Dungannon fancied in Tyrone JFC

Paul Hughes managed Derrytresk to a junior title last year alongside Paul Canavan

THIS WEEKEND sees the start of knockout action in Tyrone with the commencement of the Junior championship.

Having guided Derrytresk to what was an unlikely win last season, Paul Hughes certainly knows what it takes if a team want to experience glory, and based on what he has seen so far this season, he believes that the title will once again be heading to the east of the county.

Brackaville and Dungannon have been the pace-setters in the league so far, and head into the championship campaign as favourites, but history has shown that the bookies odds count for very little in such an unpredictable competition.

“What I have found in Junior football though is that confidence is everything. That confidence can be surprisingly fragile though, one bad result can be the start of a mini crisis, and that’s why simply getting beyond that first round is the most important thing. Inevitably there will be a shock in that first round. The only question is how many.

“Looking at how results have gone so far, you would certainly put Brackaville and Dungannon as the frontrunners. We played both teams last year. Brackaville have an extremely strong squad, they did well and I think they’ve improved further on that.

“Dungannon are always going to be saddled with that extra bit of pressure, it’s harsh because they’re a very young team yet people still look and think ‘Ah Dungannon, sure they used to be in senior’.”

The full story is in the current issue of Gaelic Life, published on Thursday July 26. Buy your copy now in your local newsagent, or you can purchase the online version – for only 90p – by clicking here