Laurence McMullan content to keep on trucking in Convoy

Laurence McMullan admits it doesn’t get any easier but the St Mary’s, Convoy, player/boss is determined to keep on pulling the strings with the club’s senior side.

He might well be four months shy of his 40th birthday but you’d never guess it the way he is still getting up and down the park in the Convoy No. 11 jersey. McMullan’s men took a good scalp last Saturday when they edged out top of the table Moville at home by 1-13 to 1-11.

Nearing the end of the third quarter - such was St Mary’s slickness up until that point, they comfortably led 1-12 to 0-5. However, the wheels inexplicably began to wobble on the Convoy wagon and, with the visitors dragging themselves back in to within three, Moville were awarded a penalty deep into red.

Fortunately, from Convoy’s point of view at least, Michael Barr skied his kick high and over. And it was a relieved McMullan that gave his thoughts after.

“We had a good first-half - we kept the scoreboard moving. But we made very hard work for ourselves in the last 15 minutes. It allowed them to build into the game. They got the goal and it kickstarted all of that.

“In injury time, they got the penalty. It looked certain to end in a draw. But we got a wee bit of luck and it went over the bar.

“It was also our first game back on the pitch since it was redone and it’s just superb. So it was a massive lift to get the win in front of our own supporters. Moville were going really well so that was a big result. St Naul’s beat us already and they’re shaping up to be the pace setters. We want to really push hard for that top three”.

McMullan explains that the side lost a chunk of players this term through emigration but that still hasn’t dwindled interest or ambition at St Mary’s.

Pressed on the club’s aim and ambitions this term in the All-County League’s third tier, McMullan said the aim is to be in and around the promotion shake up when the business end of the season rolls around.

“We’re happy with the lads we have, they are doing everything that’s being asked of them. We have nine players in Australia. We’ve promoted seven fellas that won the reserve Intermediate title last October to this season’s first team.

“Emigration forced that a little. But we still are operating with up to 30 lads between the two teams and training. So that’s really encouraging. We’re strong and experienced up the middle. And we’ve sort of integrated some of the younger lads around the fringes of all of that.

We head to Muff next weekend. They are a bit like ourselves, young lads with some long toothed ones around the edges”.

On his own Peter Pan-esque efforts and the longevity that’s taken him into his 26th year in the adult ranks at St Mary’s, he said: “I keep the age profile up! I’m 39 now, 40 in September.

“I’m still hanging on! There’s great energy and effort there so it’s great to still be able to be a part of it. This is my seventh year managing. I still enjoy the craic of being involved with the lads”.