O’Donovan Rossas on an early season roll

By Barry O’Donnell

THE Rossas appear to be rolling right now but cautious Ardboe manager Barry Dillon appreciates that in Tyrone club football rockier periods could lie around the next corner.

The high-flying lough shore men have won three out of their opening four matches in Division One, and indeed but for a narrow 3-8 to 0-16 loss away to Edendork they would be boasting a 100 per cent winning record. They have strung together two impressive victories on the bounce, following up on their resounding home success against Killyclogher, with an excellent 2-14 to 0-9 away triumph over Dromore at Gardrum Park last Friday night.

A goal in each half from Cormac Devlin underscored Ardboe’s dominance, with the likes of Oisin Devlin, Oran Mulgrew and Shay McGuigan also producing excellent individual displays for the victors.

Ballinascreen native Dillon is overseeing managerial affairs again this season, alongside former club players Tommy McGuigan and John McConville. He was pleased to see the team build on their Killyclogher result against St Dympna’s

“We definitely haven’t been consistent and that is the first time we have really put two performances back to back which was a big thing for the boys. Let’s hope we can get something going.

“It’s another two points on the board. This time last year we were maybe struggling a bit so it was important to get a good start and touch wood we have got that.”

The league season of course is still in its infancy stages, with a whole plethora of players missing from most senior squads during this spate of Starred games. Ardboe’s two county men Michael O’Neill and Shea O’Hare both had a watching brief on the sidelines last weekend but Barry Dillon felt that this enabled others to stake a claim.

“Everybody is in the same boat with the Starred games. Shea and Michael came along to be part of it too along the sideline which gives everyone a lift.

“Coming into the summer boys go here, there and everywhere and they are entitled to do that. It is their own prerogative. But we have to look after the boys who are here putting in the effort. The weather was great and both sets of players did their best so you couldn’t ask for any more.

“The main thing was going into Dromore and trying to back up last week’s performance. We have done that so hopefully we can push on and do it again.”

Ardboe endured a spluttering first half of their ACL campaign in 2024 and Dillon stressed that they were keen to avoid a repeat this time around and being engaged in a frantic battle for league points down the home stretch.

“We don’t try and breakdown the season into different stages. Last year the results were hard to come by early on and then there was the big panic towards the back end to get the results to move away from the bottom and in fairness the boys did that.

“Whenever we needed to get the points we produced when it mattered which is good but we want to avoid that situation again this year.

“You don’t know what can happen in a season in terms of injuries or boys being away on holidays so to bank the wins early on is a plus. It gives you a wee safety net.”

Things don’t get any easier for Ardboe with the county champions Errigal Ciaran visiting the lough shore this Friday night looking to pop the hosts bubble. But Devlin wouldn’t have it any other way.

“In Tyrone football you are not going to go waltzing through it every week picking up wins. There will be tough days ahead but you have to dig in whenever those days do come. You want to come out on the other side of it.

“We have Errigal on Friday next who are Ulster champions but sure that is what you want. That’s the beauty of Tyrone football in fairness. It’s just non-stop with one tough game after the other.”