Loup boss relishing the challenge of the champions

LOUP manager Declan McVey said his side are relishing another Derry championship test at Owenbeg on Saturday.

They face reigning champions Newbridge with a quarter-final spot up for grabs.

Playing a team of this magnitude is important for the team insists McVey, who took over midway through last season with the team lingering at the bottom of the table.

After two top-half league finishes, winning successive championship games at Owenbeg against Steelstown (last year) and this season against Swatragh was another step.

Leading by three points, with two minutes to go against Steelstown, they were in pole position to make it a third and book a quarter-final spot.

The Brian Ógs hit them with a late 1-3 tally to leave them in this weekend’s qualifying round.

“We have worked all year in training about what we do in that situation because we knew at some stage we were going to be in that position,” McVey said.

Against Swatragh, they were chasing the game and won. Their preparations were about both sides of it. That’s why the Steelstown defeat hurt.

“It was up to us to see out the game and we didn’t do that,” said McVey, who graciously didn’t dwell on his side not been granted what they felt was a 45 in the lead-up to Steelstown’s two-pointer that gave them a lifeline.

“The positive we took from it when we went three points up and Steelstown brought it back to the draw, we worked the ball to our go-to man Ciaran Devlin,” McVey said of the game’s final turning point, the winning goal from Corey McGuinness.

“On any other day he (Devlin) usually puts it over, unfortunately the ball dropped short and Steelstown punished us.

“There are small margins, that’s just the way it works. We were very disappointed, but we just had no time to be sitting around complaining.”

Most teams look around for the most favourable draw. Especially after a defeat.

McVey took a different outlook. They’re better off with champions Newbridge.

They’ll have minors Peter Coleman and Dylan Rocks back after they were rested for the Steelstown game to prepare for last weekend’s minor final, lost to Dungiven.

“I know this sounds ridiculous, but there was part of us that said it was better drawing a team like Newbridge because it’s going to be a really, really tough test for us to make a test,” McVey said.

“We just really want to see where we’re at in comparison to the likes of Newbridge.

“They are a formidable opponent, they’re a team I’ve watched closely this last two years and probably even away from the times that we’ve played them, I’ve probably been to about 10 or 12 of their games.”

Paudi McGrogan and Shea McAteer are back for the champions. They also taken All-Ireland Minor winners Cathair McBride and Eamon Young into their panel.

“They’ve added a wee bit of depth that was maybe an area where they were a wee bit short on last year,” McVey summed up, fully aware of what’s coming down the tracks.

“It’s one we very much look forward to and I want our boys to play to the final whistle.”