Lafferty loves the league

Urney sharpshooter Johnny Lafferty holds out hope that Urney can achieve promotion to Division One

THE league has taken on a fresh impetus for an Urney side that have become only too accustomed to falling agonisingly short in the championship.

That’s the admission of their experienced marksman Johnny Lafferty, who holds bitter memories of three Intermediate Championship final defeats in the past six years, the latest a 2-12 to 1-12 loss to Edendork back in October.

Despite sitting seventh they are only three points in arrears of league leaders Dungannon in the maelstrom of an ultra-competitive second division, giving the club a fighting chance of promotion back to the top flight for the first time in two decades.

Lafferty said: “For the last couple of years we were notorious for going through the motions in the league and then putting in performances during the championship. We thought this year we could target the league, either by winning it or getting to the play-offs. It was definitely an aim at the start of the year, as well as getting a championship run.”

He added: “We’ve all plied our trade in Division Two and Three so there’s a big ambition to get there to challenge ourselves at the highest level.”

The west Tyrone club have been pitted against Gortin in the first round of the championship. It’s the first step in their attempt at laying to rest the ghosts of the past six years, and Lafferty harbours some regrets about their three recent championship final defeats.

“We’ve lost three in the last six years, we lost to Derrylaughan, Eskra and Edendork. Each final we could look at it and say we should’ve won, we were in a commanding position at some stage, we just never saw it out.

“I’ve lost more than I’ve won. We haven’t won any honours with the senior team, this group have been together for a long time. At senior level we’ve just been in those three finals and it’s something that a lot of boys have taken badly. Whether it’ll change I don’t know but we’ll give it a go.”

The full interview is available in store today or online here.