Ulster Club SFC: Scotstown are 'blessed' with Rory Beggan's skill set, says boss David McCague
- Published
Rory Beggan celebrates as he scores the winning point against Kilcoo in the Ulster Club Championship quarter-final in Newry earlier this month.
Ulster Club SFC semi-final - Trillick v Scotstown |
|---|
Date: Sunday, 26 November Venue: Athletic Grounds, Armagh Throw-in: 13:00 GMT |
Coverage: Live text commentary, match report and highlights on BBC Sport website |
Scotstown manager David McCague says the club are "blessed" with goalkeeper Rory Beggan's attacking skill ahead of Sunday's Ulster Club SFC semi-final against Trillick.
Beggan coolly converted a last-ditch free to secure a 0-12 to 1-8 quarter-final win over Kilcoo on 12 November.
McCague praised Beggan's attacking prowess following his heroics.
"Rory is a massive help to our attack and our defence as well," McCague told BBC Sport NI.
"That's very much down to him and his perspective on the game and what the game requires at the particular time and that's the freedom we give to the players.
"The role of any management team is to give your players the platform to express all of their skills and technical ability in unison.
"We're blessed that we have players, along with Rory, who've got a range of skills. Our younger players are benefiting from his coaching ability and his experience as well."
The Monaghan club are aiming to reach Ulster glory for the first time since 1989 where they defeated Tyrone club Coalisland Fianna 2-9 to 0-5.
Having lost the final in 2018, Scotstown will be determined to claim the Seamus McFerran Cup for a fifth time in the club's history.
In 2015, the Monaghan champions narrowly defeated this weekend's challengers Trillick in the semi-finals with a 2-9 to 2-7 win with star man Darren Hughes returning an impressive 2-2 to send the Farney club into the final where they would ultimately lose to Armagh's Crossmaglen Rangers.
McCague anticipates a similarly intense encounter against the Tyrone champions this weekend.
"It absolutely will be as tight [as the semi-final in 2015], that's the nature of this competition," the former Monaghan assistant manger added.
"You look at all the quarter-final games and the history of this competition, the pattern is that games are very tight. They're keenly contested.
"Trillick, like ourselves, are a rural club seeking to get to a big day. They'll be fighting tooth and nail for it, we'll be fighting tooth and nail for it.
"Jody Gormley is a coach that has been highly renowned across Ulster for many years. I'm very much aware of his strengths and his ability to put together a side that will be very hard to beat on the day.
"That's the challenge for us and our management team, is to come up with a plan and prepare our players to take that on."
Jody Gormley led Trillick to its ninth Tyrone Senior Championship title in October.
With just one Ulster Club final appearance back in 1974, Trillick are aiming to end their wait for the pinnacle of club football in Ulster.
The nine-time Tyrone champions will feel at the height of their powers having brushed aside Crossmaglen in the quarter-finals with a convincing 0-9 to 0-4 win over the record 11-time Ulster club champions.
With a strong record in his first season at the helm with Trillick, manager Jody Gormley is embracing the underdog tag assigned to the club by 'ignorant pundits'.
"There's no doubt we've been underestimated from the start of the championship," said Gormley.
"I think our opponents have been tipped every step of the way and it's done us no harm so far and I think Scotstown are favourites again on Sunday.
"I don't really know [why], maybe it's ignorance on behalf of the pundits, maybe it's the fact that we have a number of significant players who have been out this season but either way it hasn't really affected us.
"As a friend of mine said in Belfast, 'the bookmakers are always right except when it comes to Trillick', so long may it continue.
"Scotstown are a strong, formidable opponent but as I've said before, Trillick are a formidable opponent too.
"You don't just turn up one year and suddenly become a good team. This team have been here these past coupe of years and the boys have gotten older, more experienced, they are used to dealing with the big games now, so it would mean a lot."