MORE TO COME FROM ABBEY

By Steve Malone

ABBEY CBS captain Diarmaid O’Rourke believes that there is more to come from his side as they take on St Pat’s Dungannon in Sunday’s MacRory Cup Final.

It has been 20-years since the Abbey last competed and won the MacRory Cup Final, but there is a feeling with this current crop of players, this could be their time.

The Newry side is backboned by Ulster Minor winners Dromintee and their captain O’Rourke is a formidable player who manager Dan Gordon describes as once in a generation type of player. He shows maturity beyond his years, on and off the pitch, and he can’t wait for the game to begin.

The Newry side beat the big guns, Maghera and Omagh CBS en route, and they will be aiming to spoil Dungannon’s party, who are one game away from making the clean sweep of winning all the major Ulster school competitions.

“We spoke at the start of the year that we had the potential to go on and win the MacRory Cup or compete at the top level of schools football but I think we haven’t been able to execute that on the big days,” said O’Rourke.

“We know there are top footballers in our group, we have players that have played Senior Club Championship games already and we knew at the start of year that we worked harder and worked for each other a bit more, that we will not be too far away from competing for the MacRory Cup.

“Dungannon are favourites and rightly so, they are a super team and the school has had great teams over the past six or seven years. They will have won every competition there is to win, so they will be one of the best schools since I have been around. We have to relish that competition and try to keep pushing ourselves one step further each day to get close to them, to reach them and beat them.

“I can’t wait to get out onto the pitch, I am itching for it, I will probably be nervous in the buildup but once I hit the pitch I will be ready to go and I just want to get out there and compete the best I can.

“If we keep working hard and stick to our gameplan, I feel there is more to come from us.

It was 20-years ago on St Patrick’s Day when a Kevin McKernan and Kevin Dyas inspired Abbey last got their hands on the trophy and McKernan has been coaching the team, something the players insist have been invaluable.

Down legend Dan Gordon is the team manager, he has guided the side to the final and says that victory would be massive for everyone at the Newry school.

“Winning is very important and winning the MacRory Cup for anyone playing schools football is so important,” said Gordon.

“For a school that hasn’t won it in 20-years and hasn’t been in a final for 20 years, for us to win it, it would be excellent for every aspect of the school. We receive a lot of support from the school and from all the departments of the school and all the students and staff and management and the principal is very supportive of gaelic football and there is nothing that I have asked for this year for the team that I haven’t got, I have had full support from them. I think the school recognise the hunger for a bit of success at Ulster Colleges football and the journey we have had this year is due to the culmination of efforts over this last couple of years from everyone.”

Of course it is positive for the area, to reach a MacRory Cup Final is great for the school, Newry, the clubs and Armagh and Down, they are an exceptional team and they carry the hopes and dreams of many attached to the school but the manager feels his side can deal with the pressure.

“At the end of the day they are footballers, that is the life they live, if they wanted to be boys waving flags they could do that but these boys are gaelic footballers and they have dedicated their lives to gaelic football,” Gordon said.

“They are in doing weights at lunchtime, doing video sessions, one-on-one sessions, skill sessions, they talk among themselves, the come to the group sessions. We had a weekend in Donegal for team bonding and tactics and they have bought into it all. You play gaelic football to try and win things, to play at the highest level and I don’t think pressure will be an issue for us.”

Danske Bank MacRory Cup Final

Sunday (February 8) at 3pm

At Box-IT Athletic Grounds: Abbey CBS v St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon.

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