Donnelly glad to see end of group stage format

TYRONE minor manager Gerard Donnelly is grateful that the protracted group stage format has been replaced by a more palatable backdoor system in this year’s Ulster Championship.

The Red Hands take on Fermanagh this Saturday in Omagh and will be strongly fancied to prevail, though Donnelly, who teaches in St Michael’s, Enniskillen, contends that this is a stronger Erne side than in previous years.

Donnelly is in his fifth season at the helm of the Tyrone minors and has seen various formats come and go across the course of his tenure.

This time last year they had to play four group stage matches without much of a break in between, and he’s glad it’s a much more streamlined process this time around.

All nine counties will get a second bite of the cherry but that’s where it both begins and ends – thankfully.

The Stewartstown clubman said: “I think it’s far better now, last year we calculated we’d eight games in nine weeks, between the Ulster Minor League, then being in a group of five for the championship, where we were the last team to get a week off, and then the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

“Mentally and physically it was too much. Whereas you might have had to win five games to be in an Ulster Championship semi-final, now you might only have to win two.

“It’s far more manageable, and when you consider lads playing club football at the weekends too, it would’ve been a heavy burden to stick with last year’s format.”

Tyrone enter the championship as Ulster Minor League champions, after overcoming Donegal in a hugely competitive encounter nearly a fortnight ago on a scoreline of 1-15 to 1-13. Donnelly used the league to test the strength of his panel, and he’s glad that so many ambitious young Tyrone footballers got a chance to represent their county.

“It was four brilliant games to get – we had 32 lads playing competitive football for Tyrone, it was brilliant that way. A lot of lads will now be able to say they’ve played a competitive game for Tyrone at minor level no matter what happens the rest of the year.

“Before our first day out against Derry, we said that if they don’t start this game, they’ll start the second (against Antrim) and it’ll be up to you to put your hand up.

“A number of lads who played that day against Antrim, started the final against Donegal and that’s what it’s all about.

“We’e trying to get lads to be Tyrone players for Paul (Devlin) at u-20 level in the next couple of years, and maybe even next year, and ultimately lining out for Tyrone seniors.

“Unfortunately some won’t but they can always say they’ve played competitive football for their county.”

Tyrone are red-hot favourites to get the job done against Fermanagh on their first day out this Saturday, but Donnelly cautions against talk of complacency. The Erne County were generally competitive in the Ulster Minor League and their management team, which includes some recent Fermanagh stalwarts, have received buy-in from the players.

“It’s an awkward one for me as I teach a pile of the lads, but I can tell you before the draw was even made there was a different feel about Fermanagh this year.

“A lot of the players got to the Rannafast Cup quarter-final and they’ve Pat Cadden managing them alongside Sean Quigley and Aidan Breen, and they’ve really buying into it.

“They feel they should’ve been in the Ulster Shield final, that they let it slip against Monaghan.

“We’ve just sensed that they have a good rapport with their management team and in a way it’s a no-win situation for us as people will think that we should go out and win against Fermanagh. But look, if you’re not at your best in the Ulster Championship, anyone can beat anyone on any given day.”