Mac Eoin: Doire Trasna looking to lean on Ulster experience

THERE is plenty of Ulster Championship experience in the Doire Trasna changing room, but it’s a first step into the provincial scene for some of their youngsters, says manager Colly Mac Eoin.

The Derry club won Junior Championship titles in 2011 and 2017, advancing to Ulster on both occasions. They lost out to Tyrone’s Derrytresk in 2011 while Fermanagh’s Belnaleck stopped them in their tracks six years later.

Mac Eoin’s men Ballerin in the county final two weeks ago, with goals from Oran Donnelly and Tom Casey along with an individual tally of 0-7 from Eoghan Quigg seeing them across the line.

“There’s a real mix in the changing rooms and some of the older lads were able to tell us that they got past Ballyhegan in 2017 and then just came up short against a good Belnaleck side that have a few current Fermanagh players,” Mac Eoin explained.

“On the flip side, you have Somhairle McFadden and Caolan Doyle, he was in his primary school class the last time the club was in Ulster, so we have a mix of lads that have experience and then none whatsoever.”

Winning the championship was the main target, but Mac Eoin’s men want to give a good account of themselves in Ulster.

“We’re fully aware that it is bonus territory and it’s an afterthought after winning the Derry Championship, but I’ve been impressed with the boys in training, they have really applied themselves and they are eager to make a good impression.

“As soon as the celebrations stopped, every single one of our boys take themselves serious so they want to go out, they are fully aware that the challenge is going to be higher and we need to up our game but we want to raise ourselves to that and where else would you want to be?”

They take on Cavan champions Lacken at Find Insurance Owenbeg on Saturday afternoon and while Mac Eoin admits he doesn’t know a lot about them, he knows enough to expect a huge challenge.

“We’re going in a bit blind, but we know they have the Galligan’s and we all remember them from the 2020 Ulster final where Raymond was captain and Thomas was man of the match in midfield,” he added.

“Those two boys are powerhouses and they have great pedigree. They’ll have plenty of other fires to put out and I think ultimately you just have to back yourself and go with what has got us here.”

Doire Trasna head into the provincial campaign with a clean bill of health and have enough releasing the shackles since the county championship finished up.

“We have no fresh injury concerns whatsoever,” he added. “Our championship was a sprint, we had quarter-final, semi-final and final all inside 15 days.

“Our trainings had bene very light, but we’ve been able to let the shackles off and train properly and we’re lucky enough to have a fully fit squad at this stage.”