fonaCAB Ulster Minor Club Football Tournament quarter-final

St Paul's v Mayobridge (Shaw's Road, Saturday, 1pm)

WHEN the draw for the fonaCAB Ulster Minor Club Football Tournament was made at City Hall in early November, there were a few gasps when the host club, St Paul's were pulled out to face the Tyrone champions in the preliminary round.

However, as fate would have it, the O'Neill County's championship is still far from completed due to an appeal by Dromore over their expulsion at the quarter-final stage that has rumbled on and on, meaning the competition will extend into next year.

All of that resulted in this year's edition of the Ulster Minor Club Tournament having no Tyrone representative entered and therefore, the host club, playing in their home competition for the first time in 30 years, go straight through to the quarter-final this Saturday when they welcome Down champions Mayobridge to the Shaw's Road.

Last Saturday saw the first two quarter-finals take place at An Sportlann with Donegal's Four Masters edging out Magherafelt to set-up a semi-final against Castleblayney who had one-point to spare over Armagh champions Clan na Gael. That semi-final is set for 1pm on Sunday at St Paul's.

But before that are the remaining quarters with Irvinestown and Cavan Gaels to meet at Sportlann on Saturday evening (5pm) to determine who will face the winner of the day's earlier game for a place in the second semi-final on St Stephen's Day.

For St Paul's, this year is of course extra special considering they are involved and that came thanks to a fine run through the Antrim Championship, culminating in a 5-9 to 1-6 win over Aghagallon in the final.

The return to the winner's podium didn't just come overnight, but the result of a long-term strategy in the club to build from the bottom up.

"Thirty years is a long time, but a lot of work has been done in the club by different people," said team manager Damien Duffy of their county title success.

"This is just just the pay-off this year. A lot of the credit has to go to the team as they have all bought into it, got their heads sorted out for what we need to do.

"We planned throughout the year for what was needed, focussed on the Championship and although we had a really tough draw by playing three away matches on the way to the final against three of the to teams in the league, the boys stuck to the game-plan each day and had three good wins to get us to the final.

"The final took care of itself as we showed up and were the better team on the day, which showed up on the scoreboard."

The prize is to be competing in their home tournament that began back in 1982, but has not seen them represent the county since 1993.

Since then, there have been countless young footballers cut their teeth before going onto become household names as the competition has gone from strength to strength, absorbing the hit of Covid-19 that saw it shelved for two years before returning last year.

The organisers have always put their shoulder to the wheel, welcoming clubs from across Ulster, but there was also a nagging feeling of regret they were not sending a team in red and white hoops out onto their home patch to compete.

But this Saturday that changes when they face a Mayobridge side that impressed in their run to the Down title, defeating Kilcoo 4-12 to 3-10 in the final.

"The boys have been with a lot of coaches over the years, from the FUNdamentals when they were four, five and six years of age," Duffy continued.

"We've brought a load of them through, added to the playing squad over the last number of years and added to the management team this year, so it's all come together for us.

"It's just an honour to be a part of the St Paul's Tournament, particularly with our own team in our own tournament.

"The 30-year gap just makes it more special for the squad as they are the team going out to be a part of our own Tournament. There has been a void by not having a team from St Paul's participating. Over the years, you'd be up there volunteering and thinking you'd love to have St Paul's out there. 

"If you get to December and you're still playing football, it's special for the squad and management team. Going into this Tournament was always part of it."

Naturally, the goal for player development is to ensure they remain right through until senior where they will hope to make a charge at Antrim football's biggest prize.

Still, there is nothing wrong with underage success and competing against the best in the province is a perfect way to aid development and St Paul's have high hopes of advancing through to the last four and indeed, the final on New Year's Day.

"Bringing them through to senior is always the goal and that is tough, especially in Belfast where there are a lot of distractions," Duffy agreed.

"This is a good bunch of kids and the quality is there to bring them through from minor up to senior if they stick at it and keep putting in the hard work they have done over the last few years."