Four Masters take on Tyrone champions Donaghmore in Ulster Minor Football Tournament

After their win in a close contest against Clan na Gael of Armagh on Saturday last in the quarter-final, Four Masters minors will make the trip to Belfast for a third time on St Stephen’s Day when they take on Tyrone champions, Donaghmore, with a place in the Ulster minor club final at stake.

The game is fixed for the St Paul’s ground, who run the competition, for Monday with throw-in at 1 p.m. Donaghmore defeated Monaghan champions, Scotstown, in their quarter-final on Saturday in Belfast by 1-12 to 1-9. After winning their preliminary round against Fermanagh side, Irvinestown, Four Masters had to fight all the way on Saturday last before overcoming Armagh champions, Clan na Gael by 1-10 to 1-9.

“Again it was a trip into the unknown, but they did very well to come back (from a bad start). They dominated large periods of the game, they just couldn’t put them away. We missed a few chances that we would normally get, free kicks and stuff, that we would normally take.

“Then we got a good goal going into injury time, but there was so much injury time. There were a few bad injuries, several injuries really. One of their lads had to be taken off after a collision with one of his own players. He was down for quite a while, and right after that there was another collision. We would have seen that many minutes but that’s the way the referee saw it anyway.

“There was a lot of stuff let go. But well, I looked back at the video last night and they weren’t all to blame too. Look, they were going at it hard but there were definitely a few times when he could have brandished a red, to be honest, and he gave out yellows. But, look, it’s not an easy job either, refereeing,” said Dunnion.

The competition is back on grass for the semi-final after the first two games were played on a 4G pitch. The semi-final on St Stephen’s Day takes place on the St Paul’s pitch on the Shaws Road, the ‘home’ of the competition.

“It will be a different challenge now after being on Astro for the last two games. We have been training on Astro for the last month or so. It will be different,” he says. “I don’t think the pitch has changed a lot, a pretty tight pitch.”

Looking forward to Monday’s game, Dunnion says it will be another team that they know little about.
“We haven’t seen them in the flesh. They played after our game on Saturday and we have got a video of that game. It was a long day and we could have stayed to watch it, but I felt it was better getting back down the road.

“We have watched the video several times and Pauric Harvey, in fairness to him, will go over it with a fine tooth comb to see if we can make some ground. They have a lot of threats, a lot of good players. It is going to be a challenge. They would be physically strong, but they have seven or eight lads who were on the Tyrone panel and they would have had four or five starters on a team that won Ulster.

“Their full-back would be very strong, again strong up the middle. They have Conor O’Neill in the middle of the field, a very good player. He seemed to be their main man around the middle. Then the wee buck, Noah Grimes, he would be very good, very tricky, lively and he takes frees.

“Then they have a big lad, Ronan Molloy at full-forward. He was sent off against Scotstown. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he will not be playing, but you don’t know how these things work, he could appeal. I know that it is treated like every other competition.

“He would have been full-forward for Tyrone in the championship so you could do without having to handle him. It would be one less fire to put out,” laughs Dunnion. But for now Four Masters are happy to represent Donegal and do it well on the Ulster stage.

“We have to take on that mantle, it’s not just about Four Masters. I would refer to them now as Donegal and I would refer to Donaghmore as Tyrone and the last day it was Armagh. It is bigger than the club now.

“I think they have taken that upon their shoulders and they are enjoying that. They are a great bunch of young fellas, and even reading in the Democrat today, Caolan (Sweeney), the way he spoke about representing the county. It’s great for them.”
They are hoping to have a full panel with a few niggles picked up last week.

“They would have a few knocks. Callem McCrea would have taken a lot of abuse on Saturday. He had an outstanding game, to be honest. I would say he was sore but he was back training with the county last night. Kevin Muldoon would have taken a few hits, but he was playing today with the school.

“There is no let up for some of these lads. But look, it is the school’s time to be playing, it is not our time. That is the ethos of the competition for St Paul’s, it should not impact in any way on schools or colleges football. That would be our opinion also, the school comes first,” said Dunnion, who said he leaves it up to themselves.

Four Masters will have a full panel for Monday’s semi-final with Leo McGowan back after a holiday break. Turlough Carr started at wing-back in place of McGowan last week and Conor McCahill also played, both only 15 years. “It is a great experience for them.”

Dunnion paid tribute to his backroom team and mentors as well as the parents who have been supporting the team. “It is a big sacrifice for them. From a timing point of view it is certainly not ideal. The management have families and they have to be commended for making the sacrifice,” said Dunnion.