Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NO ORDINARY JOES
Boss Heagney believes Mcclenaghan’s double shows that his Mac cannot be ruled out as trophy winners
TONY HEAGNEY insists those writing off Immaculata do so at their own peril after his club marched through to the last four of the Match Intermediate Cup on Saturday.
A 3-2 fightback win over Championship 2 outfit Tobermore United sealed their place in the semi-finals where they were pitted against Dundela in last night’s draw at the Daily Mirror offices on Holywood Road.
The victory, which came courtesy of a little piece of magic from twogoal Joseph Mcclenaghan (above right) kept the Mac on course for silverware this season, and poured cold water on rumours of the club’s decline. And for player-manager Heagney it offered the rare opportunity to watch all of the game from the line as the injuries ease and his squad nears a return to full fitness.
It was a courageous win coming on the back of their worst display of his embryonic managerial career a few weeks ago when they surrendered to Lisburn Rangers at the Cage, crashing 6-2 to the Premier Division’s basement boys.
He said: “It was a great win and, to be honest, it wasn’t something that we targeted at the start of the season, the Intermediate Cup, because there are so many rounds.
“It was more that we wanted to give it a good go in the Steel & Sons, which we did in getting to the semifinal, and then after Christmas the Clarence Cup starts.
“But we had a really bad day down in Larne [when they exited the Clarence Cup at Larne Tech], so now it’s all about the Intermediate Cup for us because we aren’t going too well in the league.
“But we still have a chance of making history so it’s great.
“We are always there or thereabouts in the cups. We have got to the semi-finals three or four times in the Steel & Sons, and obviously reached the final once as well.
“And obviously we have won the Clarence the last three years and we always do well in the Irish Cup so I suppose it’s right when people say we are cup specialists. Saturday’s result was even better after the Lisburn Rangers game too. I was actually in shock and stunned after it.
“It could have been 4-1 at half-time to us, we just couldn’t kill them off, and after that every time they went forward they looked like scoring.
“So I said to the boys on Saturday, we are at the bottom in terms of morale, so there’s only one way and that is up, and I got a reaction off them, so it was great.
“And I think that’s the first time in a long time I have had my full squad available, apart from my wee left back Gavin Logan.”
Sean Mcgovern opened the scoring for the hosts, before Immaculata’s penchant for hitting the self-destruct button this season reared its head again, with Heagney’s men finding themselves trailing 2-1 shortly after the break.
But the Mac dug deep, with Mcclenaghan snapping up a loose ball to tap in the equaliser, before producing an exquisite chip to hand his club victory.
“Joseph’s not normally known for his goals but he was the hero on Saturday,” added Heagney.
“The first one he couldn’t have missed it, but the second goal was a bit of genius.
“Joseph noticed their goalkeeper off his line and chipped him, it was a really, really great goal.
“And good on him, he deserved it for his performance. He was outstanding on Saturday.”