Limavady v Magilligan Friday 8.00 - Owenbeg

A LATE goal handed Limavady a morale boosting victory over many people’s favourites Drum.  On Friday night Mickey Boyle’s side face Magilligan with the prize of a semi-final spot up for grabs.

“The training is going well and we are looking forward to the game,” stated the Wolfhounds’ boss.

Boyle  will have to plan without corner back Jamie McLaughlin (holiday) but elsewhere their squad has received a timely boost.

Conor Forrest (shoulder) and Paddy Higgins (hamstring) are both on the recovery trail. Connor McGregor missed the last game due to holidays but is available and long term injury victim Aaron McGregor received the green night by the medical team.

“He’s back on the field with very light training,” added Boyle, who casts his mind back to the league encounter with Magilligan.  “It ended 1-8 to 0-8 to us and the game could’ve went either way.”

In the opposition camp Darren McShane is happy to be over the first hurdle but laments about the gap.

“Our preparation is going well on one hand but on the other hand waiting that extra week is not ideal. It will feel in some ways like we are starting over again.  I'm sure ideally both teams, after good wins, would have liked to play sooner,” indicated McShane.

“Thankfully at the minute the squad is getting healthier each week.  There are the usual knocks and strains that every team has to endure at this time of year but we have two or three men back from longer term injuries.

“They may still be short for the Limavady game but the main thing is they are back amongst the squad,” McShane added.

The very fact that McShane is thinking beyond this game (regardless of the result) is a measure of how they have developed as a team and it’s about getting his players to believe it.

“We are still very much looking forward to it. We have nothing to lose playing against one of the best teams in the division.

“For us it's very important in this game that we compete and show that we have improved. We will need to produce something better than what we have produced to date to give ourselves a chance but I believe strongly that we are capable of that.

“It will certainly be no surprise to me if we do but it might surprise one or two others,” concluded McShane.

No longer the ’also rans’ of this championship, Magilligan have a strong spine with Aaron Canning, Ciaran O’Hare and Brian Butcher at the centre of everything.

In attack, McShane has openly admitted they have strived to improve with Conor Canning, Conor Logue and target man James Payne linking up well this season.

Limavady have had Conor Boyd in inspirational form this season and his influence will be important to shore up their defence.

In attack Cormac Quigley was kept quiet against Drum and after doing a reasonable job on Dean Curran, Michael McLaughlin will likely be handed the marking duties.

Former Limavady underage player Aaron Canning will have a crucial job on Sean Forrest who has performed consistently well all season.

To the outsider many will tip Limavady, based on their intermediate status from last season and the win against Drum but it’s not as clear cut as that.  McShane believes in his side and rightly so.  With all their players available they have a consistent look about them.

It’s hard to look past Limavady though but the result will be a barometer of who will have a say in the destination of the Joe Brolly Cup in October.

The junior division needs more teams to step forward and improve, in a similar way that Darren McShane has done on the coast.  Healthy competition drives each other on.

VERDICT: LIMAVADY

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