By Michael McMullan

CRAIGBANE have met their season goals and are now looking forward to giving Ulster a better rattle than their last effort when they take on Killeeshil in Saturday’s Ulster Junior Championship opener at Owenbeg.

After playing much of their defeat to Drumlane with 14 men, they went under by a single point in Kingspan Breffni two years ago.

Back in junior this season, they needed a late penalty from Lee Moore to see off Ballymaguigan in their recent Derry decider.

After securing Intermediate league and championship football for next season, getting their hands on the cup was their passport to Ulster.

Kevin Moore managed the club to the second of their two Ulster Intermediate titles in 2011 and has been at the helm for their recent Junior successes.

With a young squad at his disposal, Moore has had to plan with key players. Naoise Ó Mianáin is out with an ACL injury with Niall Feeney on his way back from a broken jaw.

Rory Moore – his son – and Bliain Gormley have been out injured but came on in their county final. Saturday may come too soon for a start.

Moore’s other son, Lee, could be in from the off, giving them an attacking boost against the Tyrone champions. It would take the scoring mantle off captain Fergal Mortimer and goal poacher Jude McLaughlin.

McLaughlin, Eoin Coll and Fintan Lynch weren’t part of their 2022 winning team, Moore has also added minor player Pierce McCloskey
and Aaron Sharkey to bolster his options.

“We had a great league campaign this year,” Moore said of their season’s foundation. “After the first five games, we had more or less our Intermediate status achieved and it was just about getting the boys motivated for the championship.

“We just plugged through the group stages and we used 19 or 20 players. We had a lot of injuries and they’re just starting to come back now apart from our two long term men (Ó Mianáin and Feeney).”

After shipping a first-half goal, they trailed for mush of the final and until Lee Moore’s penalty pulled victory from the jaws of defeat.

“On another day we had maybe three goals,” Moore added of their win. “We left ourselves a bit open at the back which we’d be hoping to improve on.

“In the last ten minutes, we had them (Ballymaguigan) penned in. We just couldn’t get into the lead until the penalty.

“If we hadn’t have got over the line, we’d have been really disappointed. We didn’t perform, which isn’t a bad way to get into an Ulster campaign. We have plenty to work for Saturday.”

Any thoughts of their defeat to Drumlane turn towards regret. Getting a man sent off left them looking uphill. Having a stag do plonked in the middle of their preparations didn’t help.

Moore was an interested spectator at Killeeshil’s win over Aghaloo and knows what is coming down the tracks this weekend. From his own point of view, Craigbane’s deeper panel will be a help.

“Nobody could have come on that day (against Drumlane) that could’ve taken it by a scruff of the neck and the boys were out on their feet at the end,” he said.

“We didn’t give it a fair crack. We’re intending to give it a good rattle this time and I’m sure Killeeshil are the same. It’s Derry and Tyrone and we’re at home, so you never know.”