Fermanagh Minor team head to Corrigan Park in Belfast this coming Saturday to face Antrim in the first round of the Ulster Minor Championship.
Part of that team will be Derrygonnelly Harps youngster Rian McGovern who has been especially prominent in the Ulster League games to date and the wing half back acknowledges that Saturday’s game will be a major test for his side but one they can relish, “We are confident we can beat Antrim because we know we have a squad that has the capabilities to beat Antrim and progress to the next stage. We lost to them in the league but we conceded 3-1 in five minutes and that was just down to us switching off and not tracking the runners coming through but we’ve looked at what went well and what didn’t go so well in that game and we know what he have to do the next day out to beat Antrim.”
He continued, “Antrim football has been growing lately in terms of Belfast schools winning Ulster titles and games in the Ulster Minor Championship, so they are defiently doing something right. We know we are going to have to take our chances and if we show the right character from the off then we have every chance of taking home a win.”
The good-humoured McGovern is currently in 5th year at St Michaels College, Enniskillen and has won plenty of titles already at his tender age, “Its been pretty good so far I must admit. Derrygonnelly is I suppose like any town or village in Fermanagh, everyone lives and breaths football and people try to get to as many games as possible. I have won three Fermanagh Under-16 titles and two Division 1 League titles while getting involved now with the County has really opened my eyes to County football and the standards set by other Counties.”
McGovern is joined by five other Derrygonnelly Harps men in the Fermanagh squad, namely, Leigh Green, Gareth McGovern, Lee Skuce, Ronan McHugh and Darragh Burke. He fully believes this has helped to have so many known faces around him, “I suppose off the field we are all good friends anyway so going to games together and growing up together it builds up friendships and its great football can do that.”
The Ulster Minor Championship this year has now moved to a new Under-17 structure and Rian fully believes it is a bad move that doesn’t help the progress of younger players, “I was one of the people who voted against the change in age groups because it took away an extra year off youth football at club and county level for a lot of players and it may not allow you to go on to Ulster competitions after you win your championship because most other counties haven’t changed but I suppose we just have to get on with it. I like the idea of the back-door system in this year’s Ulster Championship because it gives you that second chance if you played poorly and things didn’t go your in way in the first game, so it gives you chance to rectify them mistakes.”
Rian also has an older brother Gavin who is operating this year for Derrygonnelly Harps at Minor (U18) level but as County is Under-17 level he is not joined in the County squad by his older sibling. While younger brother Ronan has been performing admirably for school and Derrygonnelly and is currently with the Fermanagh Under-15 squad.
Phil O’Connor’s side had a mixed Ulster League campaign, McGovern though admits goals cost them dearly in some games, “We started off brilliantly with the win over Derry but then had three defeats in the League to Donegal, Tyrone and Antrim. We were delighted with the performance against Derry and to get off to a winning start then we felt the effects of the hard work we put in against Derry when we played Donegal who ran out comfortable winners in the end. We were disappointed not to get something out of the Tyrone and Antrim games because we played well for majority of the games, but we gave away crucial goals with about 15 minutes to go in both games that ultimately led to the defeats.”
Win or lose on Saturday McGovern will know that the preperation and work has been put in before the game in matches and training, he acknowledges the face of the role his Mum Leeanne makes, “She probably doesn’t get the credit she deserves. She will have every meal ready, she will always have every bit of training gear washed and ready for each training session, she drives me to training and matches and always has my boots shining bright for matches.”
He continued, “I don’t know what I would do without her to be honest and her support has been brilliant. I love playing Gaelic football for Fermanagh and Derrygonnelly, so my Mum plays a huge role in my football.”
McGovern has been one of Fermanagh’s best performers this year, his honesty and hard work speaks volumes of the teenager and if Fermanagh can put in a performance on Saturday then there is no reason why they can’t defeat the Saffron’s.
