling.”

Twin brothers Connor and Tiarnan are part of the team with the youngest, Ruairi, coming into the mix.

Their father Eamonn managed Derry camogs and has been involved at difference levels within in the club.

“We don’t know any different,” Melaugh joked of a GAA household.

“A lot of the boys in our squad now have won the minor championships and I grew up going to school with a lot of them

“We all do everything together, Lavey is obviously a small place and we see each other every day.”

Lavey take on Cavan side Cootehill Celtic on Sunday in Owenbeg, aiming to follow in the footsteps of Ballinascreen who won the Ulster Junior title last season.

“Everything’s going well, we have boys coming back from niggles from the Derry Championship but we are flying now,” Melaugh said.

“We have had a couple of friendlies under the belt so it’s all good. We will be taking no one for granted.

“It’s good to play against these teams, it’s not like in Derry where you are playing the same teams three or four times a year.

“It’s actually a nice thing to be here playing different teams that are going to give you a challenge and we’re going to give them a challenge too.”