Maskey in full flight as St Enda’s keep sights fixed on place in final

WHEN dual code ace Joe Maskey suffered a serious ankle injury at the start of the summer, it was thought that his involvement with both St Enda’s and Antrim had been terminated for this year.

It was while assisting the Antrim hurlers that misfortune befell Maskey and ruled him out of the remainder of the county team’s campaign.

But it was not to be all doom and gloom. Maskey made a quicker than expected recovery from his injury and was able to line out with St Enda’s in the Antrim Intermediate Football Championship.

His input contributed in no small measure to the team’s annexing of the county title for the first time and now, as they fix their sights on Saturday’s Ulster Club championship semi-final against Tyrone standard-bearers Tatty- reagh at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh (5.00pm), hopes are high that the Glengormley club can book their place in the decider and perhaps capture a second major trophy.

Manager Frank Fitzsimons, the former Antrim boss, certainly sees the inclusion of 22-year-old Maskey as central to the team’s hopes of success.

“Joe is a smashing footballer and hurler, the complete all-rounder,” insists Fitzsimons.

“Naturally, he initially thought when he incurred his injury that he would be out for the rest of the year but it is a measure of his courage and commitment that he returned sooner than expected, raring to go again. That’s typical of Joe, he gives one hundred per cent on and off the field.

“I have no doubt that it was a desire to overcome his injury as much as anything else that got him back into action so quickly again.”

St Enda’s overcame Doohamlet at the quarter-final stage of the Ulster intermediate championship (2-15 to 3-5) but they will face a much more difficult proposition in Tattyreagh who looked as if they might run St Peter’s, Lurgan off their feet in the early stages of their quarter-final before they were effectively reined in and ultimately had to be content with a one-point victory (3-11 to 2-13).

While Maskey represents the heartbeat of St Enda’s, Ruairi Scott, Odhraan Eastwood and Philly Curren are other key players in the side.

“We have watched Tattyreagh and we know how dangerous they can be if they are afforded time and space.

“We will be playing our plans accordingly for what we know will be a very tough battle indeed,” says manager Fitzsimons.

And Maskey agrees wholeheartedly with his manager’s assessment.

“Tattyreagh have already shown they are a good side and they will be well fired up so we have to be ready for this,” says Maskey. Changing codes: Joe Maskey will be on football duties