By Michael McMullan

ST MARY’S Magherafelt joint manager John McElholm jokes how he will leave the defensive matchups in the hands of Kevin Brady and Ronan Devlin ahead of Friday’s semi-final clash with Omagh CBS.

The Omagh attack will contain his son Eoin and it leaves an interesting angle as both schools chase down a final berth.

“One of us will be able to enjoy the MacRory final, I am hoping it is me and he is hoping it is going to be him,” McElholm said.

“I have taken his (club) team every year since he has been able to kick a ball…I have always been in his corner, until now.”

This particular St Mary’s Magherafelt group are the perfect example of progression. Having not lifted any silverware in their first three years at school, they won the Brock Cup shield competition in Year 11 before coming within a whisker of winning the Rannafast Cup two years later.

“The was some jump,” said McElholm before stripping down the analysis of their narrow Rannafast Final defeat when Jody McDermott’s injury time free took the cup to St Patrick’s Maghera.

“It was one that got away,” said McElholm, with the typical in-depth thoughts that a defeat often brings.

“We missed a bagful of frees that day and we hit the post. I don’t think you could ever come closer to winning a game and not win it…we owned the ball.

“They have learned from it, it was a great experience in front of a massive crowd, it was a real south Derry cauldron and those sort of experiences will stand to those lads.”

Since then, Terry and Michael Oscar Devlin have switched over to Cookstown’s Holy Trinity College who take on St Patrick’s Maghera in this weekend’s other semi-final.

After last year’s MacRory Cup falling victim to Covid restrictions, there is a welcome return to one for Ulster’s most prestigious competitions.

“This is their first opportunity to play in the MacRory and we are going rightly,” said McElholm of his side.

St Mary’s Magherafelt have been the form team so far in the competition, so what has made the difference?

“Different lads have come through,” John replies before giving a couple of examples. “Cahir Quinn is scoring for us and he didn’t make that team. Joshua Cassidy is coming off the bench and scoring too.”

McElholm also points to a strong Lower Sixth Group that includes Derry minor players Ruairi Forbes and Niall O’Donnell, with Cargin’s Conhuir Johnson the pivot of their attack. Two years ago they shared the Oisin McGrath Cup title with St Colman’s Newry.

“When you have two good year groups coming together, you are always competitive,” he said. “That’s a lot of good players to pick from, boys that have got to two schools finals”

McElholm is upbeat of where team sits and has confirmed a full squad to pick from going into a clash with a formidable Omagh side.

“We trained hard last week with three good sessions after Dungannon (in the quarter-final) and we’ll taper it down this week and hopefully we’ll get a bounce come Friday,” he said.

“The boys are going well, they have the bit between their teeth and are committed. Everybody is looking forward to it and there is a good buzz around the school.”

It makes for an interesting clash, with Maghera and Holy Trinity awaiting the winners. But one thing is certain; there will be a McElholm from Loughmacrory running out on the biggest day in Ulster school football.

DADDY’S BOY…Eoin McElholm wil be hoping to knock his father John’s St Mary’s Magherafelt side out of the MacRory Cup