The first all-Tyrone MacRory Cup final in 14 years takes place at O’Neill Healy Park on Sunday with Holy Trinity, Cookstown facing Omagh CBS.
Holy Trinity lost out to St Mary’s, Magherafelt in last year’s decider in Armagh while four-time winners Omagh return to the final for the first time since losing to St Michael’s, Enniskillen in 2019.
Omagh have lost their last four appearances in the MacRory final and that’s something they’ll be keen to address according to their manager Diarmuid McNulty, who played in the last successful CBS team in 2007.
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They might have added another appearance last season where it not for a narrow 1-10 to 1-7 loss to champions St Mary’s in the semi-final, but McNulty insists they never dwelled on that defeat this term.
“To be honest, we haven’t really spoken much about last year - there’s nothing really you can do about it at this point,” said McNulty.
“All year, when we met in September and started our trials, it was about, firstly, winning the group.
“If you won the group, you got a quarter-final where you knew who the play-off game was against.
“So we won our group and, from then on, it has just been taking it one game at a time because you can’t look beyond that.”
Holy Trinity manager John McKeever, in contrast, believes the hurt of last year’s 2-9 to 0-8 loss to Magherafelt at the Athletic Grounds.
The Cookstown outfit were appearing in their first MacRory decider last season and they never recovered from the concession of two goals, scored by Niall O’Donnell and Cahir Quinn, in the first half.
“We would have maybe 17 lads that were involved in the panel last year that are still available to us this year. They’ll use that experience and pass it on to the new members of the team,” said McKeever.
“Having that experience of the preparations and the lead up to the game and obviously the devastation and pain of the defeat - that will stand to the boys and they can pass that experience on to the newcomers on the team.”
“We were well prepared last year and we were looking forward to the game, but St Mary’s came out of the blocks fast.
"They got the two goals and we were nearly playing catch-up for the next 25 minutes until we got back into it again. Those experiences will definitely stand to the boys.”
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