Magherafelt hoping to pull the pieces together ahead of semi-final clash

By Michael McMullan

IT’S a week of pulling all the pieces together again for Magherafelt minors as they prepare to take on Clann Éireann in Sunday’s Ulster semi-final at St Paul’s.

Like their opponents, they had to juggle players’ commitments with the MacRory Cup.

For Magherafelt, they also had to contend with the u-16 players in their squad being involved in their successful Paul McGirr Cup campaign in Dromore.

“It’s been challenging,” said Damian McErlain, part of management team under Ciaran Higgins.

This has been the first week they’ve had total focus on the minor grade. They were winners over St Brigid’s in the quarter-final. Even then, they didn’t have their full hand at training that week.

“We just want to get a bit of momentum, get the group together, get training and see what we can do with the challenge of Clann Éireann,” added McErlain, who managed Magherafelt at the competition when they reached the final against Lámh Dhearg in 2010.

“When I took the team in 2010, we were just flat out tuning for weeks since August until it started and we were ready to go,” he said.

This year’s Rossa crop have conceded an average of “seven or eight” points per game in their run to the Derry title but St Brigid’s hit them for 2-10 in the Ulster opener.

“The 4G pitch (at Coláiste Feirste) lends itself to high scoring,” McErlain said.

“Given the preparation going on, the win was all we were looking to get. St Brigid’s were big, strong and athletic but we came through.”

Magherafelt were in pole position in last year’s opening Ulster game before going under as eventual champions Four Masters stormed back from eight points down with a control of the middle third.

“We talked about it,” McErlain said of their references to last year. “We wanted another bite at it, there is no doubt about it.”

Their win over St Brigid’s sets up Sunday’s clash with Clann Éireann who were winners over Irvinestown in their quarter-final.

“They look a decent side,” said McErlain, who pointed to their key threats.

“James McCooe is their main man,” he said of a player he came up against with Derry in the Ulster and All-Ireland minor finals.

“Their full forward (Euan) McAreavey is a good player and so is the number 13 (Cohen Henderson), they are three good players.”

McErlain also pointed to the attacking threat of wing backs James Moriarty and Tiarnan McDonald who can pull the strings.

“They’ve the former Armagh minor ‘keeper (Liam) Carroll there too,” McErlain added. “They were well tuned and they Tommy Coleman is over them.”

The winners of Sunday’s semi-final will await the winners of the second semi-final in the decider on New Year’s Day.

Reigning champions Four Masters will put their title on the line again when they face Cookstown on Thursday, December 26.

The Tyrone champions needed extra-time to see off Mayobridge in their quarter-final.