IN AN age where the versatility of the modern footballer is his greatest strength, Stephen McNally has pushed the boundaries.
From his early goalkeeping days, through a flourishing career as a defender, and onwards to a new attacking role, the Coalisland Fianna star has reinvented himself more than once. At every stage of his career, McNally has sought to make a difference, to pursue excellence and to perform with honesty and integrity.
An all-too-brief spell in the Tyrone squad acknowledged his quality as a wing back with an attacking flair, a role he performed to perfection in Coalisland’s championship success back in 2010. Six years on, the 28-year-old will line out in the half forward line in Sunday’s Donnelly Vauxhall Tyrone SFC final against Killyclogher.
“You’re happy to be on the first fifteen. That’s just the way I look at it, whether it be corner back or corner forward,” he said.
“I’m happy to just come in and take whatever starting jersey I have, and do my bit for the team.”
He contended that the transition has been more natural than it may have seemed, and remains true to his defensive instincts, while striking a rich vein of offensive form, with goals in the opening two rounds, a late equaliser against Clonoe, and a couple of classy scores in last weekend’s replay.
“I have been playing half-back. Half-backs usually like to attack a bit more, so it maybe suited going into the half-forward line," he added.
“It was picking up and trying a new approach, but hopefully it’s working alright. I’ll just keep building on it and I’ll be happy enough to be in the 15 on Sunday, wherever it might be.”
Former Coalisland manager Damien O’Hagan appointed McNally as his captain in 2011, recognising his qualities as a leader and role model: “He’s the sort of player you want on your team, lots of ability, dedication and a great attitude, he never misses training,” O’Hagan said.
McNally’s conversion is just one of a raft of adjustments, some radical, others subtle, made by new manager John McKeever, who has Ballinderry star and former Derry attacker Conleith Gilligan by his side.
“John has come in with fresh ideas. It’s the first time in a long time our club has brought in an outside man, and it’s paying off at the minute,” said McNally.
“It took maybe two to three months to get settled in, results mightn’t have been going our way at the start, but as the weeks went on, the training developed, and the game plan has helped us get to the final, and it all seems to be coming nicely now.”
As he celebrated the 2010 triumph, McNally felt he was experiencing the beginning of something big for the club, and that further success would follow. But the Tyrone Championship is notoriously competitive. Six different clubs have claimed the O’Neill Cup in the past six seasons, and Killyclogher will be attempting to make that seven.
“I thought, to be honest, in 2010 when we won it, it was only going to be a case of being there or thereabouts every year," he said.
“But those chances come and go in Tyrone football. It shows that it’s the toughest championship about. A different team wins it every year, and we’re just happy to be in another final.”
Sunday’s Healy Park decider will be Coalisland’s fourth championship game on successive weekends, while Killyclogher have had the luxury of comfortable intervals between testing ties against Errigal Ciaran, Trillick and Dromore.
The Fianna men have been forced to place an emphasis on recovery this week, following an energy-sapping replay win over neighbours Clonoe last Sunday: “That’s just the way it’s going. You would have liked that bit of a break to prepare, but we’ll focus on it," he said.
“Killyclogher were in a final last year, and maybe didn’t show up, so they’ll be using all that experience to try and get one over on us. They have a lot of pacey players, forward line and back line, they work as a unit, very strong runners.
“They’re a bit like ourselves, they like to run the ball, so it should be a great tussle and roll on Sunday.”
