By Michael McMullan

BARRY Dillon knows the challenge awaiting his Ulster University side in Thursday’s Sigerson Cup semi-final.

The reigning champions face DCU and will also have to plan without Michael Hamill who was stretchered off during Monaghan’s win over Westmeath, joining fellow Farney man Gary Mohan on the injury list.

Speaking ahead of the weekend’s round of county action, Dillon lifted the lid on life as a college manager.

Collective training is limited. It’s about phoning around the county players to suss out any knocks or niggles. Monday is about grouping before going again.

Ulster University came through last week’s quarter-final with Maynooth injury free but needed late points from Conor Cush and Lorcan McGarrity to steer them through.

They were without Ruairi Canavan after he suffered concussion on club duty. Dillon will leave the decision of any potential involvement in the Sigerson Cup in the hands of the Tyrone medical team. A player’s welfare comes first.

He does know the main ingredient in last season’s Sigerson win and a return to the last four. Hanging tough has been top of the list.

“Digging in was the big thing, to be honest with you,” he said of the secret to seeing off a quality Maynooth side.

“It was the way we were patient enough. We actually controlled the injury time. We got two points in that time with good patient build-up for that”

Eoin McElholm passed for fellow substitute McGarrity to land the vital score before their kick-out press led to an insurance free tapped over by Cush.

“We never let them (Maynooth) up the field,” Dillon said of his side when the game was on the line.

“I was pleased that we controlled the game when it needed to be controlled, in the melting pot. That was the pleasing thing.”

Then came the waiting game before any plans for DCU can be fully put to bed. Dillon was right. You can’t “count your chickens” with the news of Hamill’s injury. His input from the bench was key in a tightly contested second-half against Maynooth.

“Monday is like an accident and emergency ward,” Dillon said of how university teams merge county weekends into college weeks.

“We have boys getting strapped up and massaged out, so they are ready to go again.”

Having watched DCU in the league against St Mary’s and the Dublin side’s quarter-final, Dillon knows the quality his side face on Thursday in Kingspan Breffni.

“They were full of county men,” said Dillon. A look at their team backs it up. Meath’s Ciaran Caulfield, Ethan Dunne and Greg McEnaney (both Dublin) are key cogs in the midfield sector.

Conor Dolan is a Dublin hopeful who adds scores. Westmeath’s Senan Baker, Luke Marren (Sligo), Tom Prior (Leitrim) and Ryan Donoghue of Cavan are others.

Dublin’s Lorcan O’Dell bagged a goal in their quarter final, his first appearance of the season.

“They’re a good team,” Dillon added. “They have had a similar route to what we had last year. They were unlucky to be beaten by Cork (UCC) in the league final.

“UCD beat them in the Sigerson so they’ve gone through the backdoor and have got a bit of a run.”